Aside from being the first smartphone to feature the now ubiquitous trio of HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS, the N95 was known for its pocket-straining chunkiness. While phones in other segments continued shrinking in size, the N95 came out large and proud of it, thick like a cheap bar of soap. The N96 appears slimmer, and indeed is slimmer, but only marginally so. Where the N95 measured in at 21mm in thickness, the N96 now slides into your pocket more comfortably at 18mm — hardly the biggest loser in the realms of tech slimming.
The N96 does feature more streamlined design, even over the improved N95 8GB. The edges are smooth and the corners rounded, and external keys and control protrude only slightly. The centrepiece is a 2.8-inch QVGA resolution screen with a 16 million colour display and even though this screen shares similar specifications to that on the N95, the N96's newer display seems to present colours much better with darker blacks and brighter colours.
Like its predecessor, the N96 features a dual-slide design. A forward slide reveals a T9 numeric keypad, a backward slide uncovers a small selection of music player control keys, plus rotates the screen orientation to widescreen mode. The numeric keypad on this year's model is a step back in our opinion. The N95 8GB featured keys raised to a slight peak which defined each key from its neighbour. The N96's keypad is entirely flat and without significant definition at all.
The highlight of the new design, and it seems strange to say it, is a kickstand located around the lens of the 5-megapixel camera on the back of the handset. It takes a sharp fingernail to flip the stand out, but once in place, the stand turns your new mobile phone into a mini TV set, allowing it to stand without assistance on a desk while you watch videos on your phone. In addition, the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the handset is perfectly positioned for a media-focused mobile.
0 comments:
Post a Comment