For a superb music experience, the Nokia N96 features media keys, a 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. The Nokia Maps application offers richer maps with... more
Nokia N96 + N96 Clear Case
Nokia's N96 is a multimedia mobile phone that's optimised for all digital entertainment, ... more
such as video and TV. This hi-tech phone lets you take beautiful photos, thanks to its 5-megapixel sensor. It also comes with Windows Media Video for viewing all videos, including those in MPEG4 format. The N96's DVB-H antenna gives you access to mobile television and even lets you record TV programmes. This mobile phone boasts full connectivity, including wifi, a USB port, and Bluetooth 2.0 compatibility. The N96 also works as your very own GPS, while its wireless Internet connection lets you download road maps and points of interest for more than 150 countries absolutely free! Finally, the N96 boasts 16 GB of internal memory, as well as a microSD memory card slot for even more possibilities. Nokia has revolutionised the mobile market with the multifunction N96 GSM phone!
A review by s32bauer on Nokia N96 November 6th, 2009
Author's product rating:
Look & Feel
Poor
Durability & Robustness
Satisfactory
Battery standby time
Poor
Value for money
Reasonable
Range of features
Good selection
Advantages:
Video recording . . . . that's about it
Disadvantages:
Numerous software and hardware issues, feels cheap
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
I can't say I've ever been a fan of Nokia, I'd be happy to stick with Sony Ericsson for the rest of my life. However, I thought about giving the handset a try, and have tried to give a fair review of the device.
The immediate look of the handset is that it isn't very striking. It doesn't look unusual, or revolutionary. It has a decent sized screen, on par and bigger than some of it's rivals. It's clear and has a good range of colours. It also has a built in light sensor to make sure the screen is visible even in the sun.
The majority of the keys, including the number keys, are flat. Whilst it's quite a good idea in theory, I found they don't give enough feedback, and become creaky over a period of time.
This handset was actually quite expensive, and isn't exactly cheap now. For such an expensive handset, it feels remarkably cheap. It really doesn't feel like very good quality materials have been used, nor does it give you confidence about how robust it is.
The camera isn't too bad. In fact, it's not too far below par of the 8.1MP cameras on some of the latest Sony Ericsson mobiles. In fact, in certain low light conditions, the quality is actually slightly better. It also has a secondary VGA front facing camera for video calling.
One of the best features of this handset at the time was the fact that it offered VGA video recording. Combined with a 5MP camera it had good quality video that was 'watchable' on PC or TV. However, with the introduction of VGA video recording to the 8MP cameras on Sony Ericsson handsets, this has lost a vital foothold.
I'm unsure whether Nokia intended this to be a multmedia phone, but from the dual way slider, kickstand and stereo speakers, it certainly gives that impression. It's a shame then that the music player isn't that great. It has visualisations, album art and most of the basics you would expect. Unfortunately, the audio quality through the speakers is appalling. Way below standards of most other mobiles out there, even those that are almost half the price.
As with most mobiles, the N96 supports themes. One of the advantages this has over Sony Ericsson is that the menu icons themselves can actually be changed and customised. Unfortunately, the menus and options on the phone can be quite complicated and difficult to find if you're not a regular Nokia user.
As with most mobiles, the N96 comes with Nokia's mobile phone software. I run Vista, which the software apparently supports. Unfortunately, I've had nothing but problems whilst trying to use it. These range from the handset not going into mass storage mode whilst connected to USB, to the software simply saying that no handset is connected (despite the handset saying otherwise).
Next, the battery life. Well, it's rubbish, to put it politely. I find that a lot of Nokia handsets have the same issue. During normal use, without Wifi or Bluetooth, no GPS - it lasted about a day and a half. That was with only a few calls and a handful of texts.
The Wifi isn't the most reliable system either. I regularly went to connect to the internet, and it would not detect my wireless connection at all. I've never experienced anything like this with any other handset, or my PC's, so I can only put this down to the handset.
