Rob Clymo: Columnist - Tech & Gadgets
Wednesday, 06 August 2008
The Clymo Brief: Nokia N96 preview
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So rumour has it Apple’s planning an iPhone nano, huh? Big deal! I’m more preoccupied with the new Nokia N96 I’ve been testing over the past few weeks. There’s no question a slimmed down version of the iPhone would be a trailblazing success if it made it into stores this side of Christmas. But no doubt it would still have a rubbish camera, just like its bigger brother.

Admittedly, the Nokia N96 doesn’t have a touch screen like the iPhone and, to be honest, it feels less well built. But there’s not much else here to disappoint. If you’re an everyday digital camera user, this phone really will be a fitting replacement for your compact. By the looks of the results I’ve had from the video camera, you might even be able to do away with one of those too.
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That’s because the formidable N96 boasts a five megapixel camera complete with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Without doubt it’s the feature I’ve been using most. Digital snaps are crisp and clear, and a dual LED flash makes dimly lit photography or video filming a blinding experience. Quite literally.

Bumper pics
When you’re done, you can instantly upload to the likes of Flickr or Vox, send to someone via messaging (try doing that on an iPhone!) or print out using Bluetooth connectivity. The N96 is capable of producing bumper sized shots too - up to a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. And although photography anoraks may snigger at some of the built in effects like Cartoonize or sniff at the rather duff clip art gallery, the pictures themselves are stonking.
The video mode of the camera is top-dollar too. A nifty anti-shake mechanism irons out any major camera wobble as you move and the quality is spot on. A super responsive microphone is so acute it will literally pick up a pin dropping, while playback of captured footage is complemented by the dinky little twin speakers located on each end of the phone.

Iceberg tip
But that’s just the tip of an iceberg Nokia frothily describes as a ‘multimedia computer truly optimized for video and TV’. Erm, but this is a phone, right? Well, yes, but amalgamating all sorts of gadgets is the way of the future and there’s not much the N96 doesn’t do, short of the washing up.
It’s the multimedia angle that really captures the imagination. MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video are all supported and USB 2.0 connectivity, WLAN and HSDPA support mean file transfer levels are very decent. With 16 gigabytes of internal memory it’ll hold a decent wedge of content – up to 40 hours according to Nokia, and even that is expandable with a microSDHC card that’ll boost total capacity to a bulging 24GB.

Live TV
I also love the idea of an integrated DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld) receiver that allows you to view live TV. Unfortunately this is only available in a few countries at the moment and, judging from my blank screen, this doesn’t yet include the UK. This is a bit of a thorny subject with DVB-H being one of three mobile TV formats, but if it’s any consolation, the EU has apparently made DVB-H the ‘preferred technology for terrestrial mobile broadcasting’. We’ll see…
Nevertheless, I did manage to trawl through the Nokia Video Center and also view YouTube Mobile videos via the sprightly internet connection. Watching video is made easier with the fold-out ‘kickstand’ that surrounds the lens on the back of the phone that allows you to prop it up for hands free viewing or for making video calls. Nice.

Mobile gaming
Gaming is another aspect of the N96 that impresses. Nokia’s own N-Gage made-for-mobile gaming facility promises much, especially when it comes to the tackling the likes of Fifa 08 or Asphalt 3: Street Rules. The media keys on the stubby side of the dual-case turn your phone into an instant gaming machine.
Having said all that, the first time I took this prototype out of the Jiffy bag it came in (nope, no box on these pre-production models, kids), I was a bit underwhelmed. You see, Nokia sent me an E71 at the same time and although I guess you could say that’s more of a BlackBerry-esque business users phone, I think I actually prefer it. That’s mainly because of the usefulness of the QWERTY keyboard though, and I think I’ll reserve final judgement until I’ve seen a factory-finished version of the N96.

As for inevitable comparisons to the iPhone 3G, the Nokia seems to keep up with those on most levels. Of course, Apple’s gadget has that great touch screen - as opposed to the slightly awkward plastic buttons on the N96. Nevertheless, while Nokia spends time beavering away on its proper iPhone rival, this is a fearsome competitor and certainly even better than the N95 it succeeds.

Nokia N96 UK release date announced
Shop for Nokia mobile handsets with MSN Shopping

Recent columns from Rob Clymo:
A decade of digital TV
Taking on the spammers
The in-car camera that spots bad driving

All Rob Clymo's columns for Tech & Gadgets

Rob Clymo is a journalist employed on a freelance basis by Microsoft. The views in this article are those of the author and not of MSN or Microsoft. Microsoft is the publisher and owner of MSN Tech & Gadgets.