Nokia N96 Reviews

Very easy to navigate

Very simple & easy to use phone. Got this after having the N95 & its very similar but seems to respond quicker to commands, especially when online. Very easy to navigate, which you can expect from most Nokia phones & great double slide fuction giving you hot keys for playing mp3's, an overall very good phone.

The main fault was how terribly slow it was

I had this phone when it first came out on 3. Being afraid to update it and 3 refuse to repair it if things went wrong, I put up with the terrible faults with this phone until my contract was up for upgrade, then I updated it and things were only slightly better.

The main fault was how terribly slow it was, even opening a message would take at least 30 seconds, changing to portrait/landscape was just as bad.
Video playback was awful, even playing back what you had just recorded was jumpy. The camera would take a picture about 10 seconds after you pressed the button as well.

Now, I can remember when Nokia were the mutts nuts in telephones (I even loved my 3210!), but this phone was/is a shambles for the amount you have to pay to get it.

The good news is...I now have an X6, and it is GREAT! everything works like it should, and it hasn't gone wrong once since I got it about a month ago, so perhaps not all is lost with Nokla.

The sound quality is good

I would say that the Nokia N96 is a good phone with quite a few features and the keys are easy to find for me as I am a blind user. The sound quality is good and the loud speaker is quite loud. The problem with this phone as with a lot of Nokia phones is that it does keep crashing occasionally.

The sound quality is excellent along with the camera quality

There are many features included in the Nokia N96, built in SatNav and a large capacity of 8GB for all music lovers out there. The sound quality is excellent along with the camera quality. Overall though I was disappointed with the N96 as its basically the same as the N95 with a larger price tag.

I can watch films, videos and tv episodes with BBC i-player

I have a Nokia N96 and I love it. It has so many different features. The camera is really good quality and has lots of different settings to play with. The music player is great and the headphones that came free with it has buttons to easily change and pause the song you are listening to. It has a feature to buy music, listen to the radio and podcasting.

The phone also comes with N-GAGE where I can download hundreds of different games. The part I like the most is, I can watch films, videos and tv episodes with BBC i-player without having to hold it as it has a little pop out stand on the back of the phone, genius.

repaired 4 times

I got the Nokia N96 December 2008. Since then I have had to have it repaired 4 times. The 4th time being right now, I have to send it away. Every time it has broken it has been the same problems. The phone is far too slow.

It takes up to 10 minutes for the 'New Message' screen to appear. It switches itself on and off every time you access the internet. I only ever use the internet for the usual facebook and bebo but every time you get to them and the phone switches off, its not good.

I have been on the phone to Nokia people who I have ended arguing with because they basically guess what they are telling me. Both times I've called them I have ended up hanging the phone up to stop myself from raising my voice or shouting at them.

My network has been more than helpful with the phone, replacing the handset twice and repairing it once.

GPS and video player work like a charm, however this comes at a price

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 and receiving calls takes an average of 4 to 5 seconds before the phone responds.

All in all, the GPS and 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.

phone itself is very good, plenty of features

Purchased via a contract with 3 when the phone first came out in September 2008, I needed one to replace the growing number of items in the pocket. This just fitted right.

I've been with Nokia since 2000 moving between phones from different manufacturers but with Nokia everything seems consistent with the software and transfering to desktop counterparts.

The phone itself is very good, plenty of features and more features/software can be purchased online or downloaded for free. For example with the built in accelerometer and the free sports tracker you can use as a pedometer. I didnt realise I was doing close to a half a marathon everyday at work.

It has had its fair share of firmware updates and has kept it upto date and useable. It was originally fairly slow for a smart phone but this has been rectified. The USB is nice and fast operating at USB 2.0 speeds coupled with the microSD card slot you can transfer files, make backups watch and listen to podcasts or videos or music.

The built in iplayer is pretty decent but I dont think it is optimised for the device even though it comes preloaded as any downloaded material resolution does not match the resolution of the screen but otherwise it is watchable. The large screen is good in a subdued lighting but not in direct sunlight.

Photos do come out good when output to a big screen or printed. Shame there is no cover on the lens and it does feel more plasticy then it's predecessor.