The GPS isn't great either. The amount of time it takes to connect to satellites is way below par. Other handsets, such as the Sony Ericsson W995 is able to find a connection within around 20-30 seconds. I left the handset, in the same area as the Sony Ericsson, and it took around 2-3 minutes!
The handset does have a file manager, however I've come across one massive flaw. When searching for a ringtone for example, all of the files are put together. The is no way to navigate through folders to find the ringtone. I think this is very poor.
Being on the Symbian OS, the handset can run a variety of applications. However, it also means that it can sometimes be painfully slow to respond. When closing the internet browser, for example, which sometimes takes around 10 seconds to close. This may not sound like much, but it's a delay that shouldn't be experienced.
I would like to think that when it comes to mobile phones, I'm quite open minded. However, I've tried several Nokia handsets over the last few years. I see very little improvement in this handset. Nokia tries to add gadgets and features to their handsets, which are sometimes a great idea. However, the handset lacks the speed and possibly memory, to run these features smoothly.
Advantages: Features and more Features. Feels smaller than rivals, Surprising battery life Disadvantages: Twin slider feels flimsy, isn't all that useful. Software still buggy. Issues with some WiFi
...the same, mini power connector Nokia have used for a long while now, which is nice. I like that Nokia have avoided temptation to change the proprietary power connector every generation like so many of it's competitors do.
* A wired headset microphone/remote and headphones - the headset is quite nice, with a standard 3.5mm jack plug on it. The microphone and headphones are separate from each other meaning that you can use better quality earphones ... ...to look at than many Nokia smart-phones of the past. It has more rounded edges and a better quality finish than most of the rest of the line, with a high gloss black front and back. The buttons too are black, shiny and look and feel very good. The phone features some silver trim and a silver finish around the side. All in all, it is a classy looking phone, a few major, and minor drawbacks. Like all high-gloss devices, it is a fingerprint magnet, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: DVB-H, WLAN, Expansion Slot 2.8 inch screen, A-GPS and Almost everything Disadvantages: Battery (950 mAh), Same shape and size
Nokia N96 - A True Power House
N96 , Another beast from the mobile Gaints Nokia. This phone truly is a powerhouse, packed with wide range of features to explore with.
Here i would like to share my experience with this Lovely Beast
My Experience
First to start with, the slide is very smooth and is not jerky after sometime of use as in N95.
Also Huge Memery (Mass Memory) 16 GB is inbuilt and it also supports Micro SD card (SDHC ... ...and i till now i experience no lag in phone speed. It is as good as it was when i bought it. Dedicated music keys on front panel when the phone is used in portrait mode is a good idea.
I was easily able to navigate the phone and the keys are very pleasurable to use. My fingers pained when i messaged for 20 minutes in my N95 but in this phone its not the case, they fell like "Touch sensitive" keypads.
Mobile TV receiver performs very well. Channel ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good looking, powerful features, easy to use Disadvantages: Bad battery life, bulky
...Nokia's latest products is the Nokia N96 phone with revoloutionising technology and features. I have recently purchased one of these fine gadgets on a T-mobile network contract; the phone was free and the montly cost was £40, for this I got 1000 minutes and unlimited texts which was easily sufficient for my day to day use. Being a person not wanting to waste my money and sign up for a contract where I would be regretting it a few months down the ... ...But to summerise, the new Nokia N96 is a great phone and considering the pros and cons of it, I would definately consider it to be one of the best phones out and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sleek and stylish but high performing mobile device! ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Massive internal memory with option to expand, large 2.8" display, wi-fi support, 5 MP camera Disadvantages: Same battery as n95, annoying camera button, no light sensor or integrated graphics chip
...sleeker than both the original Nokia n95 and the n95 8GB. This is in part due to the removal of the camera slider which was present on the n95 and it is also using the same battery as the original n95 (950MhA). This could be seen as a disadvantage considering the awful battery life of the original n95, this problem was somewhat addressed by Nokia with the release of the n95 8GB which included a higher capacity battery (1200MhA). However Nokia have ... ...in landscape mode. This time Nokia have realised this by the inclusion of a "kick stand" on the back of the phone positioned under the camera. This acts as a stand so the phone can be angled at viewing pleasure when it is placed upon a surface. The camera itself is the same from the n95 and n95 8GB and like the n95 8GB this does not contain a slider for extra protection. Nokia have now included dual LEDs for flash photography but I personally would ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great Features, Looks Great, Camera, Internet, Music, Movies Disadvantages: Bit Big if you like little phones
...2.8" colour screen like the Nokia N95 is viewable in horizontal or vertical mode with a screen resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels.
