Due to the unparallel success of the Nokia N95, the latest edition to the N Series has an extreme amount of anticipation, not too mention funding on its shoulders. Not since the I-Phone was first conceived has another handset acquired so much hype.
Not surprisingly, late 2006 and early 2007 was all about the Nokia N95 and the I-Phone, and from August onwards it will no doubt be another battle of the titans in the run into Christmas. Both the Nokia N96 and 3G I-Phone demonstrate a shift in the mobile market from the old mobile communications device, to the new age mobile entertainment communication device, which has occurred thanks to new mobile wi-fi and entertainment technologies.
Ultimately though, this is about a next generation mobile phone being able to evolve on from a previous model, the Nokia N95, which went though 4 ‘design revamps’ before Nokia finally conceded defeat and accepted the new Nokia N96 was due. However, the issue has been raised that the new Nokia N96 is
no more than the Nokia N95 with go faster stripes and a new slim line sports body kit, which is the view of mobile phone purists, but will the public be duped.
Okay, we admit the last paragraph was a rather sweeping statement, but the jury is still out on the Nokia N96. In a market that has progressed rapidly since the launch of the first 5 mega-pixel camera mobile phone, this particular asset is now an expected feature rather than a ground breaking deal clincher. So has the new N Series handset managed to move on from the time of the Nokia N95.
Lets take a look at what has happened in mobile phone land since the trumpets sounded for the Nokia N95. Well okay, Nokia won the race for the first 5 mega-pixel camera, then all hell broke loose with newer, faster wi-fi handset, equal cameras, monster 16GB memories, 16m TFT colour screens as standard, Samsung hitting 7.2 Mbps for HSDPA, then I-Phone mania touched down. Technically, we were expecting something special from the worlds leading mobile manufacturer, and although our comments have not been complementary thus far, we do have to admit a fondness for the Nokia N96.
In typical Nokia fashion they have undoubtedly delivered a handset that delivers on all levels, without the need for additional software, or the dubious prospect of back street ‘unlocking’ to enable the handsets full potential. Plus you wont need to be part of the £30 a month bubble brigade that get 75 minutes and 125 texts for their sins.
Enough background building now, lets get into the actual handset and find out what lurks beneath the bonnet, as it were. From the view of the techno-phoebe, the specifications ‘sound’ pretty good, and for those technically aware among us, it is pretty dam impressive. Without sounding like the latest addition to the ‘IT Crowd’, which is going to be hard given the next sentence, the Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU hardware has managed to smooth out the operational usability to deliver excellent software responses. Then throw the new EDGE, Wi-Fi, and Symbian OS 9.3 upgrades into the mix, and suddenly we realise why the little guys at Nokia have been sniggering at the I-Phone’s all powerful placebo claims to a throne they wrongly occupy. Those poor souls in Silicon Valley have gone from sipping celebratory Strawberry Dacaries, to hoping the giant Apple Marketing bandwagon will cover up the lack of substance the I-Phone delivers.
Stop though, the new 3G I-Phone now has a 16GB internal memory, but then again so does the Nokia N96, which also has an additional microSD (transflash) space for an additional 8GB. In all honesty though, the I-Phone v Nokia N96 discussion/argument/warfare could go on, but it isn’t fair that a new handset should just be pitted against another inferior model.
Although the likes of Sony, LG & Samsung have now delivered 5 mega-pixel cameras to the mobile market, whilst Apple still play with 2004 2 mega-pixel toy cameras. Nokia’s association with Carl Zeiss still ensures that whilst the numbers match up, the Nokia quality supersedes the competition. The new addition of the DVB-H TV broadcact receiver has been met by ruptures applause for the concept application, but the true extent of this new feature is still to be fully realised.
In a paragraph though, the visual entities of this mobile phone make for a great usability experience. I mean, touch navigation through the ‘Accelerometer sensor’ on a 16 colour TFT screen, with TV capable hardware, all accompanied by a top spec 5 mega-pixel camera can not be bad. If still not convinced by this plethora of technology, stylish design, and German ingenuity esque reliability, then lets not forget the Nokia N96 is also a GPS receiver device containing enough maps to happily navigate a gap year student around Outer-Mongolia.
The Nokia N96 in actual fact though, was probably a success before it was even announced, such is the commitment and loyalty of the customers to the Nokia religion. However, the Nokia N96 is a proud defiant fist driven into the air that Nokia are still the global mobile manufacturer superpower on very sturdy ground.