The 3.5mm socket is very convenient for headsets, headphones, lineout audio, video out. Single socket for a multitude of outputs it is a shame that the usb doesnt follow suit by also being able to charge using it. On board speakers are OK but would not use other then for a quick phone call. Only found out that it had on board TV recently but useless in the UK.

In my opinion a descent phone but it was shown too early (Feb 08) released to late Sep 2008 without any updates then overshadowed by the new touch screen phones released by the same company.

Not much of an improvement to the N95

I received a Nokia N96 and was expecting something special, however it was a let down. The keypad had a plasticy feel to it and like a lot of Nokia Nseries phones the menus and navigation can be a little confusing. The camera is good quality but does not match up to some of Sony Ericssons or Samsung high end phones. Not much of an improvement to the N95 and overall very average

The phone has had to have so many software updates

I have used NOkia phones for years - really looked forward to owning the N96, how disappointed was I? The phone has had to have so many software updates and still freezes etc etc. So many times I have tried to make calls only to be frozen out.

The self turning screen display always takes an age to turn from portrait to landscape and it is quite disconcerting. Sorry but this is not the best that Nokia has ever produced.

I eagerly awaited the N96 hoping it would be as good as the N95

As a fan of most Nokia phones I eagerly awaited the N96 hoping it would be as good as the N95 and iron out all the things that annoyed me about it, however it is very disappointing.

It looks the same, at only six months old the battery will not last a day and it is very slow. It takes ages to open applications, crashes and has to be reset and often deletes whatever you are looking at when it crashes.

Sometimes it resets to factory settings so that all personalisation has to be re done. It is very frustrating and with operators now insisting on 18month contracts I know I have a long time to put up with it.

always requiring software updates

My handset is slow, always requiring software updates and if you don't answer a call on the first ring it won't let you answer, the screen goes blank and the phone just keeps ringing - no matter how often you press the button to answer it. It is difficult to find anything and the internet access is diabolical.

quality pictures and there is lots of memory space for tunes

The phone is very easy to use like all Nokia's. The camera on the phone takes great quality pictures and there is lots of memory space for tunes. The only drawback is that it can be slow when changing from portrait to landscape view and also is known to crash quite often, I do believe this to be a design fault because I have friends who also own the N96 and they have the same problems.

Hate this phone the N95 was better

Had this N96 since Nov '08, have just sent it in for 2nd software update as it kept locking and I had to take battery out to reset it.

Sometimes switches itself off which means I could miss calls when not realising phone off.

When I use alarm it resets the date 5 days in advance, not heard anyone else say this.

The camera is terrible my sons Nokia with 3mp cam is much better in my opinion. No matter what settings I use I can't get decent pictures in daylight and night pictures you can hardly see.

You have to hold button down for ages to take picture by which time most subjects have moved.

I Got the N96 phone because I loved the N95 particularly the fantastic camera, with one touch the picture was taken and the quality fantastic.

Phone is pleasing to the eye and has some great features but I wish I had gone for a cheaper phone, they seem to be better. I'm tied in for 18 months and I hate this phone.

Overall a very good well equiped phone, even a year on from release

Very good phone, much improved firmware from the N95, I have had the phone almost a year and had very little problems with it. Good camera (5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens) it also has a double LED flash which works amazingly in even the darkest of nightclubs!
Plenty of features which at the time of release werent available in as many phones e.g. Wi-Fi, Geo-Tagging of photos, GPS etc. Overall a very good well equiped phone, even a year on from release!

The handset looks good on paper

The handset looks good on paper, 5.0 MP camera with dual LED flash, 16GB internal flash memory, mobile TV (which cannot be used in the UK anyway), HSDPA, etc etc, but when it comes down to it, the N96 doesn't perform in my opinion.

The phone is marketed as a multimedia phone, good for use with viewing videos, taking photos, as a music player etc, but most of the time the phone is just plain slow - take videos for example.

I have never had the N96 play a video smoothly - ones that used to play on the N95 perfectly refuse to play on the N96. The phone just says that the memory is full and cancels playback, even though there are no other open applications.

