After the release of the Nokia N95 and its seemingly all-conquering capabilities, many had wondered to some extent where the N-series would go from here. There have been plenty of rumours in the pipeline that the N96 would be the next on this list. Towards the end of 2007 some unofficial pictures were released of a with some striking similarities to the N81 but with a dual-sliding action reminiscent of the N95. This was dismissed by many (including myself) as a fake.
I am happy to report now that the rumours were in fact correct. If you saw a picture prior to Februarys Mobile World Congress in Barcelona of a handset similar in design to the N81 with some mind-blowing features, then that is the same phone that was unveiled at this annual event. The only difference is that it appears to be even better than the original rumours led many to believe.
First up, the shape & layout of the is almost identical to the N81 as we're treated to a large screen (2.8" in this case) along with minimal controls on the front panel, as well as the Navi-wheel which did manage to split opinion amongst the Nokia community. The only real differences are the dual-sliding action, which is to house a set of multimedia keys - like in the N95 - and a fairly hefty weight of 125 grams, though to be fair N-series mobiles aren't exactly renowned for being compact, but they do make it up in other areas.
The N96 is definitely no different as a simply astounding range of connection options have been fitted in this phone. Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP; 3G HSDPA at 3.6Mbps; class 32 GPRS; Class 32 EDGE; Infra-red and WLAN are what is on offer. Frankly, even if they tried, there is very little else they could have fitted into this device.
The most astonishing fact in regards to the N96s' spec is the potential memory capacity. The internal memory has been extended to 16GB, which is the most in any mobile phone at the moment with the exception of the Apple iPhone. You'd think that might be enough, but not it would seem for Nokia. As well as the massive onboard memory a microSD memory card slot is available, which potentially could provide another 8GB of memory if the N96 is SDHC compatible, but that has yet to be confirmed, although to me seems likely considering the all-round capabilities.
A 5 Megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Optics Lens has been implemented, as has flash & autofocus into the module. The video camera can now record at 30 frames per second, which is a significant improvement on the standard 15fps seen elsewhere, including Nokia N-series phones.
The latest version of the Nokia Maps application (2.0) has been incorporated in conjunction with the built-in GPS receiver. A Digital TV (DVB) receiver for watching local broadcasts on the move is also present in the ever-expanding capabilities of the Nokia N96.
Music as usual will play an integral part in the success of this phone, and it doesn't disappoint, though not necessarily innovate. A music player with support for AAC, MP3, WMA and others is available, as well as a stereo FM Radio with RDS. As mentioned earlier, A2DP Bluetooth profile is supported meaning that wireless stereo Bluetooth headphones can be used in conjunction with the phone for music playback.
My only concern is that a 950mAh battery is going to be used, which personally could be a mistake when taken into consideration how much power the N96 will need. As if further evidence were needed, the original came with the same battery with the exact same capacity and it has been well-documented that the N95's battery barely lasted a day during high-ish moderate usage.
My fears on the battery life & weight will have to be left until a full-hands-on test can be carried out, but in the meantime the almost unparalleled feature set will surely whet the consumer's appetites.
