Nokia N96 Review

Your Nokia N96 Reviews

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Reviewer: Warren - London, UK
Date: 6th Mar 2010

Let's start with what I do not like. The weight, I knew it was heavy when I bought it, it's just that I was so blown away with the looks & features, I rushed to buy it without giving the weight much thought.

I've owned the N96 for just over a year & am very pleased with it, obviously I've updated when required via the Nokia website. Another disappoint I have is wear on the toggle key, the silver surround has worn quite badly & this started happening within a six months of use.

I love the option to customise the shortcut keys, these enable me to open up various programs within one touch. I also enjoy using the voice activated shortcut key to open up other applications, although sometimes it does not recognise my voice command.

Being able to use either the Nokia PC Suite, Windows Media Player or simply drag & dropping to add music & video files to the N96 is extremely useful. A lot more user friendly than allowed by the iPhone.

The camera produces very good quality pictures with a reasonable flash. The geo tagging works well enough & is a useful addition when taking pictures. Another useful feature is the built in kick stand, ideal for watching videos & listening to the MP3 player (stereo speakers on either side).

To sum up, great phone (the only glitches I experienced was before I updated the software) looks & sounds the part. Though by today's standards, it's starting to look a bit long in the tooth. Perhaps I should now be looking at the newly released Nokia X6, the downside is the blooming 18 month contracts we've been forced into. Buyer beware of the lifetime 24 month contracts that are now being pushed on us!

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Reviewer: Dave Vale - Leicester, UK
Date: 5th Feb 2010

Additional comments. From time to time I see people complaining that Nokia's Symbian phones slow up, as unseen applications remain open. No need to trawl your menus to find & close them, just hold down the menu button. Open applications will appear. Also useful when wanting to switch from your live Internet connection say, to your file manager or gallery, to see what you've downloaded. Holding down other main buttons, can result in extra functions too.

Hope that is useful. Dave (:.

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Reviewer: Dave Vale - Leicester, UK
Date: 3rd Feb 2010

My current Internet browser on PAYG. This phone is not as bad as some make out. The look of it drew me in as very hi tech modern & smart with it. Does everything it says on use can. Like the N95, I do wish photos could be totally moved off the main viewing wheel into files, as hard to find a specific one without trawling through hundreds of snaps or downloads. The only thing it does badly, is go on strike from time to time. Very annoying to have a phone crash half way through an expensive video download! Nokia should just not have put this out till it had been tested on paid guinea pigs, & this bug totally squashed. But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy this phone. I know the N95 8GB is more reliable, but for me, this just has an easier to use keypad & has more style. Dave.

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Reviewer: Kevin - Swindon, UK
Date: 2nd Jan 2010

Worse phone ever bought. Been repaired 4 times. Now thinking about suing my network & Nokia as they won't replace it & stuck in contract. Don't BUY THIS PHONE IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY. LOCKS UP, SLOW, BUTTONS MALFUNCTION ETC ETC.

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Reviewer: Lord Congi - Manchester, UK
Date: 21st Dec 2009

This will be the last Nokia phone I ever buy, I have had Nokia's since the late 90's but this has to be the worst of the lot.

It's pathetic, slow, crashes & launches programs without selecting them. The worst feature is the jog shuttle to move around the screen when I select anything it moves to the next icon & selects that!

It's so annoying, nobody can have properly tested this as it's an utter shambles. Plus its meant to be an update of the N95 & the it's the same camera! Avoid this waste of money.

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Reviewer: Steffan - UK
Date: 20th Dec 2009

My mother gave me this phone a month ago as she was sick of the problems & I thought she was exaggerating, it looks cheap & like it's going to fall apart in your hands its slow so slow that you want to smash it I cannot access my pictures it just freezes turns its self on & off as & when it pleases does not recognise a SIM says its inactive when it's not! The two ways slide mechanism is pointless if you a music lover you would have an iPod like me & not even bother with the 16GB hard drive that fails on you! & then you lose all your data! It likes to dial people on its when you are driving for some reason & then they get to listen to your music & all of your minutes get burned up : ( I have given it back to my mother & said you're welcome to this garbage. A defiant no go for this! N97 go for it outstanding phone!

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Reviewer: Nick - London, UK
Date: 7th Dec 2009

Utter rubbish, slower than a snail, never buy it.

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Reviewer: Daniel Pearce - UK
Date: 29th Nov 2009

What a piece of rubbish! I have had this phone for 3 to 4 months now & it has been a nightmare. At first, I thought it was a great phone. Great camera, great screen, really easy to text on & had a HUGE memory. But then all went to rubbish.

It is slow, & not just slow, unsuitably slow! It crashes all the time, it loses signal, it turns itself off when it wants too, the battery lasts about a day, 2 if your lucky & most annoyingly every now & again it stops recognising numbers. All the numbers are in the phone, saved under contacts but it won't recognise them & just displays them as +44 etc so you have to delete all the numbers & put them all back in again for it to work.

I wouldn't recommend this phone at all, Nokia has messed up badly with this one & as a result, I will not be buying another Nokia ever again.

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Reviewer: Kieron Jackson - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Date: 26th Oct 2009

Nokia really messed up with this one. It's slow, it freezes, it's packed with utterly useless software that either doesn't work or is just a trial version, it takes an age to rotate the screen, it turns off on a whim, usually while I am in the middle of a call, texting or playing a game, & worse of all, even though there's a firmware update available the phone won't update either through the software on the phone or the PC suite. Nokia don't care about this issue saying that my handset 'probably can't be upgraded', even though there's a newer version of the software?

Nokia have rested on their laurels & are just releasing phones as they become 'kind of' useable. Think I'll be off to the iPhone when my upgrade is due, which unfortunately isn't until September 2010, I know I won't have another Nokia.

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Reviewer: Zak - Yorkshire, UK
Date: 29th Sep 2009

This phone is a complete waste of money. I've had the N-Series as they are cropping up over & over again. Total garbage.