To top it all off, the battery life is poor, I have finally replaced the phone with a 5800 XpressMusic - a mid range Nokia phone, which in my opinion is light years better than the N96 in almost every possible way.

phone is compact, light and easy to use

Great phone with lots of gadgets for male or female, the camera has a 5.0 megapixel, mp3 player, watch high quality tv, games, navigation, text, mms and internet browsing. This phone is compact and light and easy to use therefore I would recommend anyone who is purchasing a new phone to choose Nokia as they are a great brand who you can trust and expect great design and technology.

I have to say I was not dissapointed

After using the G1, the Blackberry Bold and the Blackberry Storm I moved on to the Nokia N96 and I have to say I was not dissapointed. The clean and crisp design, the bright display and the qualtiy software made this my phone of choice. The only downsides I could find were the poor battery life and the internet access is a little slower than the g1.

had my N96 now for about 3 months. I upgraded from the N95 8G

I have had my N96 now for about 3 months. I upgraded from the N95 8G, which was a great phone and I would recommend to anyone. The N96 is a great phone too, totally packed with features, and, if you are already used to the N series it is easy enough to use.

To start with the only bad thing I could say was it was a tad on the large side, which I decided I could live with. After using the phone for a while I noticed, it has the usual N series feature of crashing a lot but other than that this phone is highly recommended.

Lets face it if you are used to the N series the 2 faults I have pointed out will be normal to you anyway, its a great buy.

Very good, excellent features. Easily scratched

The Nokia N96 is a very good phone with lots of excellent features and is easy to use.

Applications can be a bit slow to open but a firmware upgrade sorted mine out.

The camera is of excellent quality and zoom feature does not compromise the quality of the photo.

The screen is easily scratched so take care.

not as robust as the previous N95

I am far from impressed with this phone. Compared to the previous N95 8GB, this new N96 is so plastic and flimsy. I had the N95 for over a year and loved it, very sturdy little phone but this new N96 is almost like a toy phone!

The functions and features are all pretty much the same as the N95, no major changes or updates. I found the sliding motion to be a bit abrupt and stiff but should imagine this will "ease" up after some use. I'd much rather have the N95 8GB anyday!

the phone can be customised in a way that few if any phones allow

I had the N95 on an 18 month contract and replaced it 2 months ago with the N96. The phone feels a lot less robust than its predecessor and initially crashed a lot with battery out resets required. I use a larger battery with both phones, 2400 ma on the N96 giving 3 days usage.

The clock is pants, luckily there are many flash downloads that allow improvements to the user interface. The fonts were too small, again a downloaded font scaler sorted this! The background was making it difficult to read things, a white background sorted this one.

In a nutshell the phone can be customised in a way that few if any phones allow. As an international wanderer the phone is great with the quad band and an O2 my Europe add on.

I have tried a couple of touch phones, including the iPhone clones, but texting on touch phones is largely impractical and the novelty factor soon turns to texting rage when it takes too long to get the message done.

Without the extended battery the phone would be unuseable to me, as was the N95. Also without the downloads and free internet bolt on the phone would be meaningless in its specifications.

I guess someone will make a better phone, but after 18 months with the N95 the N96 appears to be the only natural sucessor.

Its a brick of a phone, but it serves as a wi fi net device, a media player an internet browser on the O2 network, oh and a phone that speaks the name of the caller. As long as they are in your address book.

Useful if you have OCD friend that wont stop ringing!
Overall a compromise, but cant find a better one at the moment. P.S. the camera is only a mere 5mp, but it is an optical zoom not a digital one. Resulting in good quality images. Shame the lens cover went from the N95!

battery can drain pretty quickly if your on the net or watching videos

A good phone but can be quite slow at loading apps etc. The screen light can be a little temperamental and doesnt always come on when the slider is moved. The sat nav is good. The battery can drain pretty quickly if your on the net or watching videos on it. The handset can be connected to a TV using the supplied cables which is great.

a great camera, great dual slider, fast response and high quality video

This phone is brilliant. It has a great camera, great dual slider, fast response and high quality video playback. It is quite sizable but is very very attractive. Despite the size, the phone is also on the lighter side of the Nokia N95 8 Gigabyte phone.

got everything I need in a phone and it looks great

Fantastic phone! I was a little worried that the i-Phone should've been the right choice but my boss has got one and he doesn't like it! Easy to use, great sound and camera, it's got everything I need in a phone and it looks great. Well done Nokia, keep up the good work!

massive storage capacity and general coolness, I love it.

