Nokia N96

“Maybe Nokia N96 wasn't really intended to take the market by storm and turn the world around. Maybe it was meant to quietly update the top multimedia gadget of the house and continue to cash in.It just seems Nokia won't put all eggs in the same basket. And that makes us wondering. More high-end stuff will be available in affordable handsets, Arte will continue to define exquisite splendor, Eseries will go on blending exceptional skill with refined elegance and Touch UI will slowly be conquering the company portfolio. If all those assumptions are true, shall we fear the Nseries packed with features beyond belief but only getting uglier?Tempted though we are to say that failure is looming over Nokia N96, we know better than that. There will be quite a lot of diehard Symbian fans (and even a few individuals that do actually need DVB-H support) that will go against their aesthetic sense and get the N96. And no, we don't think they will be disappointed or eager to agree with most of the things we said in this review.As for the rest of the potential buyers - Nokia N96 is a great software package that comes in an utterly user-unfriendly shell. The ergonomics of the device are so poor (except for video watching) that operating it is a chore, rather than fun. Not to mention looks that are….oh well, controversial will have to do. It's just that when you dish out a healthy sum it's only fair to expect style and finesse. For all we know, style and finesse may have different meaning in the geek world and that's where the name of Nokia N96 sure rings a special bell.”

“On the whole we are impressed with the N96. It offers noteworthy upgrades to its forerunner, such as the DVB-H tuner (not usable in the States) and 16GB of internal memory with further expansion, and the design is also greatly refined. Running S60 Feature Pack 3 gives the N96 the flexibility to handle most anything the user throws at it. With an overall capacity of 28GB of memory (and theoretical capacity for 48GB) and a large screen it serves as a worthy PMP replacement. The camera and camcorder on the whole was very good, and would do as an everyday point and shoot.Our real gripe is with the fit and finish of the phone. Though it is improved over the N95, the key layout is still cramped and we’re not a fan of the materials used. The white backlighting seeps out of cracks on the front cluster so much that it resembles a cheap knockoff in the dark. No matter how you spin it the N96 is fat, it’s too wide in our hands and too thick in our pocket and the simple way to remedy this is to remove the slider and keypad.Nokia is definitely moving in the right design direction and as far as function goes the N96 still on the short list of premium devices, but we’d recommend US users wait until the North American version is released, which will support 3G on this side of the pond. With the likes of Samsung, Apple and HTC nipping at their heels with converged devices that take form just as seriously as function, Nokia seems to have taken more of a lateral step than pushing forward with innovation. Of course, the same could be said of Apple.”

“At first I wasn't so keen on the Nokia N96, as the flat keypad leaves a lot to be desired, and the interface could be very slow at times. It seemed like a step backwards from my N95 in terms of usability and speed. However, the more I used it, the more I liked it. With double the storage of the N95 8GB and a microSD slot onboard, the N96 can be loaded to the hilt with music, videos, and applications.More thought has also been put into the device's uses as a video player. For example, the speakers have been moved to either end of the device this time, acting as left and right stereo speakers whilst the device is in landscape mode. There's also a rear-mounted stand to hold the device at a better viewing angle when on a flat surface. Only small tweaks, but effective nonetheless.The BL-5F battery turned out to be a non-issue in the end, with the device lasting longer than expected. This was thanks to revised power settings and a low-power mode that activates when battery nearly drained. Then there's the most notable improvement from the N95 - the build quality. The sliding action of the N96 is much tighter than that of the N95, making the phone feel more solid and of higher quality. I'm sure I'd have been even more impressed if an update was made available during our test period, as the device could be ridiculously slow at times, ruining the experience.Overall I rate the N96 as Recommended as it packs such a huge punch in terms of features and connectivity. However, N95 users should not rush to upgrade their phones, because the N96 is hardly a leap in progress. In many ways this is the same device, but with more memory and a different exterior design. Personally I'd have expected to see an 8 megapixel camera here and maybe even a faster processor, too. The N96 therefore lost out on our Highly Recommended rating as it seems to be last year's tech, but in a new casing.”

“The N96 is designed for video and as such the screen is a critical bit of kit, so the 2.8 QVGA with 16 millions colours sounded a bit bog standard for a video enabled device, however power on and the experience is much better than the spec sounds. The colours are indeed vivid and as for brightness we even managed to browse some you tube videos in direct sunlight, worth noting we were in Amsterdam at the time hence the access to Sunlight outside the UK. The reason for testing this phone in Amsterdam was the ability to try DVB-H with the N96 and the IBC exhibition is the ideal place to track down a manufacturer with a test signal. Overall the Nokia N96 is a quality phone, features are extended and tweaked from the N95 and that combined with the improved build quality and helping of style make the N96 a worthy alternative to the rather over popular iPhone.”