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Nokia N96 First Impressions - Everything I love and hate. |
amnesia
Joined: Jan 15, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Doha, London, Tokyo, Shanghai
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So I've been using the N96 for around 5 days now (bought it in Doha, Qatar)
I have to admit it's really a love hate thing.
I'm not going to be reviewing it in full here but I'll release a review in the review section later on.
Hate:
- Cheap plastic
- Micro USB instead of standard mini USB (mini is easy to find anywhere)
- Two speakers on the right (although I know they want it in landscape, could they have just put in three for any orientation?
- Removal of softgrip backing
- Camera has no lense cover and is not recessed. In fact! It's actually so flat that I'm going to have trouble keeping it from getting scratched
- [s]They put NOKIA NSERIES on the plastic on the screen FORCING you to remove it [/s]
- Finger print magnet
- The 1,2,3 buttons are a bit too high
- Keypad has no special surface to feel different place.
- Backlight on keypad looks dirty (offwhite)
- Makes a bit too much clicky sound when pushing (annoying in meetings)
- They've reduced the font size on most screens (to make the screen look bigger)
- No case or soft cloth for such an expensive phone
- No backlight on side buttons (camera, volume) wtf?!
- New layout of main buttons more figiting
- Volume button on the other side now which is against the norm
- Totally new way navigating through menu which seems more difficult.
- Slide is TOO hard. You ahve to put your thumb on the screen.
- The 'menu' button is in the wrong place. You have to slide up if you want to push it with ease.
- Those stop play buttons (make it too overly complicated)
LOVE:
- Fast UI (but then again all fresh phones feel fast)
- Included video ringtones (hate that it takes 3 seconds for the ringtone to start AFTER someone's called you)
- Sharper camera (but colours didn't seem as rich as the N95 8GB
- Deeper colour screen
- New player buttons
- Breathing d-pad (glows)
- kickstand (see? It's the simple things)
- Double flash
- Steel speakers
- Updated UI (shows time on all menus, seems more thought out, more on the screen, includes series 40 features that series 60 didn't have)
- Screen protector installed. (Nokia logo printed on with silver scratch paint which you can just rub off, I thought that was smart)
Missing from what they told us
- No scrolling navi wheel.... wtf? Is there a setting I'm not seeing?
- Didn't they say the media buttons would only light up when needed? They're always on...
Major wishes:
- Touch scroll
- Rubber back
- Lense cover
- Higher quality materials
- Case
Note: I've gone from the N95, to N95 8GB, to N96 so I know the comparisons 
With the N95 to N95 8GB I was disappointed that they didn't provide more colours, removed the lense shutter, and gave it a less of a soft rubberry feel. However the large screen and double ram compensated. I don't know if the N96 has enough to compensate the loss from the previous gen.
My wishlist for next firmware update:
-Fix the low volume for mp3 ringtones and message tones
-Fix the issue that prohibits applications from working
-Make the N96 faster! It takes ages to open anything and that includes the 'ringtone selection menu!'
-Bring back the larger digital clock in landscape mode
-Bring back the track pad
-Option to have media buttons ON only when media is being played back
Slide show set 1
http://www.widgx.org/public/slideshow/586
http://www.widgx.org/public/viewset/586
Slide show set 2
http://www.widgx.org/public/slideshow/587
http://www.widgx.org/public/viewset/587
Slide show set 3
http://www.widgx.org/public/slideshow/588
http://www.widgx.org/public/viewset/588
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[ This Message was edited by: amnesia on 2008-09-24 18:10 ]
[ This Message was edited by: amnesia on 2008-09-24 18:11 ]
[ This Message was edited by: amnesia on 2008-09-24 18:29 ] |
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Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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I was afraid of one thing that you confirmed which is important for me: the build quality. Always thought it looked plasticky.
It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
amnesia
Joined: Jan 15, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Doha, London, Tokyo, Shanghai
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Don't get me wrong, it has a nice weight.
I kind of still prefer my N95 8GB because it feels like a ruggid phone.
I feel like I need to be carefull with my N96
Anyway, guess what! There is NO naviwheel.
Even though it's IN the manual, AND there is a naviwheel meny on the phone, Nokia have removed it!
WTF! That was one of the main reasons for me to get it! This is so unjust!
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Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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Well, I guess all manufacturers will lie about one thing or the other at some point. Sorry about the missing naviwheel.
It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
goldenface
Joined: Dec 17, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Liverpool City Centre
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I don't mind phones that are fingerprint magnets. They don't look too good when they're not kept clean but they tend to look great when they are.
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djin
Joined: Jun 13, 2007
Posts: > 500
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Amnesia,
The navi wheel is the white squared thing(d-pad). Its like the ipods thing. YOu touch it n move it. If the navi wheel thing is on from the settings, then it should work. |
shanespencer
Joined: Aug 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: The China
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I remember reading somewhere that Nokia had pulled the naviwheel function at the last moment. It might re-appear in a later firmware. I think I read that on AAS, I'm not sure.
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Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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CONGRATS ON YOUR N96!! 
About Menu button: ive got a N81, and the N96 is built EXACTLY the same as N81 just that N96 is bigger. When moving from my N80 to N81 i also found the Menu button to be awkwardly placed but you just have to learn how to hold the phone, you'll get used to it eventually.
The Media buttons try going to Menu > Tools > Settings > General > and scroll down to Media Keys.
NOKIA removed the navi-wheel? 1st time i hear of this :?: sounds like what they did with the N82.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Burgaz
Joined: Mar 25, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Cwmbranistan, S. Wales
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I find the naviwheel on my N78 a bit fiddly. I've turned it off for now as i kept finding my self jumping to the wrong option when i click the centre of it. I'll probably try using it again soon... May just get used to it in time. But it does seem odd that nokia removed it from their flagship device!?
Burgaz
I  Fantasy Worlds and Disney Girls. Currently using: iPhone |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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I thought the N85 was the Flagship???
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
QVGA
Joined: May 23, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Pakistan
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On 2008-09-19 20:29:54, GUCCI.011 wrote:
I thought the N85 was the Flagship???
says who? |
fatreg
Joined: Jul 26, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Is this the same NaviWheel they put in the 7110 back in 1999!?
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hiddensphinx
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 27
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Is the GPS receiver more sensitive then N95? |
apolloa
Joined: Jul 27, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Dorset, UK
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I have to say a lot of Nokia reviews on it's new models have commented on build quality, but I'm surprised it's the same on the N96 and I would not accept it. My G900 battery cover doesn't quite marry to the phone at the top edge but it's only a tiny gap and I don't care as it's a low end smarty. But the N96 costs almost double and should be built like it. |
QVGA
Joined: May 23, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Pakistan
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On 2008-09-19 21:31:29, fatreg wrote:
Is this the same NaviWheel they put in the 7110 back in 1999!?
no that was the navi roller. this one is like the one on the ipod |
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Posted: 2008-09-19 12:53
Fantasy Worlds and Disney Girls.