Not surprisingly, late 2006 and early 2007 was all about the Nokia N95 and the I-Phone, and from August onwards it will no doubt be another battle of the titans in the run into Christmas. Both the Nokia N96 and 3G I-Phone demonstrate a shift in the mobile market from the old mobile communications device, to the new age mobile entertainment communication device, which has occurred thanks to new mobile wi-fi and entertainment technologies.
Ultimately though, this is about a next generation mobile phone being able to evolve on from a previous model, the Nokia N95, which went though 4 ‘design revamps’ before Nokia finally conceded defeat and accepted the new Nokia N96 was due. However, the issue has been raised that the new Nokia N96 is
no more than the Nokia N95 with go faster stripes and a new slim line sports body kit, which is the view of mobile phone purists, but will the public be duped.
Okay, we admit the last paragraph was a rather sweeping statement, but the jury is still out on the Nokia N96. In a market that has progressed rapidly since the launch of the first 5 mega-pixel camera mobile phone, this particular asset is now an expected feature rather than a ground breaking deal clincher. So has the new N Series handset managed to move on from the time of the Nokia N95.
Lets take a look at what has happened in mobile phone land since the trumpets sounded for the Nokia N95. Well okay, Nokia won the race for the first 5 mega-pixel camera, then all hell broke loose with newer, faster wi-fi handset, equal cameras, monster 16GB memories, 16m TFT colour screens as standard, Samsung hitting 7.2 Mbps for HSDPA, then I-Phone mania touched down. Technically, we were expecting something special from the worlds leading mobile manufacturer, and although our comments have not been complementary thus far, we do have to admit a fondness for the Nokia N96.
In typical Nokia fashion they have undoubtedly delivered a handset that delivers on all levels, without the need for additional software, or the dubious prospect of back street ‘unlocking’ to enable the handsets full potential. Plus you wont need to be part of the £30 a month bubble brigade that get 75 minutes and 125 texts for their sins.
Enough background building now, lets get into the actual handset and find out what lurks beneath the bonnet, as it were. From the view of the techno-phoebe, the specifications ‘sound’ pretty good, and for those technically aware among us, it is pretty dam impressive. Without sounding like the latest addition to the ‘IT Crowd’, which is going to be hard given the next sentence, the Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU hardware has managed to smooth out the operational usability to deliver excellent software responses. Then throw the new EDGE, Wi-Fi, and Symbian OS 9.3 upgrades into the mix, and suddenly we realise why the little guys at Nokia have been sniggering at the I-Phone’s all powerful placebo claims to a throne they wrongly occupy. Those poor souls in Silicon Valley have gone from sipping celebratory Strawberry Dacaries, to hoping the giant Apple Marketing bandwagon will cover up the lack of substance the I-Phone delivers.
Stop though, the new 3G I-Phone now has a 16GB internal memory, but then again so does the Nokia N96, which also has an additional microSD (transflash) space for an additional 8GB. In all honesty though, the I-Phone v Nokia N96 discussion/argument/warfare could go on, but it isn’t fair that a new handset should just be pitted against another inferior model.
Although the likes of Sony, LG & Samsung have now delivered 5 mega-pixel cameras to the mobile market, whilst Apple still play with 2004 2 mega-pixel toy cameras. Nokia’s association with Carl Zeiss still ensures that whilst the numbers match up, the Nokia quality supersedes the competition. The new addition of the DVB-H TV broadcact receiver has been met by ruptures applause for the concept application, but the true extent of this new feature is still to be fully realised.
In a paragraph though, the visual entities of this mobile phone make for a great usability experience. I mean, touch navigation through the ‘Accelerometer sensor’ on a 16 colour TFT screen, with TV capable hardware, all accompanied by a top spec 5 mega-pixel camera can not be bad. If still not convinced by this plethora of technology, stylish design, and German ingenuity esque reliability, then lets not forget the Nokia N96 is also a GPS receiver device containing enough maps to happily navigate a gap year student around Outer-Mongolia.
The Nokia N96 in actual fact though, was probably a success before it was even announced, such is the commitment and loyalty of the customers to the Nokia religion. However, the Nokia N96 is a proud defiant fist driven into the air that Nokia are still the global mobile manufacturer superpower on very sturdy ground.
The future is less certain for the Nokia N96 though, as its actual longevity is going to be tested vigorously over the coming months, especially given the impending arrival of Sony Ericsson’s 8 mega-pixel C905 camera phone. For now though, this is a mobile phone with the potential to capture and claim 2008 as its own.
