Nokia N96 review: King's new clothes
Gsmarena have posted their review of the Nokia N96. Here are the key features, main disadvantages and final impression.
Key features:
•2.8" 16M-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
•5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
•Built-in DVB-H TV tuner
•Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
•Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
•3G with HSDPA support
•Quad-band GSM support
•Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
•Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
•Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio keys
•Massive 16GB onboard storage
•microSD card slot with microSDHC support
•Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
•3.5 mm audio jack
•TV out
•Stereo FM Radio with RDS
•Car charger in the retail package
•VGA video recording at 30fps
•USB and Bluetooth v2.0
•One free N-gage game and Transformers movie preloaded
•Keypad locking slide key
Main disadvantages:
•Inadequate battery life
•No camera lens protection
•The @$$#% N81-inspired design
•No office document editing out of the box
•Doesn't charge via the USB port
•Dreadful camera key
•Cheap looking keypad
•Unreasonably hefty price tag
Maybe Nokia N96 wasn't really intended to take the market by storm and turn the world around. Maybe it was meant to quietly update the top multimedia gadget of the house and continue to cash in.
It just seems Nokia won't put all eggs in the same basket. And that makes us wondering. More high-end stuff will be available in affordable handsets, Arte will continue to define exquisite splendor, Eseries will go on blending exceptional skill with refined elegance and Touch UI will slowly be conquering the company portfolio. If all those assumptions are true, shall we fear the Nseries packed with features beyond belief but only getting uglier?
Tempted though we are to say that failure is looming over Nokia N96, we know better than that. There will be quite a lot of diehard Symbian fans (and even a few individuals that do actually need DVB-H support) that will go against their aesthetic sense and get the N96. And no, we don't think they will be disappointed or eager to agree with most of the things we said in this review.
As for the rest of the potential buyers - Nokia N96 is a great software package that comes in an utterly user-unfriendly shell. The ergonomics of the device are so poor (except for video watching) that operating it is a chore, rather than fun. Not to mention looks that are….oh well, controversial will have to do. It's just that when you dish out a healthy sum it's only fair to expect style and finesse. For all we know, style and finesse may have different meaning in the geek world and that's where the name of Nokia N96 sure rings a special bell.
Key features:
•2.8" 16M-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
•5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
•Built-in DVB-H TV tuner
•Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
•Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
•3G with HSDPA support
•Quad-band GSM support
•Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
•Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
•Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio keys
•Massive 16GB onboard storage
•microSD card slot with microSDHC support
•Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
•3.5 mm audio jack
•TV out
•Stereo FM Radio with RDS
•Car charger in the retail package
•VGA video recording at 30fps
•USB and Bluetooth v2.0
•One free N-gage game and Transformers movie preloaded
•Keypad locking slide key
Main disadvantages:
•Inadequate battery life
•No camera lens protection
•The @$$#% N81-inspired design
•No office document editing out of the box
•Doesn't charge via the USB port
•Dreadful camera key
•Cheap looking keypad
•Unreasonably hefty price tag
Maybe Nokia N96 wasn't really intended to take the market by storm and turn the world around. Maybe it was meant to quietly update the top multimedia gadget of the house and continue to cash in.
It just seems Nokia won't put all eggs in the same basket. And that makes us wondering. More high-end stuff will be available in affordable handsets, Arte will continue to define exquisite splendor, Eseries will go on blending exceptional skill with refined elegance and Touch UI will slowly be conquering the company portfolio. If all those assumptions are true, shall we fear the Nseries packed with features beyond belief but only getting uglier?
Tempted though we are to say that failure is looming over Nokia N96, we know better than that. There will be quite a lot of diehard Symbian fans (and even a few individuals that do actually need DVB-H support) that will go against their aesthetic sense and get the N96. And no, we don't think they will be disappointed or eager to agree with most of the things we said in this review.
As for the rest of the potential buyers - Nokia N96 is a great software package that comes in an utterly user-unfriendly shell. The ergonomics of the device are so poor (except for video watching) that operating it is a chore, rather than fun. Not to mention looks that are….oh well, controversial will have to do. It's just that when you dish out a healthy sum it's only fair to expect style and finesse. For all we know, style and finesse may have different meaning in the geek world and that's where the name of Nokia N96 sure rings a special bell.
Posts
No comments: