Posted by dgable
Hi I wonder if anyone can help me. Im due my upgrade on on the 12/12/08 and am looking at both these handsets to replace my N95 8GB.
Has anybody experienced either of these handsets?
Both seem to have plus points and negatives which are
The n96 has 16gb (Im upgrading at the carphone warehouse and they only offer 8gb INNOV8 not the 16gb version)
N96 has Iplayer I know this is technically capable of playing on any s60 handset but i've yet to get it working properly on my n95 8gb and it will just work on the n96 out of the box!
Originally the n96 was mooted to have an FM transmitter but ive read it been removed is this true? does anyone know if its still in or not? as this would tip the scales for me in favour of the nokia as sending my tunes to my car stereo hassle free would be nice.
The Nokia has an led light for video recording does the samsungs Led work for video as my n95 doesnt.
Nokia has good firmware support if your phone is acting up you can easily upgrade thru NSU i've read samsung doesnt offer this yet (tho you can risk it yourself unofficially).
THe kickstand is cool for watching videos on the n96 its not essential but rather have one than not.
The samsung has 8 mega pixels I no there are arguments about how many pixels are necessary but when im signing for an 18 month contract i like to be on top of the tech pile for as long as possible and I know Nokia have an 8mpx smart phone planned so will the n96 be out dated too soon.
The optical mouse on the samsung sounds good for web browsing is it? ive read the navi wheel was also disabled on the n96.
The samsung is to me slightly prettier neither are great lookers (i prefer tech over style) and im not a big fan of the n96 family look altho the samsung is frickin huge!!! when its slider is opened!!!
Ive read that the samsung has sync issues with video this could be crucial as I use video a lot and dont want the sound ou tof sync has anyone experienced this?
Can anyone confirm how solid the slide is on the samsung my friend has an n96 and i got a few mins with his which was voda branded and the slide had that annoying loose feeling that my n95 has when you tap the face. (looser on the right side than the left when you tap near the end key)
Battery ive read complaints that the samsungs battery sucks and I cant envisage the n96 being much better with the old BL 5C again has anyone experienced either? I know there are a few reviews on here but id like to know now given that users will have had a few months to experience both these handsets after firmware updates etc.
I'd like to say i would consider the n85 as its smaller got a better screen and has the FM transmitter. (I could just about live with the lack of extra internal memory for the advantages this handset offers) but its not available at the carphone warehouse or on orange as yet and I dont want to wait as Im allowed to upgrade at 15 months and dont wanna give my network anymore time than I have to lol
Anyway any comments or opinions would be helpful so thanks in advance.
Posted by dgable
Come on guys surely someone on a phone forum has experienced either of these handsets????
Ive just checked my N95 8GB and i've only 800mb free space left so im gonna have to choose one soon!!!
Posted by prudent
Hi mate.
I have both the N96 and Innov8 and while the N96 gathers dust, the Innov8 has been used extensively since I got it.
Posted by dgable
Hi there thanks for the reply!
Can I ask you does the samsung have a video light when recording films and does it it have a dual led fro the camera?
Im leaning toward the samsung even tho I fear the firmware update situation.
Can I also ask if you have faced any sync problems with the video recording.
Thanks again for the reply mate
Posted by prudent
I havent recorded any video yet. The camera has only leds and no xenon blitz but that hasnt bothered me.
When it comes to firmwareupdates that is not necessary. I have had mine for like since the release and the firmware is rock solid. No need to update it.
Posted by dgable
Hi cheers for the reply again.
Went into the CPW today and had a play with both the n96 and the innov8 and have to say the innov8 felt better in the hand. (a slippy bugga tho i nearly dropped it twice in the store lol) and the slider was rock solid when both open and closed.
The n96 has menu transitions switched off out of the box while the innov8s or switched on.
I was suprised it didnt feel heavy at all considering its quoted weight.
Even the girl who worked there who was initially pushing the n96 changed her mind after looking more closely at the innov8 the dummy fones out on display dont do it justice.
I recorded a few seconds video on it and the lip sync was ok whether it goes out if recording over a longer period remains to be seen.
