Nokia N97 vs N96
Yesterday, I read an interesting article at Mobile88 where they compare the N97 vs the N96 which is the previous flagship from Nokia. It’s a pretty interesting read, especially when looking at the upgrades that the N97 comes with when compared to the N96.
In terms of hardware, as I’ve mentioned before, the N97 is the first N-series to feature a touchscreen as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, opposed to the N96 which is a double-slider with a numeric keypad and the dedicated music/gaming buttons. The N97 has a 3.5 inch screen with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, while the N96 has a 2.8 inch screen rated at 240 x 320 pixels; they both are 16 million colour TFT screens.
Both devices are quad-band, support Bluetooth, WLAN, 3G and EDGE. However, the N97 works in WCDMA while the N96 works with UMTS. Both have A-GPS chips with Nokia Maps included.
One of the main differences can be see with the internal memory, the N96 has 16GB while the N97 has 32GB and can hold a MicroSD up to 16GB meaning up to 48GB of storage memory!
Nowadays, the battery life is considered an important characteristic of a mobile device, the N96 holds a 950mAh battery, and the N97 a 1500mAh battery (such as the one inside the E71 and E90), however, this is due to the fact that the larger screen needs more energy to work. So, we’ll test the N97 battery in the near future.
Finally, the price and availability.
N96= US$619.99 (already available)
N97= US$700-800 (as soon as Feb. 11th, 2009, or up to June 2009)
I’m really looking forward to a hands-on comparison between this devices. I’ll let you know when I get them for review. By the way, if you would like to see a comparison table from Mobile88, click here.
6 Comments on “Nokia N97 vs N96”
Hope you had a nice New Years and holiday. I’m fishing the net for rumored unannounced phones from Nokia and for more reviews on the N97. Can’t wait til we get feedback on the production models. I too emailed Negri Electronics a few weeks back and they responded with a vague answer. I am waiting anyway for the black/brown US model. I have owned two dumb phones and am looking forward to my first true “powerful & fully loaded” smartphone.
I´m ready to change my phone!
Hello Shelley,
Happy 2009 and my best wishes to you, your family and friends! Have you seen the leaked pictures of the E75? I’m a E71 owner and I love it, I’l post more N97 reviews later.
The Negri Electronics answer was really vague, so time is all we have right now. You have to remember that NAM (North America) versions of cell phones take some extra time to be presented due to the FCC approval and the several settings that have to be applied to each device.
But, when the time comes, we can all be N97 owners and see what it really is capable of.
Hello Ximena,
Thanks for visiting the Nokia N97 blog! Happy New Year! The N97 is the most awaited Nokia device to date. It promises to be a great handset with great features, as well as the definitive iPhone killer!
Stay on for more news on the N97!
Alex
The answer from Negri Electronics was vague because they the scam people. I was scammed by them with an offer for free shipping and was forced to file a credit card chargeback so I could get my money back. I was insulted and belittled by Ryan Negri the owner. Further research revealed a laundry list full of public complaints, including the Better Business Bureau.
Negri presents itself as a multi-warehouse operation when in fact he operates out of his apartment in Costa Mesa California.
Buyer BEWARE!
Hey people Please help me out…….
I Love N97 bcoz its new phone and its key board.
I Love N96 bcoz it have mobile TV.
So tell me which one should I buy. All features are similar in both like 3G, WiFi, A-GPS, Ngage, only thing not present in N97 is “Mobile TV”
so which one should I buy, can we install any software on N97 for LiveTv.???? Please Help