Perhaps, Nokia N96 was not really intended to take the cell phone market by storm and turn the world around. Perhaps, Nokia N96 was intended to calmly update the high-end handheld device of the house and continue to cash in.

It just seems Nokia is trying the strategy of not put all eggs in the same basket. In addition, that makes us wondering. More high-end device will be available in affordable handsets, Arte will continue to define extremely beautiful splendor, E-series will go on mixing exceptional skill with refined elegance and Touch UI will slowly be conquering the company portfolio. If all those predictions are true, shall we worry the N-series packaged with extraordinary features but only getting unpleasant look?

Tempted though we are to say that failure is threatening over Nokia N96, we understand better than that. There will be many of diehard Symbian fans, and even a small number of individuals that do actually need DVB-H support, which will go against their aesthetic sense and get Nokia N96. In addition, no, we do not think they will be upset or excited to accept with most of the things we mentioned in this review.

As for the rest of the customers, Nokia N96 is a cell phone with great software package, but comes in an utterly user-unfriendly shell. The ergonomics of the Nokia N96 are disappointing, except for video watching, that operating it is a chore, rather than fun. For all we concern, style and finesse may have different meaning in the unfashionable world and that is where the name of Nokia N96 sure rings a particular bell.

Key features:

• Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
• Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
• 2.8″ 16M-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
• 5MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
• Massive 16GB onboard storage
• 3G with HSDPA support
• Quad-band GSM support
• Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
• Built-in DVB-H TV tuner
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
• Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio keys
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• TV out
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Car charger in the retail package
• VGA video recording at 30fps
• USB and Bluetooth v2.0
• One free N-gage game and Transformers movie preloaded

Major disadvantages:

• The Nokia N81-inspired design
• No camera lens protection
• Dreadful camera key
• Inadequate battery life
• Does not charge via the USB port
• Cheap looking keypad
• Unreasonably hefty price tag
• No office document editing out of the box

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