I checked the firmware on the handset and it was HH7 from some date in Aug 08.
Im no expert at all but Camera was awesome for wot i will use it for which is mainly a few pics on facebook.
I've seen the n85 is available at phones4u but I think ill go for the innov8 now. It seems to be future proof for the nxt 6months or so whereas I feel the nokias might take a value bashing when nokia announce their 8mpx s60 handest.
Oh on a side note I also manged to have another play with my mates n96 as well and when nxt to my n95 8gb the slider of the n96 didnt seem slack at all.
Posted by djin
If i have to say, get innov8, i had n96, and yeah u can use led whle video recording, but the phone is not worth it. IT cannot handle 16 gb, itself well. I had to delete over 8gb of stuff to keep it in good shape. Plus, it still freezes when browsing and frequently laags. Yeah but its not that bad too, i am used to it now. ITs good for applications but not for gaming.
Posted by dgable
Cheers for the reply djin
I was worried if the n96's processor was capable for gaming etc and you say it cant handles its own 16gig memory correctly. This would have been the one of the main reasons for going for the nokia apart from the ease of firmware updates but if the n96 struggles with its own ram then im better off with the 8gig innov8 then.
I do like the extra music buttons of the n96 the the innov8 is lacking on buttons for ease of use if im peddling on my bike or at the gym for instance.
Ive just got to wait for 12/12/08 before i upgrade and unless the e75 is announced confirmed and released before then then its the innov8 all the way!
Posted by gtr83
INNOV8 review by GSMArena:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8510_innov8-review-302.php
Posted by dgable
Cheers for the link to the review dude
I was waiting for GSM arena to do a proper review. Only a couple of days to go to my upgrade!!!
Posted by dgable
got my innov8 today am postin this msg on it actually 2 things i like first i was worried about transferrin my contacts from my n95 as the innov8 doesnt have the switch transfer software installed so i resigned myself to sending them all by bluetooth and adding the contacts 1by1 but when the samsung recieved them it just asked did i want to save all and empty the inbox? Yes please! I dont no if this is specific to the innov8 or a feature pack 2 addition but it was handy
and second thing i like is the optical mouse if only my e71 had this it wud be the ultimate web handset with its qwerty keypad so so far so good!
Posted by djin
congrats! sometimes i wish if i cud get innov8 instead of .........
Posted by dgable
Thanks Im sure your n96 will become more usable as future firmwares come out tho
Ive just rung orange to check i havent lost my magic numbers and they have no record of my upgrade??? I might leave it a month or so and see if I can upgrade again! hehe!
Ive not looked at the pix on the computer yet but I cant really tell the difference between the 5mpx n95 and the 8mpx innov8 perhaps ill take a couple back to back first and see.
Posted by gtr83
Yeah but the review was a bit on the short side. How's sunlight legibility on yours? From what I gathered it should be less legible than C905's screen, is this true?
Posted by dgable
At the moment were stuck in the middle of a typical British winter so no Sun to test it with. It was mildly sunny the other day and it was fine but no a real test of the screens sunlight legibilty.
Having had a tytyn2 which was dreadful in the sun. Ill fit a vikuiti screen protectector (I thinks thats how you spell it) As this transformed the tytn and made it fine for the few days of summer we get over here lol.
I have noticed that playback of some videos that I recorded on the n95 seem to get a sharp line thru them when playing back on the innov8 for what eva reason but im not running the latest firmware so wil lok at upgrading to that over xmas when I get sometime when Ive down loaded the relevant files needed.
Posted by djin
i guess thats the problem with the os9.3, because i too get that sometimes...not sure tho...
Posted by dgable
Yeah I guess time will tell. Theres always problems when they roll out a new os I remember the n91 was barely usable lol.
Ive still not done much with it yet I need to get some sat nav software going on it etc see how the phone operates in the real world.
Just found my first annoying thing (well it cant all be positive can it lol)
samsung appear to have left out the option to add videos as ringtones. I remember the n95 8gb was able to do this after one of the firmware updates it had. I doubt FP2 has this option disabled can anyone confirm if the n96 allows this as my mate has sold his so cant check.