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Reviewer: Ollie Bruce - UK
Date: 24th Aug 2009

- Great Phone.
- Everything Up To Great Standards.
- Got To Buy Phone
- Unlocked As well.
- Cool cool cool.

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Reviewer: Don - UK
Date: 24th Aug 2009

This sadly is the worse phone I have ever had, so bad that after 8 months of owning this I gave up & sold it at the cost of nothing.

The Nokia N96 has so many features that essentially make up the phones cost that believe it or not you will never use?

Worse of all, normal basic features which have been on the mobile market since phones started coming into colour start to degrade! The phone slows down, text editing errors appear for no reason & receiving calls takes an average of 4 to 5 seconds before the phone responds!

All in all, the GPS & video player work like a charm, however this comes at a price of depleting your battery life so once again Nokia have made a phone that is completely pointless over extended periods of time without an electrical supply.

Buy this phone & after a month you will regret it!

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Reviewer: Scott Theakstone - Nottingham , UK
Date: 12th Aug 2009

Utter rubbish, slower than a snail, N95 was better.

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Reviewer: Ms - Ruislip, UK
Date: 27th May 2009

I made the bad mistake of upgrading my N95 to a Blackberry Storm, which is a terrible phone & I sent it back within two days to Vodafone!

I asked for a N96 instead & I have to say that after a week it is now running fine, when I first got the phone it was overloaded by tons of rubbish from Vodafone. It had a complete 50 minute episode of Top Gear & one 45 minute episode of Doctor Who, the game version of Who wants to be a millionaire & dozens of other Trial only games & not forgetting You tube all things I did not need & that were clogging up the memory.

All of this gimmick rubbish has now been deleted & any lag or delay on the phone has now gone & I am impressed with the phone, I think the N95 was an easier phone to use but the N96 is pretty good itself.

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Reviewer: Jason Barrett - UK
Date: 16th May 2009

This is the worst phone that I have ever had the misfortune to own. In fact, the only thing worse than the phone, is the provider that sold it to me, 3. Of course, that's another story, but if you want some free advice, don't go with 3!

Whilst there is no denying that the phone is packed with features & boasts a huge on-board memory, it operates so slowly that it is often unusable to any reasonable standard. It crashes regularly & has on 2 separate occasions dumped its entire memory (containing around 9GB of MP3 files & 2GB of photos0.

To make matters worse, it has a habit of opening the video player for no apparent reason (the keypad is even locked) whilst on my desk (picture this, a busy office & strutter TV kicks off without any warning).

The camera, video recorder & MP 3 player are average & the GPS is more or less useless when driving, as the phone operates so slowly, you are half a mile passed any turning that it advises you to take!

In short, avoid this phone at all costs. Thanks a lot Nokia for providing me with £500 worth of absolute garbage. Back to Sony for me, I am afraid!

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Reviewer: Gail - Exmouth, UK
Date: 1st May 2009

I can't believe what a bad phone this is. Within the first three months it's had three repairs. It still continues to crash or freeze on calls, in messages & using app's despite having supposed software patches installed. I am so disappointed. Additionally the camera & picture quality is far inferior to my previous 5MP I had on a Sony Ericsson. It's slow, the casing is flimsy, the app's painstakingly difficult to run, if you can get them to run in the first place. To date I have not managed to get the GPS to work.

One final word, avoid.

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Reviewer: Dave - London, UK
Date: 30th Apr 2009

Hate the N96, wish I'd never got it. So slow to load anything even with no apps installed or loaded. Takes forever to switch from the horizontal to vertical view mode. Thought I'd skip the iPhone, really regret it.

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Reviewer: Ahssan Shah - Luton, UK
Date: 22nd Apr 2009

Positive Opinion. A very excellent phone has not let me down even once & amazingly the battery lasts me at least a day if not more. I have installed apps & it still works fine & the camera is fantastic! I would recommend this phone as a good music & gaming device as it is very clear & loud.

Negative Opinion. The handset feels a bit weak & the plastic worries me because if you drop the phone then you have had it!

Additional info. Buy it from with original Nokia Firmware which means they are already unlocked & not preinstalled with t mobiles or O2's firmware!

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Reviewer: Noel - London, UK
Date: 18th Apr 2009

Really disappointed in this phone got it in March 2009 & has already been back to shop twice for repair so annoying freezing all the time calls, messages & applications. Then the display went completely. Looks like I will be taking it to the shop again grr always problems hate N96.

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Reviewer: Sarah - Newcastle, UK
Date: 14th Apr 2009

I have had this phone since December 2008 & have had countless problems with it.

The most annoying being, it continuously crashes during calls, sending messages, using apps etc. I did a software update & everything else Nokia told me to do & it didn't change a thing so I sent it back to T Mobile for repair. Had it back 3 days & it has since crashed a couple of times. They replaced the antenna, casing & camera etc, performed software updates yet it still has the same faults & is very annoying!

I love the phone itself. It looks great & is easy to use etc. Just the crashing & slow navigation really fed up! Oh & I am experiencing the naff battery life too!

I may have to raise my voice a little louder next time I send it in for repair & see if I can get a different model completely! Really disappointed! Great potential just rushed out to compete with the iPhone in my opinion!

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Reviewer: Timbrin - Newcastle Under Lyme, UK
Date: 8th Apr 2009

Just one point I forgot to mention.

It seems a lot of people who have their N96 with Vodafone seem to be suffering problems as the person below mentions.

In case you weren't aware Vodafone install their own version of the firmware on most phones not just Nokia phones. If you read the forums this is a major criticism levelled at Vodafone & causes massive problems. It means when Nokia release a firmware upgrade Vodafone customers may not get till months or weeks later or sometimes never.

I stress again my N96 is working perfectly, is far faster than my N95 & seems as stable. After over 2 weeks it has not shut down or crashed once. I am with 02.

