The Nokia N900 is here. We’ve lifted the lid and snapped it on camera already, but we’ve been playing with the smartphone cum tablet for a while now, so it’s time for extended impressions. Want to know how the Nokia N900 stacks up? Read on for our review, starting with build and the all important keypad.

At a glance, the Nokia N900 is very similarly to the sliding, original Nokia N97. But there are a few subtle differences, and they’re improvements. First up the keyboard is much easier to type with. It’s still three lines rather than four, so the space bar is in a weird place, but the keys are raised and feel rubberised, a bit like the Nokia E71’s buttons. You won’t struggle to pick these out, even if you won’t match the speeds you can get on a portrait QWERTY.

Check out our Nokia N900 Full Review

Secondly, the sliding mechanism doesn’t angle out, clicking up smoothly. It’s sturdy, and even when extended doesn’t make the Nokia N900 top heavy, so feels perfectly balanced in your hands. You won’t feel like the Nokia N900 could split at any point. Internally, the case lifts off easily, and the microSD slot is easily accessed without the need to lift up the battery, a plus.

Ports wise, the 3.5mm audio and micro USB socket have sensibly been placed on the top and bottom of your phone, while the camera is on the side, where it feels intuitive. The Nokia N900 is chunky (thicker even than a clunker like the Nokia N81), it’s true, and the kickstand around the camera lens is wobbly at best. However, the smooth black casing and rock solid feel otherwise still make this one lump of powerhouse smartphone skill you’ll want to lug around with you.

Visually, the screen is glorious. Although it’s the same size as the Nokia N97’s display (3.5-inches), it fits more pixels in with a resolution of 800×480. That means images look clearer and you can view more of a web page at one time. The difference is noticeable – it’s bright, vibrant, sharp and blur free.

Unfortunately, the screen is the Nokia N900’s only build problem too. It uses a resistive touchscreen, which responds well to a stylus (Unlike the Nokia N97, there’s a stylus holder built into the case) but is a real hassle with fingers. This is a shame when you want to save time and check something quickly by pulling the Nokia N900 out of your pocket. We’d like to see the more responsive capacitive touchscreen of the Nokia X6 in a flagship smartphone like the Nokia N900, but no.

Screen issues aside, we’re wowed by the build of the Nokia N900. It strikes an excellent balance between internet tablet and mobile phone that’s still perfectly portable.