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Nokia N96
Manufacturer	Nokia
Available	EU September 24, 2008 NA October 15, 2008
Screen	2.8 in TFT QVGA (320x240 px, or (0.08 Megapixels))
Camera	5 megapixels fixed, dual LED, Auto focus, flash/video light (back), 20x zoom
Second camera	VGA video call (front)
Operating system	Symbian OS v9.3, S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 Edition
Input	Keypad,D-pad, Muti-Media keys, Navi wheel
CPU	Dual ARM 9 CPU (264 MHz) with video accelerator.
Ringtone	Mp3,wav,aac,mid,Real Ringtones
Memory	16 GB internal
Memory card	MicroSD 16GB Max (32GB Max MicroSDHC available in 2009)
Networks	Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Dual band UMTS / HSDPA: UMTS 900 / 2100 or UMTS 850 / 1900
Connectivity	WLAN 802.11b/g, Micro-USB (USB 2.0), DVB-H class C, Bluetooth 2.0 (we#Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Battery	BL-5F (950 mAh)
Physical size	103 x 55 x 18 mm
Weight	125 g
Form factor	Dual-Sliders
Media	Audio playback: MP3/AAC/HE-AAC/WMA, Video playback: MPEG-4 SP/H.264/RealVideo/WMV9/Flash
Predecessor	Nokia N95/N95 8GB
Successor	Nokia N97

Nokia N96 is the latest^[1] Nokia smartphone in the Nseries range of products. It is the official successor to Nokia N95.

The handset was publicly announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 2008,^[2] and started shipping in September 2008.^[3] Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific are the first locations to provide the handset for consumers. The American and Chinese versions were expected shortly thereafter.^[4] The general UK release date for the N96 was October 1, although London had a separate date of September 24 when the device went on sale exclusively at Nokia's flagship stores on Regent Street and at Terminal 5 (Heathrow airport).^[5]

[edit] Features

The Nokia N96 features the following:

• Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• Dual band UMTS / HSDPA: UMTS 900 / 2100 N96-1 (RM-247, Global), UMTS 850 / 1900 N96-3 (RM-247, Global), no UMTS N96 (RM-297, PR China)
• HSDPA and Wi-Fi access (RM-297 variant (PR China only) does not have WCDMA, WLAN and DVB-H).
• DVB-H Mobile TV (network-dependent feature).
• A-GPS Navigation using Nokia Maps, map data fetched using 3G or downloaded over the Internet and transferred to the phone over USB.
• Access to Ovi
• Instant upload to Flickr, Vox, Yahoo! and Google.
• Full xHTML, HTML, RSS reader browser.
• Symbian OS v9.3 S60 3.2 Edition, user interface.
• 16 GB of internal flash memory.
• Max memory = [MicroSD 32GB (released 2009) ,16GB internal]= 48GB .^[6]
• 2-way slide, as in Nokia N95.
• 5-megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss TESSAR optics.
• Sensor for Auto-rotate.
• VGA camera in front of the phone, for video calling and self-portrait use.
• Double LED flash for the camera.
• Pre-bundled with WaveSecure in India. variant^[7]
• Plays music files, and lets you download easily via Nokia Web.
• Allows high-quality video calling using 3G
• A built-in accelerometer when tilted as on the Nokia N82.
• The new design includes:
  • Landscape-oriented design (landscape oriented speakers, connectors and buttons located optimally for landscape use)
  • Flip-out kickstand
  • Media keys available in all modes (even when slide is closed, for background control of music)
  • Media keys on short side can transform into gaming keys
  • Lock switch (enables quick lock / unlock of keypad)
• 128mb SDRAM (synchronous dynamic random access memory)
  • Available memory for the user is 90mb after operating the system.
• Can play various type of Music files like --> (MP3/AAC/eACC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/Mid/RM(real)/RAM(real)/AMR/m3u(playlist))
• Can play various type of Video files like --> (RM(real video)/H.263/H.264/3GPP/HQ-3GPP(30fps)/Mp4/WMV/FLV(Flash player))