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Reviewer: Danielle - UK
Date: 8th Apr 2009

Got this phone a week ago & thought it looks amazing & features were pretty good too. When I started it using the software is a very BIG problem very slow & freezes, needs updating. Quite heavy too. I would not recommend this phone I have sent my back. I have had a lot of contract phones & by far this has been the worst, gone back to the BlackBerry's Curve the best!

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Reviewer: Paul - Steeton, UK
Date: 1st Apr 2009

Please don't get one of these infuriating phones. Had mine as an upgrade in December & since day one it has locked up, frozen & decided to turn itself off at any opportunity. Had it away for repair on several occasions & every time it has come back no better. Finally after threatening to shoot the phone & burn the remains in a midnight ritual (insurance issues) Vodafone relented & let me swap for another make of phone.

Only two pieces of advice to offer.

- Don't get one.
- If you do, pester your network & get the phone swapped as soon as possible for another make.

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Reviewer: Timbrin - Newcastle Under Lyme, UK
Date: 1st Apr 2009

Great phone had it for a week now & installed lots of software. It has not crashed on me yet.

I cannot understand why all the negative reviews. The first thing I did when I got the phone was install the latest firmware version 12. I did find the phone was a touch slow so I turned off the menu transitions, since then most things are instant. Much faster than my old N95 8GB.

The speakers are awesome very loud & crystal clear, this was the first major difference I noticed to the N95.

Other differences are full speed USB connection, dual flash & 16GB memory

Everything works perfectly so far, the only downside is it creaks slightly if you press hard on some of the keys.

Anyone who is having problems my advice is to upgrade you firmware & make sure the menu transitions of turned off.

Go to menu, tools, settings, general, personalisation, themes, general, options, theme effects & change it to off.

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Reviewer: Chebata - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Date: 28th Mar 2009

Being used to my N73 this phone is an improvement in terms of multimedia features. I have it 3 days in my possession & it crashed twice. My major disappointment is with the worthless Bluetooth connection with my Samsung stereo headset (which did is perfectly well with my N73). I hope it is a software issue that will debugged ASAP. Maybe I should have waited for the second generation N96? !

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Reviewer: Helen - Bridlington, UK
Date: 21st Mar 2009

This is the worst phone I have ever had, I am now on to my second (in 3 months) & this one has been fixed twice by 3 & once by Nokia. But I still have the same problems. The screen freezes & the phone crashes constantly. DO NOT purchase this phone it's terrible (please note the features I am sure would be great if only the phone would stay on! ).

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Reviewer: Paul - Swindon, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2009

Rubbish. Freezes locks up & rubbish reception. On my third now, same thing on each. N95 8GB is much better & have returned to that. Its quicker can multitask & is stable.

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Reviewer: Martin Jones - UK
Date: 9th Mar 2009

The best phone I have ever owned, no problems, good features, battery life is the only slight drawback. Navigation superb.

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Reviewer: Iain - Glasgow, UK
Date: 4th Mar 2009

This phone is terrible do not get it! It freezes constantly it's been back to Vodafone 3 times & still same problems! They've now admitted that there's loads of problem & agreed to swap it! Do not get it it's a complete waste of money.

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Reviewer: Martin Dev - London, UK
Date: 19th Feb 2009

Nokia has launched a number of innovative handsets in order to attract the users. The latest Nokia phone is an amazing gadget that has been enhanced with advanced applications & functionality. This stylish gadget comes with GSM connectivity technology, which provides worldwide access with ease. Moving ahead, this unique device has a flashy 2.8 inches wide TFT colourful display that comfortably supports 16 Million colours & gives the resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The quality of the screen has been well appreciated by the users across the world. Moreover, this device comes empowered with a powerful standard Li-ion battery that gives up to 3 hours & 40 minutes of talk time & 220 hours of standby time.

The Nokia N96 is equipped with 16 mega bytes of internal memory that can be easily expanded with the support of a MicroSD memory card to up to 8GB. Therefore, the owners can save their data in this gadget. MMS, SMS, Email & Instant Messaging are the latest applications of messaging which allow the users to interact freely with their near & dear ones without any interruption. It also has an Internet browser that permits you to access the Internet. In order to make this device more attractive, it has been equipped with an advanced 5 mega pixels of camera that captures wonderful images.

For more information, you can visit any appropriate phone website, which provides all the information about such handsets. Lastly it can be said that the Nokia N96 would for fill the needs & desires of any of its users.

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Reviewer: Watson - Newcastle, UK
Date: 15th Feb 2009

I am hearing a number of different review can someone please help me to decide if I should buy a Nokia N96 for £350. Do they really crash all the time? & is the battery life really poor.

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Reviewer: Khaled - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date: 14th Feb 2009

The features are excellent but the phone is too slow. I had to restart it every while. It was the only phone I bought & used for few weeks! This phone is a mistake! Never have it.

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Reviewer: Sofiane - UK
Date: 7th Feb 2009

Ended up trading my phone in for cash on one of those trade in websites after 6 weeks & used cash to buy another brand of phone, its slow, always rejects SIM & freezes. Looks cheap & not near up to the hype that surrounded the phone, the TV doesn't work unless you have Wi-Fi connection, very disappointed in this phone. Internet connection is very poor & it always timed out.

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Reviewer: Steve - Oxford, UK
Date: 26th Jan 2009

I bought this phone thinking I have finally captured the best on the move gadget for navigation, calls & Wi-Fi. I found the phone not living up to the hype, for example it is not easy to find your way around the settings. The screen freezes as you move through the applications.

It is not easy to find the tools to customize the phone, & virtually every application requires me to go online & incur data charges. Which I think it is their way of having people to spend more money.

You have to buy maps at around £60 per year which if you add an extra £20 you can buy your own Sat nav for life. I am so disappointed by this phone after having a mobile XDA for 18 months I think this was a step backwards.

