Very interesting review, but missing out on the one thing many are wanting to know - battery life.

With the improvments made for battery saving, it would be very interesting to see how it compares to the N95 8GB.

bartmanekul - yes I'm curious too, but until we get our hands on a review unit its not possible to make any definitive comments. Bear in mind these at the prototype stage power management has not been optimised. That said they seemed to be holding up quite well to constant demo use at MWC.

Also wanted to ask, with this being the latest double slider out, whats your opinion on them? Do you think they are worth it, or do you find traditional sliders or candybars better?

Great review, really decent.
I played with it last week at WMC and was very impressed.
I hadn't realised this one had the ST Nomadix in it, I thought Nomadix handsets were further down the line - so that's a very very interesting revelation in the review.
The battery life would be a my concern - especially if I was going to use the DVBH on top of all the other goodies.
Of course, we won't be able to use that part here in the UK.
One of the nice Finnish people on the stand told me that UK operator variants would most likely have the DVBH disabled - which means you couldn't even pick up free-to-air channels when you travel abroad :frown:

I prefer the double sliders over traditional sliders, but this is more to do with the way it makes it easy to use landscape UI. The multimedia controls are a nice touch I admit.

At heart I'm probably happier with a candy bar (no mucking about to get to a keypad), but I can't say I have that strong feelings (and I do like the bigger screens).

Yes, with DVB-H use battery life would be in the region of three to four hours - bit like 3G calling time. The operator variant is an interesting point - it was also suggested that Mobile TV over 3G may take the place of DVB-H on the multimedia menu etc.

I'm not sure the N96 will get that much distribution outside of DVB-H areas - seems likely there'll be a double slide form factor Nseries, but without DVB-H before too long (one that is FP2) and the N95 8GB will presumably be cheaper for operators who can not exploit DVB-H potential.

What i'd like to know is whether FP2 improves the access point situation, or do we still have to select it everytime, even when it is already active.

Also whether they have improved the contact app and calender apps, including birthdays added in contacts to appear in calendar.

It's alright adding new features like DVB-H but sometimes I wish they would just fix the basic features that have been missing since the original s60 7650

Looks nice but I'm concerned about the size increase. If 2.8 screen goes into the N95/8GB at 99mm then why not the N96? I would do away with the pointless double slide and reduce the overall package size. If the trend with handset bloat continues then I will be looking for a different handset.

Battery life is not a concern worth worrying about. N95 classic can go 48 hours+ between charges and the N96 has improved efficiency. DVB-H is more battery efficient than 3G streamed video.

I don't understand this, it doesn't happen like that for me. If I pre-set an Access point then it continues to use that one. If I put it on auto, and choose one it continues to use that one until I stop and start the application.

There'll be a preview of FP2 in due course that will address the chnages in more detail, but in brief... Yes the access point situation is much improved. You can now have multiple access points in a group and set a group as the default access point. Contacts and calendars have received relatively minor upgrades. Don't think birthday stuff has been updated, but cant be sure (hard trying to remember some of the little things that haven't been documented).

Nokia have dropped some pretty heavy hints about this in some public statements recently, but as you say nothing direct.

N96 is a inevitable update of n95 8gb, for better of worse, you say that it's cheaper to run n95 8gb, I disagree, n96 is basically a cheaper and updated version of n95 8gb to nokia, whose origainal n95 8gb was popular with the consumers, so networks supplied it obediently, though who nevertheless though it was expensive.

12 hours playback time of music in offline mode, i say thats pathetic, for gods's sick, if i want a music player with n91 quality, i would get n78, 12 hours is substanded optmium for n96, what about in online profile on HSPDA, for those users who want to receive phone as well as listening music? I would have got 12 hours on the origainan n91 back in 2005.

a PHOTOS application? ....Ummm
I wonder where they got that idea from.

*cough* iPhone *cough*

A screen in mobile phone? *cough* iPhone *iPhone*

" unclesammy
a PHOTOS application? ....Ummm
I wonder where they got that idea from."

How about a Sony Ericsson K800 some years ago.

well I have read OMAP3430 will go into production first half of 2008. Can't wait for the first Nokia device. N97? N98 perhaps?

First I would like to say thanks for this great article!

I've just tried the new version of Quake with OpenGL that utilises the 3D hardware on the n95 8GB and can tell the performance and graphics is just amazing. I was quite impressed with the original port but the new version is just so much crisper with much better graphics. Just try it and see what I mean... The only probs it can use 28MB of RAM so original n95 owners it may struggle a little. Just fresh boot your phone on v20 firmware before starting game.

Anyway I'm just making a point without dedicated 3D hardware performance is not going to be as good. Software optimisation is never as good...

I'm not sure I'm convinced the n96 will be better than the n95 8GB. It is unlikely DVB-H will be available when the phone arrives. The meagre battery capacity is also a big concern.

The big plus I see is the improved audio quality which many n91 owners will tell you they miss!

Are the buttons better than the n95 8GB (I love the 'nipple')?

Do you think in landscape mode it is good enough to operate as a gamepad? To me the original n95 certainly wasn't but the n95-2 is just about okay...

I think what Rafe is trying to get across is that the N96 isn't really a sequel to the N95, despite its neighbouring number and similar form factor.

If that's really what Nokia intended, then they should have numbered this model differently, called it the N88 or something.

well, the so called great music experience on n96 and n78 will be limited by EU's volume restriction, effectively rendering the extra volume useless, and for better or worse, no body seen to have heard of the new DAC.

Does it have an accelerometer?

No, n96 has NO accelermetror

N96 product manager said that n96 has acceleration sensor and it is also said here: http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/N96
n96 and n78 should have at least as good audio quality as on the n91 but I don't believe this before I see RMAA test results or find it out by my own ears. And yes. European Union destroys this pleasure with stupid volume restriction law.

Will the n95 8gb get some of the changes like the new photos app in a future firmware update?

Well if this is not the successor to the n95 then Nokia has really missed something... What happens to all those who bought the n95, n82 or n95 8GB (very popular handsets) and are looking for an upgrade? They want us all to go somewhere else?

For me I'll probably get something from SonyEricsson and keep my n95 8G. I don't see any real point of upgrading to the n96. DVB-H won't be widely available for years... It doesn't add anything to me. Dual LED, no 3d hardware, v. poor battery, bigger form factor lol

I must agree about this not being much of an upgrade from the N95.

Personally I shall probably get the N78. More or less the same features as the N95 but a better battery.

The problem with the N96 is what else can they actually add to a phone? They pretty much have everything anyone could want - WiFi, GPS, camera etc. Wonder what the "next big thing" will be (and no, it's not touch screens).