It just feels like a little step backwards and i get the feeling it could have been left out because the samsungs video defaults to landscape when played so does suit a videotone portrait layout.
Another thing is ive yet to get the DLNA thing to connect to my wifi. Its certainly not as straight forward as nokia's wifi wizard!.
Ive also turned the brightness down on the screen to minimum as the battery appears to drop at an alarming rate with hardly any usage of the phone. It definately cant stand up to the n95 8gb in this area.
I just hope it can handle being used for video as this used to drain the n95's battery quite quickly.
[ This Message was edited by: dgable on 2008-12-14 23:21 ]
Posted by jkumar
I have had the fastest changed handphone of my life which is the Innov8 8GB.
The phone is fantastic and all, BUT!!
It can never handle contacts in excess of 1,000. Confirmed by the technicians when my phone hung several times. They upgraded the firmware everytime I synced and it hung. They then changed another new unit for me and it was the same story. This goes for the 16GB as well, same problem. Now they are going to give me a full refund.
So those of you who have in excess of those number of contacts, LAY OFF!
Othewise, a fantastic phone very solid and much better feel than the N96.
Posted by dgable
Well I never new that
I dropped mmine recently ands scratched the screen maybe i cud fill the contacts and get an exchange hehe!!!
Yes the phone is very solid but there are a few niggles which are starting to annoy me and make me think maybe I shudda gone for the n96
1. The lack of music controls on the phone or on the headset. (I plugged the remote headset of my old n95 in which works for audio but not the controls sadly) I ride a bike a lot and its a risky buisness pulling the phone out on the move to change tracks.
2. Audio volume is useless compared to the n95 8gb i had thru headphones and speakers its just not loud enough. The omnia has a secret menu to turn everything up shame the innov8 doesnt have one. This is something I just took for granted would be the same as my trusty N95 and the fact that its not feel like a step backwards.
3.The video quality just isnt as good as the n95 8gb. Its just not quite as sharp or smooth. Having recorded something stood in the same spot the n95's video looks closer is this because it has a lower pixel count. The innov8 just looks like your stood further away. This maybe fixable in a firmware update but where is it.
4. Which brings me neatly to firmware updates. Its had one so far which admittedly fixed the battery but what about all the other bugs? and alto the battery life is better the innov8 isnt my main phone and I fear if it was it couldnt handle a dayas worth of normal useage its just before the update it didnt even last a day with minor useage.
5. As its doesnt really appear to have hit the mainstream and doesnt appear to be available from many if any operators in the uk unless you go thru the CPW. Its not been possible for me to order a replacement front as Ive scratched my screen from anywhere not ebay or mobilefun.
I just think in hindsight for everyday use the n96 with the music buttons and remote on the headset would have suited my everyday needs even tho the n96 does feel cheaper built and doesnt have as high a pixel count.
Im waiting for a screen protector to come for my innov8 to hopefully hide the scratch and I may trade it for a N96 or an N85.
Posted by NokiaN96
Hello,
here a comparison between the Innov8 and the N96. It should help you:
http://symbianworld.org/1247-[....]-n96-vs-samsungs-i8510-innov8/
Posted by Knight UK
Hated every samsung i've ever owned, that UI is just too ugly.
Surley just wait for the N86?
Posted by GUCCI.011
After using my K850 for over a week while my N81 had gone in for the flex ribbon in the slider that was loose i also realised how much i take the Music keys on both my N81 and its headset for granted,extremely happy to have it back,also got to play with a friends N96, it realy does feel cheaply built and not as solid as my N81 BUT still a very good device, the camera button could have been better, so could have the keys,theres quite a bit of light leakage around the music,dpad and soft keys, software wise the N96 is realy good,not as fast as my N81 or N79, but its still not too bad, its realy lite as well, so comfortable to hold and the screen is excellent, as far as i know the N96 can outlast the N95-8gb at playing Movies, Music etc. . . .battery life wise, but the N85 maybe the safer option, but i think N96 would be best if you listen to a lot of Music and watch a lot of Movies.