Can Nokia make a dent in the iPhone with its $895 Nokia N96 smartphone? Hmm. Image: Nokia.
A long time in the offing, mobile phone titan Nokia Corp. has finally assigned a somewhat vague release window to its eagerly anticipated N96 smartphone. Initially unveiled earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, expectant N96 fans can look forward to pawing the N95’s enhanced successor some time in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Built specifically for the high-speed capabilities of the 3G HSDPA network, the N96 will launch across the Americas before the close of the year, with Nokia looking for its latest top-tier multimedia smartphone to put a sizeable dent in the surging popularity of Apple’s iconic touch-screen iPhone.
Those market hopes are pinned on the resulting impact of core attributes such as a large 2.8-inch display screen, a hefty 16GBs of internal memory, compatibility with a wide range of video formats, and support for various online video download services (including Windows Media).
“With support for movies, music, games, navigation and more right out of the box, the real power of the Nokia N96 is that it provides an open application environment for users to define their own mobile lifestyle.” trumpeted Bill Plummer, VP of Go-to-Market for Nokia Americas.
Other features and functions crammed into the N96 include expandable storage via a memory card slot, a built-in ‘kick stand’ for hands free and optimal viewing, a 5.0 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, integrated Wi-Fi support and A-GPS navigation.
Support for Nokia’s range of Ovi services provides yet more versatility, which is offered via community and personal content spread through Share on Ovi, while navigation is bolstered by Nokia Maps 2.0 (including a three-month license), and cutting-edge entertainment is delivered through the revamped online N-Gage gaming portal (including various playable demos and a purchase voucher for the full retail version of racing title Asphalt 3: Street Rules).
While an official release date is yet to be confirmed by Espoo-based Nokia, the N96’s price is already know.
And, at a pocket-destroying $895 USD, it will likely test all-but the most dedicated smartphone fans. It also remains to be seen whether the N96 is capable of mustering enough appeal to damage the 3G iPhone, which is currently available via subsidy for less than a quarter of that price.
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