Nokia N96 - Best Out-Of-Box Multimedia Experience EVER
Monday I received the Nokia N96 from the Nokia Blogger Relations program. Though not expecting much, given that I’m personally already sold on the N85 as the superior phone, I do have to give the N96 some credit in a few areas. In my position here and at MobileBurn.com, I review a lot of phones, but the N96 is hands-down the best multimedia machine that I’ve come across (and yes, I’ve used the ‘other’ one), in terms of out-of-box experience.
Why is the N96’s out of box experience so great? That’s simple - it has *everything* you need, ready to rock and roll, right out of the box. Accessories, Music, Gaming, Videos, Navigation and Internet are all locked and loaded. Let’s take a look at how Nokia has really put some effort into the out-of-box experience.
First off, the Nokia N96 comes with the standard set of accessories - TV-Out cable, wired headphones with inline remote, and a wall-charger. What’s nice to see is the addition of a car charger in the box, as well. It looks like this is going to be standard for Nokia, as the N85 unboxing over at Plemix.com shows the same thing. That’s awesome, and it’s really nice to see Nokia being a bit more liberal with the in-box accessories.
So, first up, music. I honestly can’t remember ever powering a phone on and finding music tracks already loaded up, ready to go. Granted, there are only 8 tracks on the N96 out of the box, but they’re decent songs, and have album art loaded, as well. I’ve never heard of the artists, and the tracks are each a little bit different, offering a different range to show off the stereo speakers. What an excellent way to introduce the N96 as a music phone, and I’ve not done anything other than power the phone on.
Next up is gaming. The Nokia N96 is Ngage-compatible, and comes with the full Ngage application preinstalled. What’s better is that it also comes with a free license code for Tetris in the box. While Tetris isn’t really the hottest Ngage game, it’s really nice to see Nokia offering me a free, no-commitment way to really get into and experience Ngage. Even better, there are trials of 5 other games already loaded onto the phone - no data connection needed. Again, brilliant. Small strike, though, for these not being preinstalled, so that I had to manually install them through the Ngage application, but still nicely done, anyways. Perhaps in the future, the license would allow me to pick one of the preinstalled games?
Off to GPS. The Nokia N96 has a built-in GPS receiver, and is preloaded with Nokia Maps v2.0, the latest version. Again, Nokia has smartly included a 3-months free license with the phone, so that by simply powering the phone on and starting up Maps, I can easily get the full effect of the application for a few months, without having to spend a dime. I realize some will complain that it’s only a 3-month license and not a full year, but I think that’s negligible, really. It’s just nice to see that Nokia has made it as simple as possible to explore the world as soon as I turn the phone on.
Let’s not forget video content. The Nokia N96 is, thus far, the only S60-powered device to offer my favorite feature - the built-in kickstand. Brilliantly hidden around the camera lens, the kickstand is extremely convenient, and begs you to watch a few videos. Not to worry, the Nokia N96 is pre-loaded with 18 different video clips, including a couple marketing types, but also some random videos, such as a fun surfing one, in the Video Center. There’s a sticker on my N96’s box that says it has Transformers hidden somewhere, but I was unable to find it. Even so, there’s no shortage of great video content available as soon as you power the phone on - no data or external connection needed.
The N96 is also an internet machine. Unfortunately, while there are a *few* links already programmed into the phone, this is still something that’s lacking slightly. There are a handful of hard-coded folders in the Bookmarks section, and these actually have links in them, whereas on previous devices they were empty and useless. I’d like to see a few more useful links pre-programmed, such as the Symbian-Guru homepage. (half-kidding).
With these software items, the N96 is fully stocked to power a party right out of the box. What’s better is the stereo speakers - they’re quite a few steps louder than my N95-3, and I noticed right off that the sound is better, too. The standard 3.5mm audio port means you can hook the N96 into nearly any stereo with an audio-in port, and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP allows quick pairing with stereo Bluetooth headsets. 2 sets of dedicated media playback keys, and well, I’m impressed overall.
Admittedly, it’s not been used off the charger yet, so we’ll see how well this puny 950mAh battery holds up in real life. Here’s the unboxing video below:
Great to see someone give the N96 a fair chance and, apparently, with an open mind, a person can see it for what it still is: one hell of a package. Once prices come down a bit, I think it is a legitimate alternative to the N85 if one wants the mass storage and a bigger screen.
Given your earlier posts hinting that you felt the N96 was a phone already superceeded, I am pleasantly surprised by a ‘glowing reference’ for the N96.
As you point out, there is a lot packed into the N96, which some of it’s detractors fail to appreciate; hopefully more will see these good points.
Great info Ricky, i am so torn between the 2 because i do love the larger screen and bigger memory built in, and to me i have held both in my hand personally at the s60 event and the n96 looks like the flagship device, just a nicer look in my opinion. I really want you to touch on 4 major points for me, audio quality thru headset and a2dp compared to the n95’s and iphone if possible, battery life for sure,video playback is it even better than the n95’s and of course camera quality. Thanks
I have honestly been pleasantly surprised by the N96. While this particular handset will never be my primary (no US 3G), I’m indeed beginning to think it might actually be a rather strong contender.
@THETRUTH - All three of us, through various sources, have an N96 now to review, and we’ll make sure that we cover all of those points, aside from the direct comparison to the iPhone (since none of us have an iPhone).
Thanks Ricky, i was assuming that you tested an iphone before hence asking the comparison to the iphone.I dont have one either but everyone seems to make it the end all be all music player hahahaha.
@TheTruth - I have tested one, I spent ~2 months with one at the beginning of this year….which was quite some time ago. I still much prefer my Nseries for the complete music experience.
I couldnt agree more, im a big a2dp guy like wireless and i find the media keys very useful when driving and using my gps.
Good job Mr. Cadden! High praise and that’s even without experiencing the mighty iPlayer that comes pre-installed in the UK.
Any chance you could post 30 seconds worth of (N96 captured) video in its raw format?
Nike Dry Fit shorts? I have the same pair
Oct 15th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
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