Camera
This handset comes with a massive 5 megapixel camera feature complete with all the settings & options a standard digital camera would provided. It has a Carl Zeiss optics Tessar lens, auto focus, and auto exposure features. The flash is a dual LED flash which will light up the darkest surrounding to produce ... ...just watched. The Nokia N96 supports MPEG4 video format and thanks to a video stabilser there is no wobbly sensation.
Front Camera
A second camera is situated on the front of the handset like most other Nokia's and is a VGA camera which allows you to use3G video calling or snap a picture of yourself.
TV
The N96 comes with TV broadcasting capabilities which allows you to enjoy live TV such as sports, news, or your favourite program. GPS
A built ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
...as a owner and user of the nokian97 i can say i am overall very happy with the improvements that nokia have made on previous models i.e N96 and N95. Lets face it all of us who went from owning an N95 to what nokia seem to believe was a better model (N96) were extremely dissapointed as although looking good on paper the N96 failed to meet the standards of its pre- deccesor but i am glad to say nokia have redeemed themselves on the launch of the N97. There have been many improvements made on previous models i.e the processor is alot faster and the slow transitions between menus has been completely iradicated due to the massive 32Gb memory which can still be increased to a huge 48GB by the handy memory slot tucked away under the rear cover of the phone. Another improvement on previous models is the slider mechanism after a few minor issues...
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Advantages: 3G, wi-fi, Bluetooth Disadvantages: 2MP Camera, delicacy
...were largely unchanged,
Main features like 3G, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, easy sync, e-mail, sms, imaging, video recording, ms office and many more attracts every one. But the 2MP is somwhat disappointing as compared to NokiaN96's Carl Zeis' 5MP. Another disadvantage is its delicacy. I think in the next edition Apple may think about these disadvantages rectified.
It is just like a laptop in hand I feel.
I strongly suggest to any one to get this product. Very nice and good too....
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Functionality; good camera; symbian based firmware Disadvantages: Battery Life; Older firmware versions glitchy
...A good package all round.
Internet and WIFI handy on the move.
Camera has good picture quality in good lighting conditions.
The music player is good also and the memory card gives it sufficient space for a good start for a MP3 player.
I think it is even as good as the N96, which replaced the N95.
I use mine when travelling and it works in all network areas.
Nokia as well have a good support network should you ever have any issues with the phone while still in warranty.
The GPS facility on the phone is accurate as well, although it is wise to update maps using your home WIFI, as it can get expensive using mobile internet.
This phone can be bought very cheaply now, as long as you don't mind it being a little dated....
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Special Effects: Negative, Black & White, Sepia, Vivid
Self Timer Delay: Built-in
Focus Adjustment: Automatic
Min Focal Length: 5.2 mm
Still Image Resolutions: 2592 x 1944
Sensor Resolution: 5 Megapixel
Manufacturer's product description
For a superb music experience, the Nokia N96 features media keys, a 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. The Nokia Maps application offers richer maps with urban details and satellite views and has upgrade options such as City Guides, turn-by-turn pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation.
Multimedia features
Digital TV Reception: DVB-H
Playback Digital Video Formats: MPEG-4
Downloadable Content: Audio files, video files, themes, games, ring tones, screensavers, wallpapers
Messaging & data services
Cellular Messaging Services: MMS, Nokia Smart Messaging, SMS
Supported Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP4, SMTP
Messaging / Data Features: Macromedia Flash support, RSS feeds
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
08.03.2009
08.09.2009