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Reviewer: Craig - Northumberland, UK
Date: 23rd Jan 2009

I have had this phone just over 3 months & it's the first in this series I have had & it will also be the last. It is the slowest phone I have ever had. The phone boasts a 5MP camera, but it's not all that good. I prefer my good old Sony Ericsson. & the battery life isn't much good either, I am having to charge mine every night & I don't really use it that much. I have used just over 2GB of memory, I dread to think what the phone would be like if you actually filled it to the maximum.

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Reviewer: Owned Assasin - UK
Date: 21st Dec 2008

I am looking forward to having my Nokia N96, it sounds so good. I have heard that the battery life is not that good but on the Nokia website it says that it is better than Nokia N95 8GB, so I am happy about this. I will be having another review on this as soon as I get this phone, but at the moment this is the rating I am giving this phone.

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Reviewer: Anna - New York, US
Date: 21st Dec 2008

I am never going to buy this phone again. NEVER it is the slowest & fastest in the world do not by this phone.

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Reviewer: Phil - Plymouth, UK
Date: 13th Dec 2008

When I read the reviews about it being slow & difficult to navigate I thought it was I phone sour grapes. It's not. I have had it 3 weeks & have had enough. The battery life isn't too bad & is camera is good. The problem is the processor, it's just too slow. If it doesn't crash completely it takes 30 to 40 seconds to change screens. Even at the end of phone calls it keeps you waiting 10 to 15 seconds to disconnect. Surfing the Internet is a disaster too.

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Reviewer: Dan Jay - UK
Date: 4th Dec 2008

I have had my N96 since 8th November 2008 & I can't really fault it, battery life is similar to the N95 which wasn't that good. Compared to the N95 seems a lot more polished & easier to use. Compared to the rivals from other brands, Nokia wins hands down with plenty more gadgets to keep you entertained. If you look past the teething problems that Nokia have always had with the N series brand then there's a fantastic mobile device that is unrivalled by its competitors.

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Reviewer: Dawn - Manchester, UK
Date: 27th Nov 2008

I am a huge Nokia fan & have never went with any other manufacturer, however, I can safely say this phone has made me think twice about that. It is an awful phone with a terrible battery life that crashes every 2 minutes. The camera is also not what it cracked up to be! Would not recommend this phone to anyone. Terrible. Have called Vodafone to come & collect it & for the first time I am trying Sony Ericsson, the Xperia X1 which seems to have great reviews.

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Reviewer: Richie - UK
Date: 26th Nov 2008

I am now on my sixth N96 since October 2nd 2008.

My problem is the music player, each time I access this feature, the phone starts searching for music & won't stop searching for music, until I switch the phone off. I left Number 4 on all night & it still didn't stop!

I've contacted Orange & Nokia about it & Orange keep sending me a replacement & Nokia told me to do a factory reset! Which disabled a lot of the phones features, not good.

Obviously, I'm not happy about this so I thought that I would let you know.

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Reviewer: Steve Robertson - Bishopbriggs, UK
Date: 24th Nov 2008

I pre ordered the N96 from Nokia online at a whopping £535 & was really looking forward to it arriving, having taken a recommendation on the previous N95 from a mate & having read some good pre issue reviews from various parties.

The phone arrived & the first thing that struck me was the massive user guide, downloaded from Nokia, a lot of time required to study & get comfortable. Initial set up was no more difficult than other phones I have had (email not included & added to my do when have time or can be bothered list).

Then the trouble started. The phone freezing constantly requiring reboot or battery removal, applications locking, flashing email message icons that Nokia support could not help with & phone getting very hot to the touch (antenna issues? ). Having read some of the threads on here, a similar issue seems to be ongoing with other users?

This got worse & combined with battery charging issues, I eventually contacted Nokia who attempted to repair the item (sent back with the same faults as I sent it to them with) & then eventually they sent a replacement last Friday. To be fair to Nokia, they did offer a full refund but I liked the phone & thought I'd give it another try.

However, the replacement phone seems to be suffering the same symptoms (poor battery life, it conked out this morning, having been fully charged on Friday overnight & only used for an hour on Saturday evening to continue setting up programmes). I am giving it till midweek this week before sending this one back & getting a refund. I am very disappointed as the phone has real potential, but seems unusable.

Regards the design of the phone, with so many applications, to be usable & viewable, it never was going to be small, so that was expected.

I feel that Nokia could have done more to try the phone out before issuing it with what seems to be technical issues with functionality of basics such as running applications smoothly & battery charging & battery life.

Off to see how the battery charging is going.

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Reviewer: Mark - Dunfermline, UK
Date: 22nd Nov 2008

Very good phone design is beautiful however it does have a tendency to be a fingerprint magnet. The battery life is average 1 hour video & 6 hours music uses around half the battery. The BBC I player is great now with the feature to download instead of having to wait for streaming. Music quality in the speakers is slightly lessened than my old N95 however the quality through earphones is noticeably improved. Video quality is amazing on its vibrant 2.8 Inch screen. The stand can be a bit over balanced if using the media keys on the right hand side when horizontal (still a great idea). Camera is much the same as the N95. Software is a wee bit slow when first introduced to new items but quickens up after around 10 minutes. Rumours have been that the live digital TV will be starting to broadcast in certain areas by May next year for UK.

Overall I would recommend this phone from my personal experience.

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Reviewer: Jonboy - UK
Date: 15th Nov 2008

The worst phone I have ever used. What's the point in having all these features when the phone is so slow they're unusable. DO NOT GET THIS PHONE.

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Reviewer: Old Papa - Belgium
Date: 15th Nov 2008

First phone I am really considering keeping it a few years.

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Reviewer: Brian - Brighton, UK
Date: 14th Nov 2008

Well I got this on some deal, what a nice phone, been using it since October 4 much better than the N95 great for surfing the net & I have mobile TV on it GSM! Amazing piece of kit.