When this mobile phone was first announced I was ecstatic. Being an N95 owner this phone seemed to meet all my expectations. The battery life is excellent, the phone is not much bigger than the N95 and the sleek black look seemed to boast class.

However where there are good points, there are bad ones too. The camera on my N95 seemed to be able to do a lot more in dark rooms and just in general than this phone. The much hyped television is limited to european countries using DVB-H (we seem to be the only country still using DVB-T?) and have to settle for BBC iplayer (not much of a compromise).

However it makes up for it with its internet speed, massive storage capacity and general coolness. I love it.

Feature packed phone, if only the battery matched the features

The phone itself is to a good standard, only problems is that it's slow and cant keep up, and the battery dosnt last long at all. Say you have watched a 30min video then made a few calls thats it, you cant do anymore without the battery losing power. Thats half a day for me. Other than them two problems its a great phone. Bring on the N97

direct access into Facebook and BBCi Player

Great phone, does everything and more, I would get one if you haven't already. It has many features that will make you drool with excitement. Like the flip out TV stand, direct access into Facebook and BBCi Player. Can be used as an MP3 player as well as a digtial camera/storage device (with the 5MP "Carl Ziess" Lens) due to the massive 16GB internal memory which can also be explanded by a further 16GB via micro SD card. Not forgetting push/pull email access to any email address (yes including pop3/smtp and MS Exchange). Lovely bit of tech gadet wizzardry !.

Well designed phone with plenty of features to keep you entertained

Well designed phone with plenty of features to keep you entertained. Good quality camera with A-GPS to tag the locations of your photos, 16GB memory for loads of storage and loads of Apps to be added. Has high speed 3G data connections and can also be used over Wifi. MP3 and video player included too. Screen is clear and battery life isn't that bad considering the amount of stuff built in.

Only downside is it can be a bit slow running but the latest firmware update provided by Nokia is helping to speed things up already and no doubt more updates will appear in time.

I would recommend to anyone but just watch out for software updates

look and features of the Nokia N96 are great, its the software that lets it down as I've had my phone for 2 months and have had to send it back already to have the software updated. Camera is great and the photo's come out lovely and clear. I would recommend to anyone but just watch out for software updates.

general slowness of the operating system began to be a real hindrance

I got the N96 from Nokia the first day it was officially available in the UK. My first impressions were wow what a cool phone, it does anything and everything.

After a few days the general slowness of the operating system began to be a real hindrance, but thought that it's just me being picky and I'll get used to it, however the slowness is soooo frustrating, also has the usual lock ups and shut downs you'd expect from a new phone costing an arm and a leg!

Sadly I haven't got used to it and I'm just another sucker who fell for the hype who is now tied into an 18mth contract with a phone that they don't like.

The best handset I've bought in years

The best handset I've bought in years. The only downfalls are that it does not have a fancy touchscreen like most high end phones that are hitting the market nowadays, and Nokia could have designed a much better keypad on this handset. Other than that I will give it the thumbs up for functionality.

Build quality is good, styling great and screensize is impressive

Got the N96 the day after it became available in the UK after using an N73 for 18months. First impressions were top notch. Build quality is good, styling great and screensize is impressive.

Initial digging around found it the usual intuitive Nokia setup with functionally similar to N73 but with obvious extras. The 1-button press to the BBC iPlayer is great and the little TV stand around the camera lens is clever.

Have yet to fully try out the video on it, and its a shame that Live TV is not available in the UK yet. The active standby shortcuts are great, lets you get to everything quickly.

Downsides, have had some issues with the phone freezing up, it just wont come back to life from dormancy sometimes, and the only way is to remove the battery and start over. However, have now had a full factory reset on the s/w so hoping that helps somewhat. If you like Nokias, and gadgets, buy the N96.

Cannot wait to get this mobile phone! The Nokia N96 should beat the Apple iPhone hands down!

Its why i am waiting until the N96 is released! It looks like its going to be available in the UK in the summer! Its so annoying having to wait tho! Im ready for a new phone now!