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Nokia N96 cell phone now shipping, whips iPhone 3G's patootie but good

n96shipping.jpg

We have mixed feelings about our iPhones 3G, but generally we're crazy about them even though they crash a lot. A whole lot. Are we insane? Maybe we should wake up and see what a real cell phone is like. Case in point: the long-anticipated Nokia N96, doing things Steve Jobs might be bragging about by about 2012.

What’s so great about this $800 cell phone that's finally shipping? It has a 5-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and video recording, and its pictures are all geotagged by the onboard GPS. There are a couple of LED flash units keeping your snaps well-lit. It of course has 3G connectivity, and also rocks a pair of 3D stereo speakers. And hey, it can play Flash videos. And what’s that? Turn-by-turn GPS directions?

While it does have that excellent two-way slider — giving you a real physical keyboard in one direction and numberpad in the other — missing is that neato iPhone user interface. Still, I’m feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse setting in. I’ll console myself by repeatedly recoiling at the N96’s $800 price tag, compared to $300 for my 16GB iPhone 3G.

Nokia, via CrunchGear

 
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(8) COMMENTS

crishooker:
i have a middle eastern version of it and it is unlocked i use the fone with t-mobile in the states and its great t...More »


Comments

By Knitterliness at 2:30 PM ON 09/03/08

My very expensive Nokia N95's slider broke after only a few months of use, rendering my beautiful video screen alternatively dead, reversed, checker boarded and upside down. Warranty repairs, you ask? Exceeded the cost of a new iPhone. Never again will I buy a phone with moving parts. Beware the Nokia Slider Screen of Death.

By tiltron at 2:41 AM ON 09/04/08

DVB-H, anyone?

By jameswinter at 3:25 AM ON 09/04/08

I've been using my N95 heavily for more than 12 months, and I've had no problems with the slider or any other feature. I may switch up to the N96 just to get the TV and a nice new device. Sure, the iPhone looks cool, but I like a physical keyboard as well as a nice screen.

By Markus at 3:45 AM ON 09/04/08

I got my hands on the N96 and I have to say the thing that got me was the TV. Watching TV while on the bus was cool - even better, though, was that when I arrived the N96 worked as a PVR: Kept on saving the program, to watch it when I had time.

Awesome stuff.

By DBonano at 11:30 PM ON 09/04/08

For me, I won't go Nokia again. Bad interface. Don't end up using 70% of the functionality. I use almost everything on the iPhone plus with the App store I am far more productive at work and it's just a great media player for off hours.

By abaddon504 at 3:44 AM ON 09/07/08

im really excited to finally see this phone available in a U.S. version. ive been waiting for it for a long time. an iPhone killer for sure, i just wish it had a touch screen, or a QWERTY. either feature would put it over the top in my eyes. thats just my opinion though.

i do have a question for the previous posters Tiltron and Markus: are you U.S. users? have you actually used the phone in the States to watch TV and use the PVR? (please say yes!)

By Borg at 6:05 PM ON 09/13/08

yeah the n96 is nice but the battery life is unholy my iphone lasts 70% longer than the n96 does.

By crishooker at 1:42 AM ON 02/23/09

i have a middle eastern version of it and it is unlocked i use the fone with t-mobile in the states and its great tv video fone havent used pvr thoug


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