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Reviewer: Lawrence - UK
Date: 12th Nov 2008

First of all I would like to say that I was impressed by this phone in terms of the memory. However I thought the design was absolutely terrible! Whenever you want to make a call, it feels so uncomfortable, it feels cheap.

Okay I know the main feature with this phone is that it can hold 8GB of memory. But let's be honest, who on earth is going to use 8GB of memory on a phone! I have a Sony NWA805 MP3 player & my music files do not even get close to 8GB. They take up 2GB & I have almost 400 songs.

I suppose you could use the memory to upload films etc, but watching a film on a small screen for well over 1 hour 30 minutes is just crazy.

It also feels very cheap & is such an awkward thing to use (you have to be a brain surgeon). Whether it's because I am not used to these awkward phones, I don't know but I found it incredibly hard to even press a button, let alone press the right one. There are too many buttons for this phone. Why can't they keep it simple? Like the Motorola?

I would not recommend this phone, especially as it is so expensive. I would definitely recommend Motorola phones or possibly Sony Ericsson (but not the K750i).

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Reviewer: Ben Snaith - UK
Date: 11th Nov 2008

This phone is fantastic I would recommend this to anyone, the battery life is good & it is user friendly. If I could pick one bad point it would be that some applications can be slow.

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Reviewer: Bernie - Barnsley, UK
Date: 9th Nov 2008

This phone is slow & rubbish what a waste of upgrade from my N95.

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Reviewer: Phillip West - UK
Date: 8th Nov 2008

This Phone is AMAZING can't fault it.

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Reviewer: Jess - Leeds, UK
Date: 8th Nov 2008

In one word, FANTASTIC. Well done to Nokia. In regarding the battery, just keep charging it when you can.

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Reviewer: Jimmy - Reading, UK
Date: 8th Nov 2008

Having had a N95 previously, it seemed to be a natural way forward getting the N96. To date I have not had any real problems with it, other than that the battery life is a little easily run down, but I guess it needs a lot of juice.

I love my N96.

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Reviewer: Dave - Cox, UK
Date: 31st Oct 2008

This phone looks great & I was very happy to receive it. Even with some doubts. & would you believe it. What I thought would happen, has happened & I wish I'd trusted my head not my impulsive nature. This phone has gradually worn me down. 16GB memory great! I put some photos 1000 of them. Many music albums. & not even really used up much memory. But I am finding the phone continually crashes or freezes! & I am fighting not to stamp On it Or smash it up the wall!

I know how to use the phone. But it is a nightmare. You call somebody. It freezes. So you put it away in your pocket to calm down. & then next thing you know. Your called has been connected all be it 5 minutes after you made it! I saw a lad in a local shop. He has the phone. So I asked him how you getting on with it. He replied with a 2 word answer. I'll leave you to guess what that was.

Maybe there will be a software upgrade at some point & no doubt some people are not having this trouble. But for me I wish id kept with Sony Ericsson. Having seen the c905 it looks a lot faster & better. Nokia, great looks & features but your software is a joke! I hate this phone! At the moment. I have had to give it to my girlfriend for a few days because I can't stand it & guess what. She hates it!

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Reviewer: Chris - UK
Date: 29th Oct 2008

I had waited months for this phone, I loved my N95 & would have upgraded to the 8MB but decided to wait for the N96 instead. What a disappointment. It locked up several times, it's made of low grade plastic, the top row of buttons are poorly positioned against the slider, the screen being flush to the body is exposed if you place the phone down on it & the sound quality poor. The battery life was terrible & the processor seems slower than the N95. Such a backward step. I sent mine back to Vodafone & collected a Sony Ericsson C905. The C905 feels solid & after a few days with it now far superior to the Nokia. I am annoyed that Nokia feel they can farm this sub standard rubbish off on its consumers. Lost a regular customer here.

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Reviewer: Sherveen - London, UK
Date: 21st Oct 2008

I have finally got my hands on the much awaited Nokia N96 which I have been waiting until its release in the UK which coincided with my contract being available for an upgrade. Now I have finally got my hands on the Nokia N96 & here is my opinion.

I have used the Nokia N95 for the year & a half since it was release Q2 2007. I have been a very satisfied customer of it despite its few drawbacks. I have been using almost all the features given on it, have been using TomTom installed on it & have been looking forward for the N96. I am actually pleased though there aren't many significant Differences. My comparison is against the Nokia N95.

Positives.

- Larger Screen than the Nokia N95 & is very good. Would be very good when I get around installing TomTom on this.
- Pleasant look & feel. Similar to the N95 but there is a slight difference felt. The Finish of the phone has attempted to go into iPhone territory. Looks nice, however as a person who doesn't like finger marks on my phone, it is not that great. Easily shows finger marks. However I don't bother as I tend to wipe it all the time. After 1 ½ years of using the N95 I haven't got one single scratch mark on it.
- Has a kick stand accommodating for video & tv viewing. Speakers positioned accordingly.
- The phone though looks like a posh toy, it does have a feel of durability on it. So I am hoping it is as durable as my N95 after the rough throws I have put on it.
- I like the idea of DVB H TV on the phone. Not got around using it yet, will be nice when I do, hopefully.

Negatives.
- Performance wise, there is a slight decline observed, & when I researched online, quite questionably it seems as if they have put in a processor with lower clock speed. I can't understand why Nokia would downgrade on the processor when the Nokia N95 was not the greatest of performers anyway. However it is certainly not a showstopper, but an upgrade of the processor would have been very welcome.
- The hands free kit cannot control radio channels. You have to press the button on the phone to change channels. As a person who listens to the radio while walking to work with the phone in the pocket & switching channels using the hands free kit, it is a total let down.
- The USB connector is the same as the Nokia N95 which used a generic Micro USB cable. The N96 has a slightly different one. So you have to have your Nokia N96 USB Cable now & cannot borrow it off a similar device like the N95 was able to.

