It’s a cellphone, it’s a videocam, it’s the Nokia N93

Big phone, small hands, that is the problem.

And then there is the Nokia N93.

It’s big, bulky and black (OK, there’s a silver version, too.) Sometimes I wonder about the world and cellphone design. There’s bling – and more bling – for the fashionista. There’s square and boring for the serious business executive. There’s colorful for the young and hip.

And there’s the Nokia N93 for the video buff. But, hey, what can I say, this big phone performs really well, and in a big way. Cellphone-cum-videocam or videocam-cum-cellphone – the choice is yours. And it was mine, too, when I took a black N93 for a test run recently.

For starters, the phone reminded me a lot of the N90. When the N90 came out, people told me it was the phone to have (but then again, whenever a new Nokia phone comes out, it is the phone to have). And then less than a year later, the N93 made an appearance. And what an entrance it made. Matter of fact, it makes the N90 seem archaic.

The first thing that caught my eye with the N93 was the pillow-like keypad. I mean, really, pushing the buttons on the keypad was fun, with the extra elevation making it easier to send a text without having to delete and retype a letter because of a mis-pressed key. The N93 comes across as being softer because of its more round and ergonomic features, definitely not as squarish and business-like as the N90.

Flip, flop, flip, flop. Twist, turn, twist, turn. I gave the phone a good workout just to make sure I got the different angles for which I could take a shot or shoot a video with the 3.2-megapixel Carl Zeiss auto focus camera. The added bonus is the 3x optical zoom. A 2.4-inch QVGA display, full audiovideo playback capabilities make filming just great.

In a flash Gorby, Tasha (my two poodles) and I are out the door for my day behind the camera and their day to be doggie stars. "Smile," I command them as they run away from me thinking that "to smile" means to chase butterflies. "Sit," I beg them. But, no way, these doggies show me that they want to be action stars.

No worry, the N93 is made just for that. I let them run, jump, poop, pee and do all the silly things doggies do – and I catch it all on the N93.

And then the inevitable happens, the phone rings. I am stuck. How do I answer it? I fumble at first, but figure it out and am glad that in spite of the filming, I am able to take the call. The film stars take a break.

I watch the playback of the video I made of the doggies. The primary screen is a 2.4-inch high definition with a wide angle of 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 262,144 colors. The camera has four modes – imaging mode for capture, view for seeing what you just did, fold open for talking, and fold close for when you just need to slip the N93 into your bag.

Memory is not a problem for this phone comes with a 512 MB memory card and it has an internal memory of 50 MB. That’s a lot of space for contacts, ringtones and all those photo memories. The memory card is expandable up to 2 gig.

Tired we were, so back we went into the house. I worked with the phone’s 3G capabilities. After all, it is a device for staying connected, right? Bluetooth, infrared, and wireless LAN connectivity. I logged on to the Internet and loved the cool feature, which allowed me to browse the entire webpage in a thumbnail image. Great.

Just for fun, I opted to transfer my phone directory via Bluetooth. Easy as one, two, three.  Transfering ringtones, easier than one, two, three.

As for the rest of the features of the phone, well, they are all pretty standard by now. There are talking ringtones, integrated handsfree speakers, voice commands, voice recorder and the list goes on and on.

What I do love are the little extras that come with this Nokia phone. Although it’s not a first, the editing feature allows me to cartoonize a photo or add an effect like a smiley face, mustache or even a king’s crown to a photo I had just taken.

First I shoot the dogs, sometimes I shoot myself (with the camera, that is) and then I edit as I please and send the photo to some friends who think that my two doggies and I look better in cartoon form.

So, what’s there not to like about the N93? It’s easy to learn to use, just like all other Nokia phones. It’s loads and fun and the photos and videos are great. Texting is easy and downloading and storing are made easy because of the large memory.

There is one thing that I wish Nokia would consider though when making these really hi-tech gadgets – the smaller Asian hands. I have often wondered whether these phones, the N93, in particular, are made for Europeans who have larger hands than me. Maybe, but that’s all speculation, as they say.

The Nseries has lifted the cellphone into a higher level, a place that other cellphone makers are only beginning to reach.

The years seem to have gone by quickly. I can still remember my first Nokia – the series number escapes me. I was excited about it then. Today, many years later, I still get excited about the next new phone from Nokia. After all, the wait is always worth it.