[edit] Major differences between N95 8G and N96

• Dual-LED camera flash (single LED in the N95 8G)
• New audio DSP
• Longer music playback time (14 hrs) and video playback time (6 hrs)
• Windows Media WMV9 video codec added
• Hardware acceleration for video codecs for H.264 and WMV
• Mobile TV DVB-H 1.0 receiver built in
• S60 3rd Edition is upgraded from Feature Pack 1 to Feature Pack 2
• Symbian OS upgraded from version 9.2 to 9.3
• The Java ME engine is upgraded from MIDP 2.0 to MIDP 2.1
• User data is preserved when upgrading firmware (this feature is also present on the N95-2 as v21 installs UDP base files)
• Open C/C++ support
• New QuickOffice application opens all types of Microsoft Office files^{[citation needed]}
• New version of Nokia Video Centre (show & edit videos)
• New release of Nokia Experience software
• Micro 2.0 Hi-Speed USB (write 3 Mbit/s, read 4.1 Mbit/s - N95 8GB use full-speed USB)
• MicroSD memory card slot (as in original N95, while N95 8GB has no card slot)
• RSS 2.1 Reader
• FM radio upgraded with RDS
• N96 is a dual-band HSDPA (900 and 2100MHz, while N95 was a single band 2100MHz)
• No need to open the slide for optimal GPS reception
• Nokia N96 has VGA front camera (N95 8G has CIF)
• Video light
• Upgraded Bluetooth stereo audio
• FOTA (Firmware Over the Air)
• OMA E-mail Notification v1.0
• OMA Device Management v1.2
• OpenGL ES 1.1 plugin
• Dual Transfer Mode (MSC 11)
• Support SPP Bluetooth profiles
• No hardware 3D graphics accelerator for N96
• Lens cover
• No manually selected MMS messaging mode.
• VoIP 2.1 support for WLAN and Cellular. However, the built-in VoIP client from N95 which allowed the end-user to make internet calls directly without installing any additional software has been removed from N96.
• The pencil button that allows you to mark/unmark items and highlight text is not included.

Negative

• CPU: N96 has dual ARM9 264MHz with no floating point instructions (N95 has dual ARM11 332Mhz with vector floating point)
• N96 has 8x image digital zoom and 4x video digital zoom (while N95 has 20x digital zoom and 8x video digital zoom
• Same battery as original N95 (950 mAh), but the N96 reportedly has a much better battery life using the same battery (Nokia N95 8GB has 1200 mAh)
• No Hardware 3D graphics accelerator for N96
• No infrared port
• N95 classic has lens cover and much more qualitative shutter (N95 8G/N96 don't have this feature)
• No manually selected MMS messaging mode. If you write a long text message it will automatically select the MMS mode which could stop the recipient from receiving the message if they do not have MMS set up on their handset. (A Nokia USA employee stated that there is an update in the works to fix this very soon^{[citation needed]}) It's assumed that this automatic selection of MMS mode is due to Nokia's Smart Connectivity)
• VoIP 2.1 support for WLAN and Cellular. However, the built-in VoIP client from N95 which allowed the end-user to make internet calls directly without installing any additional software has been removed from N96. The VoIP API which can be used by software developers in their applications, can still be used though. Of course third party VoIP applications are often neither so reliable, nor so flexible as the built-in one.
• The pencil button that allows you to mark/unmark items and highlight text is not included. But this action can still be done however, by pressing and holding down the # key'.
• N95/N95 8G has 2.8/5.6 Lens (N96 has 2.8/5.2)

[edit] Clones and Copies

The N96 has been widely copied.^[8] Although several types of copies seem to exist they all have a common thread. They all lack A-GPS, and have a sub-standard camera. Nokia.cn lists in the specifications for the N96 a 5 MP camera as well as A-GPS.^[9] Nokia's Asian site lists these same specifications and includes WiFi as well.^[10] The copies and clones that lack those features that claim to be "China Version" are just that - clones and copies - not original and not Nokia. Beginning in late December, 2008 and continuing some offered the unauthorised replicas as being "Made in Malaysia" as the cause for the devices not have wifi and GPS capability. For examples search eBay using "Nokia N96 -5mp -16gb"^[11] and several dozen of these poor camera, GPS-less clones will come to your notice. Beginning about 26 December 2007 the number clone and copy Nokia N96 devices advertised as being Nokia N96 devices dropped rather suddenly. Less than a half dozen of these were available on 28 December 2008.^[12] The number of items returned by this search was 35 but it was obvious from variations in listing such as "16 GB" rather than "16GB" and similar variations that many were genuine.