- I am extremely surprised why Nokia stuck to the same battery as the N95 (the BL 5F) which was heavily criticised for it. I am used to the routine of recharging the phone everyday & having a spare battery on full charge at all times. However I expected the N96 to have improved the battery. The N95 8GB was given the BL 6F which was supposedly more lasting than the BL 5F. I wonder why they went back to the BL 5F.
- Sounds are not as great as the Nokia N95. The Nokia default ring tones are nicer, however is very softer. So I am compelled to use my choice of MP3 song as the ring tone. The Volume of the speakers are not as crisp & sharp & loud as the N95.
- The back cover is too light weighted plastic. I fear I might hurt it easily.

Overall, I am excited about the phone & intend to put to test over the next 18 months into my contract & I hope Nokia has upped the standards I have had in my mind on my good old N95 which I am going to miss after 18 months of great service. Love you N95, welcome N96!

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Reviewer: Idfa - Manchester, UK
Date: 18th Oct 2008

Just got my N96 & it is the best phone I have ever had. In terms of design & features that is. The only downside I have come across is the battery life. It is shocking. Is there anything I can do to improve this or is there another battery I can buy from anywhere else, because it's a bit tiresome taking my charger to work with me.

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Reviewer: Steve - London, UK
Date: 17th Oct 2008

This phone looks & sounds the part, I think it will be same as the N95 you will have to download the firmware update to get the phone working well without crashing. I had a few crashes on my N95 when I first got it, apparently it because of the software the network put on the phone. Well after I put the firmware updates on to the phone from the Nokia website, it has behaved & it rarely crashes or freezes & has been great phone, I had it just over a year now.

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Reviewer: Kaz - UK
Date: 15th Oct 2008

I am still in love with my N95 but it is looking a bit tatty now so have been waiting for the N96 to come out, I have placed an order from this site to get this phone with a free gift on contract, the free gift will work well as my daughter Xmas present (she will be made up). It should be with me soon so I will return & write a full review when I have used it for a while. I can say that the overall size, interface & functions are pretty amazing as I have had a go on my work friends & she is very happy with it after moving from a dodgy Moto phone, but that's her story to tell. I am like a big kid here waiting for the delivery but guess we are all kids at heart when it comes to our phones. I have rated the usability average as I don't exactly own it yet but feel I can score the design & features higher as I have seen it & had a go of it. Happy N96 here we go.

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Reviewer: Luke - UK
Date: 12th Oct 2008

Little comparison with the N95. Wasted my upgrade on this phone, the TV doesn't even work in the UK.

Design is slightly different to the N95 but that's all.

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Reviewer: Tim Hughes - Merseyside, UK
Date: 11th Oct 2008

NOT THAT IMPRESSED, HAVE HAD the N95 FOR NEARLY 18 MONTHS & WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH IT. DECIDED TO REPLACE IT WITH the N96 WHICH I have NOW HAD FOR JUST 1 WEEK. IT'S FROZEN 3 TIMES & I have JUST RETURNED IT FOR EXCHANGE TODAY! I WAS STOOD IN the phone SHOP WAITING BEHIND ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH EXACTLY the SAME ISSUE. BEGINNING TO THINK the Nokia N96 WASN'T the WAY TO GO.

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Reviewer: Fiona - Glasgow, UK
Date: 8th Oct 2008

Got this phone last week (2nd October), not everyone likes touch screen, me personally think they are a pain, not had any problems with it, & I have used Internet, camera, video with no complaints. I have had my fair share of phones upgrading every 12 months, most recently from a Samsung which had more problems than I've had dinners. Some people need to remember it is a phone & not a top of the range computer! Well done Nokia, it's a great phone.

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Reviewer: Clive - Birmingham, UK
Date: 7th Oct 2008

Have been using the Nokia N96 for a little over two weeks now, & must admit to finding it very frustrating. Yes, it's a beautiful looking phone. No, it's not that big. There are some phones a lot bigger & not as good looking. Reception wise, on Vodafone, it's excellent. Then there are the bad points. Phone constantly freezes. Is very slow at times, even when you can shut down all the applications you are using. Battery life is not bad, but you do need to charge the phone every day. Excellent memory too, but mine refuses to play video without stuttering. & sometimes I want to throw it in the nearest bin, or even out of the car window while driving. Considering it should have had all these little niggles ironed out before being put onto the market, & hasn't, it's a little disappointing. I never owned a Nokia N95, instead owned a windows based Smartphone, which I thought was better. Texting I find on the Nokia N96 can also be a most frustrating experience. Research is needed before purchasing a new phone.

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Reviewer: Spencer - Singapore
Date: 6th Oct 2008

N-Series is as good as owning a Lamborghini Reventon! Samsung phones do not have their own styles nor classy designs! You see Samsung phones look like Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc. But they are not themselves. Jack of all trades master of nothing! Try dropping a Nokia phone, it can survive.

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Reviewer: Ryan - Derby, UK
Date: 5th Oct 2008

Guys I know most people apart from my previous review on this site have said how great the N96 is, but I recommend visiting some other sites & you will see some mixed reviews from people who have bought them. & all I will say is most of them are saying thank goodness there is a 14 day returns policy.

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Reviewer: Jessie Jones - Bristol, UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

Simple the best smartphone going, well done Nokia.

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Reviewer: Roger - London, UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

Guys, please trust me the Nokia N96 is a fantastic phone. I have had many phones over the years but the N96 is the best phone ever.

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Reviewer: Ryan - Derby, UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

Basically a bigged up n95, had a play on one yesterday, very disappointed. OK it has a good memory but other than that it has all the same features, got told the TV tunner doesn't work in the uk. Also a pain to surf the web on a non touch screen phone.

Overall all I can say is stay away, or buy an N95 8g.

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Reviewer: Zack - UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

Looks like everyone will want this phone but I have it, it is the best phone ever used, people moaning about it being slow, just need to really appreciate what is actually is an extremely smart Smartphone & no it's not noticeably slow considering its a mobile phone with so many applications.

