Nokia N96 in adifferent way

Nokia N96 Mobile Review – iPhone Killer

The Nokia N96 is the next generation of mobile phone, designed to completely integrate communication and entertainment into one multi-functional ‘smart phone’. What makes this phone so different from its competitors (Apple iPhone, HTC Touch Diamond etc) is that is has advanced video capabilities, and also greatly improved music, Internet and GPS functions. As well as improved features, the design of the N96 has also been upgraded. The handset is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor the N95, but it is still surprisingly compact for a device with so many functions, and has a useful and stylish dual slide opening mechanism.

The N96 comes with standard 16GB of built-in memory, and also supports MicroSD memory cards to increase storage capabilities. The screen is a generous 2.8 inches and can be viewed in horizontal or vertical modes. The picture quality is good with a screen resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels, which allows a high colour video playback.

The photo functions on the N96 are impressive, with a top of the range 5 megapixel camera and a superior dual LED flash, which means you can take high quality pictures in a range of different environments and situations. This camera covers all the basic requirements of a stand alone digital camera, including auto focus and auto exposure features, and also includes a self timer. Photos can be stored in JPEG or EXIF formats and you can also tag photos with specific locations using the integral GPS feature. Alongside the camera is the video recording function, with advanced stabilizing features to reduce motion blurring during filming and also video lights to improve picture quality in dull settings. There are also editing features so that users can balance colour tone and brightness to improve the finished picture quality. Video playback features also include a video ringtones function, which allows users to create their own short video, or download one from the Internet or a PC to alert to incoming calls. In addition to the digital camera and video recording there is also an additional second camera feature that is used to facilitate video phone calls.

In terms of media entertainment the N96 comes with TV capabilities, which allow users to watch live TV broadcasts and also access video clips via the Internet connection from sites such as ‘YouTube’. The music features are vastly improved and the N96 has a built-in FM radio with RDS feature, which means users can view music information whilst listening to the radio. The 16MB of internal memory means that users are able to store a significant amount of music on the phone’s media library, almost twice as much as in the N95, and this can be increased further by utilizing compatible memory cards. The audio quality is very good on the N96, with built-in 3D stereo speakers and automatic audio equalizers. You can also share your music, and create playlists and choose play modes.

The N96 is priced at around £500, and is a stylish, reliable smart-phone, packed with state of the art features. It has impressive memory storage, and its camera and video recording features have set new market standards. The battery life of smart-phones are usually disappointing, but Nokia has made some improvements to this, and fully charged the N96 should give you up to three hours solid talk time and two hundred and twenty hours of stand by time, but using the video recording and TV playback functions continuously will drain the battery much more quickly though. If we compare N95 and N96, definitely N96 is a winner but at the cost of high price. So if you have a limited budget, N95 still rocks. BTW – Lets see who is the winner after the end of 2008 – Nokia N96, Apple iPhone 3G or HTC Touch Diamond.