Nokia N96

20 May 2008
I was pretty excited about reviewing the new Nokia N96, as the N95 with all its great features was probably my favourite smartphone of last year and I was eager to see what improvements had been made.

So how did the successor to the N95 measure up?

The N96 definitely has elements of the N95 incorporated into the design, but the styling is more like the N81 than any other Nseries phone, given its flat polished surface and silver highlights.

The Nokia N96 is quite large at 103 x 55 x 18mm, but this is mainly due to the fact it has to house the large 2.8 inch QVGA display. It’s a little longer and wider than its predecessor the N95 but it is marginally slimmer giving it a sleek look. The rear of the phone is taken up mainly with the 5 megapixel camera and is made from similar materiel to the N82 which makes it less likely to get marked or scratched. The N96 is definitely stylish looking and has the feel of a high end device which gives it wide appeal to users.

A notable improvement is the capacity of the N96. The N96 has 16GB of internal memory as well as a microSDHC slot and with card currently available up to 8GB this means you can increase capacity to 24GB. Another new feature is the inclusion of a DVB-H receiver that lets you watch mobile TV, although this feature won’t come into its own until the analogue switch off in the UK scheduled for 2012. The N96 also comes with NOKIA Maps 2.0 which is currently in beta. Maps 2.0 offers a number of new features, including satellite imagery, improved mapping and a pedestrian mode.

On the software front the N96 runs S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2. As you’d expect all the usual features are included like messaging, calendar and contacts, a few small updates have been added but nothing major. Messaging has a unified editor for SMS and MMS and the phone selects the appropriate editor to use depending on the content of the message. The 128MB of RAM means the N96 has no problem multitasking and the speed in use is similar to that of other Nseries devices.

Where the Nokia N96 really makes its mark is with the multimedia features. The N96 is designed to be mainly a video and mobile TV phone and the video and audio performance is top notch. Improved video performance is achieved by using the N96’s hardware video acceleration, which supports H264 video. Previous Nseries models used software to decode this and the improvements mean higher bitrates can now be played back more smoothly giving far better video quality. With a reduced power requirement needed during playback the N96 has a longer video playback capability than previous Nseries devices.

The camera hasn’t been drastically altered, but a few little tweaks have been made here and there and it compares well with previous Nseries devices. It’s still a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics, but a dual LED flash has been added which will be a welcome bonus when trying to take shots in a dimly lit location.

The Nokia Music Store, Nseries music player and podcasting applications are all here, as is the usual FM Radio. A new addition to the FM Radio is the support of RDS (Radio Data System) this is the feature which displays data like the radio station’s name, programme name or current song playing. Also included in the multimedia menu is Nokia’s new internet radio application. This lets you listen to radio streams via the internet and is a great addition to the N96’s music features. The sound was comparable with the FM radio option and an added bonus is the fact you don’t need an aerial to use it.

Quad band GSM, Dual Band WCDMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity are all available on the Nokia N96 which means it caters for just about everything really. The USB local connectivity has been improved hugely on the N96 model with the prototype currently able to work five times faster than previous Nseries devices and Nokia hope to improve this performance even further in their production models

The N96 shouldn’t really be seen as the successor to the N95 but more of a TV and Video focussed model which offers buyers a bit more in these areas. With its huge array of features the Nokia N96 looks set to be a hit with consumers.

Editor Comments

Editor: Andrew on 26th October, 2008
Some of the early teething problems that owners of the Nokia N96 experienced are now going to be resolved, thanks to Nokia's release of new software for the handset. They said the new version of the software includes "improvements in the Live TV application, sharper pictures through better imaging quality and autofocus accuracy, and faster system wide execution speed." Basically it makes a great phone even better. You can download using your computer (if you have a PC) at http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4777088 or you can just use your Nokia N96 phone and a wireless connection by going to Menu > Tools > Utilities > Device Manager > Options > Check for updates on the handset.

Reviewer: Stephanie De Iulio - Melbourne/Australia
Reviewed on: 27th October, 2008
Rating: 7/10
The Nokia N96 is a hot phone, its stylish and whatnot but it's really slow, when you go to change the ringtone getting into the ringtone option takes ages. it freezes when sending text messages, and it cut out twice when i was on the one to 2 people at different intervals. my friend is having the same issues along with many others. i've heard of firmware, but apparently it makes it worse? can someone advise me on what to do? i feel kinda jibbed.

Reviewer: Gary J - Shrewsbury
Reviewed on: 13th October, 2008
Rating: 6/10
Getting the Nokia N96 a week ago and have had mixed results. Lovely phone, video on the screen is excellent for its size, and the sound is also excellent again for it's size. Downsides are, doesn't want to connect through USB, when it does realise the cable is present, it thinks it is wanting to connect to wifi or via its own data connection, but doesn't accept the cancel command. Built in GPS is a joke, hasn't connected to satellites once since bought, and doesn't find any even in the outdoors, although will connect to my bluetooth GPS receiver. Also locks up on occasion, and requires a battery removal to clear. Seems the complaints about firmware are justified, certainly in my case. If this was solved, then I'd give it a score of 9, maybe 10 once experienced, until then, it gets a 6.

Reviewer: Ashley - Burton
Reviewed on: 7th October, 2008
Rating: 2/10
I wouldnt reccomend the phone at all. the n96 has severe firmware issues and according to the person i spoke to at vodafone and CPW they are all experianceing returns. I was looking forward to this phone alot and am somewhat let down. Hopefully after another few months itll be a decent phone with the firmware upgrades. then again the n95 did take till verion 22 firmware till it became totally usefull. That was a year after release bear in mind.

Reviewer: Omar - London
Reviewed on: 17th July, 2008
Rating: 10/10
I got to own this phone due to my girlfriends dad working for Nokia..and am I lucky guy or what?
Easily the best phone I have ever held, touched, seen, smelt..you name it. The camera is brilliant as is the music player. But what captures attention immediately is the massive screen. It is amazingly accurate and serves like a mini TV. All in all, the best phone out there and definitely worth the money. Nokia does it again!

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