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Reviewer: Kevin Small - UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

I have just got this phone. I am so pleased with it. Nokia have always been my preferred phone designs although I did try a Samsung for a short while which is another story. N96 will rock & I will be rocking with it, wait to my mates see it, cool phone but not cheap enough for all to buy.

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Reviewer: Jason - Wiltshire, UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

It has replaced my N-Series phone on the market.

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Reviewer: Whu - UK
Date: 4th Oct 2008

Whoever says the screen resolution is bad is wrong. Only comments I have heard so far when showing people video content is how good the quality is.

Battery life is still to be tested but after a day of constant usage of camera, WLAN, 3G, music player, watching video clips the battery has not dropped a single bar.

As for people who think this device is slow, have you ever tried actually shutting down some of the applications on the phone rather than opening one then going on to the next without shutting the first etc.

Seems quite common place on here for people to criticise the speed of the phone but it's like anything, have everything in use & yes it will grind to a halt!

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Reviewer: Peter - UK
Date: 30th Sep 2008

Got mine direct from Nokia on 26.9.08 & all I can say is it's awesome, I've had lots of mobile phones, mainly Nokia & this is the best by far. I haven't had the time to go through all the features as yet. It's about the same size as my old N81 8GB but feels a lot lighter which is nice.

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Reviewer: Carl - UK
Date: 25th Sep 2008

I am ex Sony Ericsson users so hence the 95% rating for usability, it is taking me a while to work out the whole Nokia thing.

But, saw this phone advertised here a while ago, & was waiting for it to become available, sure pleased I waited for it.

recommend to all you flash guys & gals out there.

By the way, To HM from Bradford it has been released see the dial a phone advert on this site, hope this helps & enjoy the N96.

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Reviewer: Nick - London, UK
Date: 24th Sep 2008

Just got it, had to get it from Dubai before it is released here, features are awesome but seems slow.

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Reviewer: Ross - Southampton, UK
Date: 10th Sep 2008

Although I'll probably be getting one of these from the 1st October I am still slightly annoyed that it won't support freeview TV channels in UK, it supports DVB H, but in UK we use DVB T, & the TV is a big selling point. I'll still buy one but surely it wouldn't have been that hard to make the devices TV function useable in the UK.

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Reviewer: Enlightened - UK
Date: 25th Aug 2008

Good Points.
- Plenty memory.
- Very good Features.
- Fairly good camera phone.

Bad Points.
- Screen has rubbish resolution. N80 (previous model to N95) had 1.5 x res on a slightly smaller screen. Why down grade the res on later phone?
- Text looks cheap & blurry.
- Phone is HUGE.
- Battery very average (but lots of features can be using that).
- Very slow operating system, frustrating & sometimes freezes.

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Reviewer: Hm - Bradford, UK
Date: 22nd Aug 2008

I love this phone I will be getting one when it comes out, it's a fantastic phone I love the design & features. When is it going to be out I hear it was going to be available at the end of August 2008. If anyone knows when it's going to be released please tell me. Thank you.

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Reviewer: Istvan - London, UK
Date: 21st Aug 2008

The fact is the camera is good but web browsing it is just not up to speed so back to your laptop's everyone!

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Reviewer: Santosh Nikalkar - Belguam, India
Date: 8th Aug 2008

Too big in size & not available in more colours.

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Reviewer: Hamzah - UK
Date: 6th Aug 2008

Dudes theres a 5MP camera but you can't record videos.

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Reviewer: Katie - Bradford, UK
Date: 20th Jul 2008

Does anyone know when this phone is coming out its gorgeous I really wanted the N95 8GB till went in O2 shop yesterday & now I am wondering is this phone going to be better or are Nokia just bring more phones out with rubbish software? Can anyone help me because I really want to get a new phone & would like it too b Nokia!

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Reviewer: Mickey - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Date: 1st Jun 2008

It has an awesome design. It's just perfect for a teenager & a person in mid 20's. The picture quality is mind blowing. ROCK you! Hats off to you Nokia, N96 rocks.

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Reviewer: Top41 - Bangkok, Thailand
Date: 28th May 2008

No way man! Just look, no touch screen & 2.8inch but resolution only 320 x 240, it's just not that sharp & no touch screen means its real pain in the neck. Just imagine yourself play Internet on the 5 keys navigation!

I agree that 16GB plus MicroSDHC slot are real great, but I believe that non touch screen is the phone is no longer useable, that why I give 20% usability.

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Reviewer: Moshood Fashola - London, UK
Date: 15th May 2008

Best phone have ever seen with lots of features.

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Reviewer: Dick Jones - UK
Date: 13th May 2008

I haven't got it yet, but I went in to T mobile & they said it willl be the greatest Nokia every sold, when is it on sale! It's a must!

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Reviewer: Peter - Montreal, Canada
Date: 11th May 2008

Great phone. Worth the money.

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Reviewer: M - Qatar
Date: 11th May 2008

First of all I was going to buy a phone today found the n92 too old & expensive for a 2 year old phone. Then I wanted to get a Sony camera phone, now waiting for the complete package. The Nokia N96 with camera video GPS MAPS lots of memory.

I think it will be one of the best, I was never a fan of Nokia N95 almost all my friends bought it except me. Now comes this N96 for me I have heard it will be available within 1 week. I will post my review as soon as I buy it.

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Reviewer: Igsm - Bahrain
Date: 10th May 2008

The design is very good but nothing special. Its features are awesome, no mobile can compete with it. Its usability is ruined by the battery (the phone will last a only a day with medium use) & by the processor (the mobile won't work smooth with more than 10GB). So features like TV & GPS will be almost useless. Overall, a it's a good phone, rate it 80%.

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Reviewer: Kyle - UK
Date: 3rd May 2008

Well it's an improvement of the N95, only the memory was 16GB instead of 8GB.

