My-Symbian & My-Maemo / My-MeeGo

[BentL]

Nokia has announced the Nokia N96, see press release. Excerpt:

Nokia N96: The one to watch
Most advanced multimedia computer optimized for entertainment

Mobile World Congress 2008, Barcelona, Spain/Espoo, Finland - Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N96, a multimedia computer truly optimized for video and TV. With a large 2.8" screen, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and support for high-quality videos in a wide range of formats, the dual-slide Nokia N96 represents an exciting new chapter in mobile media. The Nokia N96 multimedia computer is expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated sales price of approximately 550 euros, before subsidies or taxes.

"In 2007, the Nokia N95 became an icon of convergence of Internet and mobility. With over 7 million units sold to date, the N95 has changed the way people use their mobile device. The Nokia N96 we introduced today builds on the success of N95, further enhancing the experience," says Jonas Geust, who oversees Nokia's Explore category. "Through the power of the Internet, video and TV are becoming even more prevalent in people's lives. With its large, bright screen, and a range of high-speed connectivity options and the enhanced Nokia Video Center, the new Nokia N96 is a personal window to entertainment."

Accessing internet videos is quick and simple. The Nokia N96 supports common video formats including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video, making favorite videos easy to view. Transferring and accessing videos is even faster with the high-speed USB 2.0 connection and WLAN and HSDPA support. In select markets, the integrated DVB-H receiver offers live broadcast TV with an automatically updating program guide. The massive memory can store up to 40 hours of video content. The storage capacity of the Nokia N96 can even be further expanded with an optional microSD card, such as the new Nokia 8GB microSDHC Card MU-43 which increases the available memory of the Nokia N96 to a total of 24 GB. For added convenience, the Nokia N96 features a 'kickstand' on the back cover that allows for hands-free viewing.

The Nokia Video Center offers one place to discover and access a variety of mobile content ranging from movie trailers and comedy to news from world-leading content brands such as YouTube, Reuters, and Sony Pictures. The catalogue of internet video feeds is continually expanded with more regional and country specific content.

For a superb music experience, the Nokia N96 features media keys, a 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. The Nokia Maps application offers richer maps with urban details and satellite views and has upgrade options such as City Guides, turn-by-turn pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation.

The Nokia N96 boasts a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, flash and video light. It allows DVD-like quality video capture at 30 frames per second. Further, with the integrated A-GPS, consumers can now 'geotag' their pictures with location data and share them with their online communities.

The Nokia N96 naturally supports the Ovi family of Nokia internet services, including maps, music, media sharing and more.

--
Bent Laursen

[My-Symbian]

[JCD]

Oh now... shipping in the 3rd quarter.... Why???? Is this really true???

[ChaosFire]

The end of the N95 8GB is at hand and looming..
Thank goodness i stuck with the N82 , but what becomes of its fate too.. Even the 6220's imageing specs are a tie.
This Nokia's market strategy is driving the world insane.
Bet they already have an N98 stashed away somewhere..

[Nick17]

JCD wrote:

Oh now... shipping in the 3rd quarter.... Why???? Is this really true???

Maybe this is the more realistic approach.
2nd quarter use to mean August/September.

But is it me or am I missing a front-camera?

No more video-conferencing..?!
(Should we take a mirror..?)

And why the double buttons (on the front and
under the short slide)..?

Looks like Jobs was right. Apple was years
ahead with the touch..

Happy that were still be able to use all the
apps (3rd C++)..

This one will be to tempting to pass..

[My-Symbian]

[Nick17]

Funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdo_wEwBqXo

[ChaosFire]

Nick ;It Has a front camera - VGA resolution. The whole design of this phone is questionable.
Unless FP2 has something to offer us in minimal power consumption +efficiency ;i see lots of people running away from 950mAH phone batteries.
Can the N81& N95 8gb really take on their elder brother N96 ?

[Nick17]

ChaosFire wrote:

Nick ;It Has a front camera - VGA resolution.

Well hidden then, but I could not believe that it would not have a video-conferencing option.. Otherwise Nokia Maps should have to divide public restrooms in two categories (with mirror for conferencing and without a mirror )

I also question the 950-battery. What use is
bigger memory, when you can only watch or
listen to two/four GB video/music at a time.

Overall I still think the N96 will be a big seller and a cashcow for Nokia. A smart-phone for cashing some more on the "N95-brilliancy". Competing with the Iphone could also come out surprising (and not in a good way).

Hope that FP2 will again hold some features we otherwise still had to buy: (real) HTML-
(Profi)mail, (real) WMV-(Core)play(er) and simple webbrowsing with flash and mailoptions
(Opera Mobile 9.5).

But as I buy a Nokia every year (leaping from the 6600 > 6680 > N80 > N95).. this will probably be the one I will buy this year (though I am less anxious to get one as I was with its predecessors)..

Hope this year somebody will send this device
to Michal to test it..

[ChaosFire]

Nick17 wrote:

Hope this year somebody will send this device to Michal to test it..

They Have To. -10year anniversary present plus more.
The N96 will be close to being the mobile phone of 08;or at least the most coverted phone.
N95,N81,N82,N95 8gb ,have just become endangered species in just a day !!?
What type of whaky market strategy is Nokia trying to pull..
Their tackling everybody at once (iphone, winmob, android)
In an hour from now they announce another one ;and mobile bloggers and symbian sites get another shot of adrenaline.
The 16Gb microsdhc has already been announced by Sandisk; and the theorectical limit will soon be reached : an N96 with 48Gb 's of total combined memory. Tell anyone you got 'this' and you have your life insurance swapped phone insurance..!

[RichardRoss]

It looks groovy and is certainly cutting edge. But...

- I'll need to see hard reviewing before I believe that battery is adequate

- Why bother duplicating the media keys? What's the point?

- The screen size and resolution is uninspiring to say the least

- One of these top-end Nseries devices needs a QWERTY keyboard. I can understand not wanting to cannibalise E-series sales but the capability of these devices is let down by the poor interface mechanism (try typing a URL...)

Finally, will someone please explain what the N-series development plan is? Nokia just seems to kick out devices with overlapping capabilities without any real sense of the target audience.


All that being said... it looks like a geeks dream. Now, if only they'd come up with a 9300-style E-series I'd be a happy, happy bunny!

[ChaosFire]

I'm even still shocked that the screen resolution is QVGA,
Only God knows what Nokia has in mind for the GDC coming up in a few days..

[Nick17]

Is anyone else wondering how long the "camera-lens-ring-/foto/tv-stand-thingy" will last..

Open sliders are anoying, but this looks like something that will break or "shape" the lens out of focus..

I for one asked on this forum for the DVB-H, but am stunned with the fact that all extra's have to do with the same battery-power.. and everyone was asking for a bigger battery (while the N95 8GB even got it).

Should we wait for the N96 48/58/68 (??) GB in the store for Christmas? with the bigger battery.

In marketing this is smart again I guess.. First sell the phone who can (do all) .. Then sell the phone who will (actually do all (for as long as you reasonably want)

[ChaosFire]

This phone has no 3D acceleration,.no camera cover.. !!

[lanbrown]

ChaosFire,

What do you mean by no 3D acceleration? If it uses the same processor as the N95, it does have 2D/3D acceleration.

[Sera]

ChaosFire, no 3D acceleration?

[ChaosFire]

Here's a link to the interview with the N96 product manager + a hands-on view of it:

http://thesymbianblog.com/2008/02/12/hands-on-with-the-n96/

A Wonderful shocker isn't it ;hopefully its new processor will compensate.