N96s are like buses. After waiting what seems like an eternity, two arrive at once. One courtesy of our friends over at Carphone Warehouse and the other from Nokia direct.
So, after getting to spend a bit of quality time with the much-anticipated blower, what do we reckon? We’re still fans but, alas, we’re not quite as enamoured as when we first met back in Issue 9.
Looks aren’t everything
It’s not the prettiest phone you’ll ever behold and it’s not exactly svelte. But it’s got a lovely 2.8in QVGA screen that’s just primed for mobile TV. The fact that BBC’s iPlayer is onboard also helps drill home the message that this is a multimedia beast to be reckoned with.
We had a few issues getting iPlayer to marry up with our Wi-Fi network but once we cracked it we couldn’t get enough.
The fact that the device wouldn’t let us consume our fill of catch up TV via 3G - although frustrating - actually turns out to be a plus point. Watching telly using Wi-Fi means no nasty surprises in terms of data charges. Although you’ll still need to keep an eye on battery life.
The N96 also supports the mobile TV standard DVB-H, which – at the present time anyway – seems more use to those of us outside Blighty. Although we live in hope that the mobile TV revolution is still coming our way. And that it will be televised.
No soft touch
The UI is a no-brainer for those who’ve used Nokias before. Although we found our keypad and controls a little rigid to use, experiencing thumb ache after just a couple of texts, which isn’t ideal.
The dual sliding nature of the phone and its cool kick stand (near the 5MP camera, however, which means you have to be careful) are still on our hit list. Carl Zeiss optics, 3D stereo speakers, video recording at 30fps and the ability to beef up capacity using microSD cards also add to the heady mix and there’s a front facing camera for those who like video calling too.
All in all, the N96 has got more going for it features-wise than, say, the iPhone or iPhone 3G. But with N81-esque looks and a fair bit of bulk, the dilemma of whether to choose style over substance remains.
How does the N96 compare with its smartphone rivals? Find out in iGIZMO's Top 5 Mobile Phones feature
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