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Reviewer: Luqy - Bradford, UK
Date: 29th Apr 2008

I like the n95 so then this will be better but who knows & by the way the n96 looks bigger than the normal n95 but I think I'll go with Samsung or Sony Ericsson, not sure yet.

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Reviewer: Dan - Bradford, UK
Date: 23rd Apr 2008

Slight improvements on the N95 but nothing special. The screen is still a bit too small. Also no mention of a video out here, a unique feature of the N95 where I could watch videos on the projector.

All in all, by June the new 3G iPhone with 3rd party applications will have blown this out of the water.

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Reviewer: Steve - UK
Date: 18th Apr 2008

N96, pah! I had the N95 when it first came out. Sent it back after one day. If I remember correctly it was advertised as 'what computers have become'. I am old enough to remember 1st generation computers & this phone was like trying to run a Pentium game on a 386 computer! It was slow & constantly froze. Just last week my teenage daughter was after buying her first contract phone of her own & she fancied the N95 8GB, against my advice. She took that back the very next day for the same reasons. Now, if Nokia STILL can't get their act together on a phone that has been out for some considerable time, how on earth are they going to get this one working properly? Most people who rave about their N95 phones are too embarrassed to admit it's a duffer & I bet those that choose a N96 will be no different. It's a case of the Kings new clothes I am afraid. Kids, feel free to look up (a) 386 computers & (b) the fable of the 'Kings new clothes'. ;-).

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Reviewer: Liam - Essex, UK
Date: 18th Apr 2008

This Phone Looks Fantastic I Currently Have the N95 8GB Which Is Amazing But It's Not Due For Release Until Around August or September 2008 & All It Adds Is Memory & A TV Receiver. I Think They Could Have Implanted A 6 Megapixel Camera To Stay Ahead Because In Such A Big Phone I don't Think It Would Be To Hard.

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Reviewer: Impatient - Aylesbury, UK
Date: 13th Apr 2008

Can't wait for this one, it's got to be the next best thing after the N95.

I have tried the Samsung phones, Sony Ericsson K850i but they are nowhere near the N95 & the N96 can only get better.

The only 2 things I didn't like about the N95 was that both the images & videos are in the same folder & that you can't put a password on the folders like on the Samsung phones but I hope they change this on the N96 especially having the photos & videos in separate folders.

The camera on the N95 is the best I have seen on a mobile, sports mode works brilliant.

I can't wait but I suppose good things come to people who wait!

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Reviewer: Niick - London, UK
Date: 28th Mar 2008

It's a great phone good for anythiing really.

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Reviewer: Jordan - UK
Date: 24th Mar 2008

First off it's the best phone ever. But with every good phone there is its down side. First off what's the point making a phone that does everything if it can't even stay powered up for the job. Standby time is 220 hours! That is round about the same as the Nokia N95 (not the 8GB version), that means charging your phone every night. & that means if you are an email person or a video or camera lover these things will drain your battery. There for I would go for the Nokia N81 or Nokia N81 8GB why? Because it does everything that the N96 does & has a wooping 400 hours standby time which will last 3 days including all your web surfing & music email etc. Plus there is N Gage gaming which we all know is Amazing! Real good graphics & just incredible, & the N96 just couldn't last, with a battery life like that. The N81 only has a 2MP camera where as the N96 a 5MP. Overall the N96 is the best! Just be prepared to charge every night! Nokia why do it!

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Reviewer: Liam - Dumfries, UK
Date: 24th Mar 2008

These ratings I just guessed! I wouldn't be stupid enough to buy one because its features are the same is the n95 & the n81 so I don't really see the point when it looks the exact same as the n81 & the n81 is slightly smaller!

This phone only has a better camera & more memory but not even in the Nokia n81 8gig plus the battery is better in the n81! I think you get the point! Nokia ARE TOO LATE AT BRINGING IT OUT.

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Reviewer: Cameron Smith - UK
Date: 21st Mar 2008

It looks nice but you might as well get the n81 which is exactly the same but with less memory & a worse camera.

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Reviewer: Steve O - Lancashire, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008

What is the point in designing a great looking phone with great features then only giving it a 950mah battery? ! Its talk time & stand by time are less than the N95!

Did Nokia learn nothing from the N95? Did all those complaints from unhappy users count for nothing? Let's see how long it takes them to release another version with a 1200mah or larger battery.

The DVB H TV feature will also turn out to be useless for most people because it isn't available in many countries. It's not compatible with Freeview in the UK so no TV on it here.

Sadly the N96 is too little too late. I will pass on this model & wait for a Nokia with the new S60v5 OS towards the end of the year.

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Reviewer: Suky - UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008

The Nokia N96 Is A Nice Phone, Everything Is Good Except the Top 3 Keys Will Activate If Pressure Is Applied To the Bottom On the Phone When Slide Down. No Point On Waiting Until August, I Would recommend the Nokia N82 Or Nokia N95 8GB Instead Of the Nokia N96. Another Factor With the N96 Is the Size, Its Bigger & Chunkier Than the Nokia N95 & N95 8GB. Hope This helps.

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Reviewer: Sam - Bradford, UK
Date: 10th Mar 2008

I so want this phone but it comes out in May.

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Reviewer: Shivam - UK
Date: 7th Mar 2008

This looks so much better than the N95. But is it as good?

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Reviewer: Waqas - London, UK
Date: 7th Mar 2008

PERFECT. ONE OF the BEST MOBILE I have EVER SEEN. THANKS Nokia.

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Reviewer: Sony Ericsson Vn - UK
Date: 6th Mar 2008

Has all the best features of n81 & n95 but with 16GB (24GB if you add memory card) & better video options. This thing is going to be EXPENSIVE!

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Reviewer: Me - US
Date: 4th Mar 2008

It isn't out until August so I wouldn't waste your time waiting when you can get a good phone now because by August phones will be so much better than this with so much more on them.

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Reviewer: Bob - Tab, Iran
Date: 27th Feb 2008

The N96 will be the best phone ever.



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