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< Esato Forum Index > General discussions > Other manufacturers > Nokia N96 First Impressions - Everything I love and hate. Bookmark topic

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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Posted: 2008-09-19 12:53:15
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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.
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Posted: 2008-09-19 13:06:30
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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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Posted: 2008-09-19 13:27:38
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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.
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Posted: 2008-09-19 17:24:56
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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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Posted: 2008-09-19 17:27:02
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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.
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Posted: 2008-09-19 17:48:18
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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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Posted: 2008-09-19 17:51:41
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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.
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Posted: 2008-09-19 18:20:00
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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
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Posted: 2008-09-19 18:48:03
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I thought the N85 was the Flagship???
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Posted: 2008-09-19 20:29:54
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