Nokia N96 or Apple 3G iPhone - Whats your pick?

The much awaited Apple 3G iPhone made a ringing debut at midnight in Delhi on the night of August 21. The launch comes just a couple of days after the launch of Nokia's killer high-end N96. The Nokia N96 was launched on August 19 in Delhi.

THE IPHONE was launched in six cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkatta, Chennai and Hyderabad, on the midnight on August 21 and will be available in 65 more cities from August 22 onwards.

It is believed that Nokia N96 is the clear winner against the iPhone as it incorporates added features which are missing from the iPhone. But at the same time, the N96 is a bit on the costlier side than the iPhone. Time will tell who would emerge as the winner in the long term.

The Apple 3G iPhone is priced at Rs 31,000 for 8GB and the 16GB version is available for Rs 36,000. Whereas, the Nokia N96 is available for Rs 36,000.

The N96 is a handy gadget which comes with with an integrated A-GPS that links both the satellites and local networks for navigation. The Nokia Maps 2.0 application has three country maps (India, Singapore and UAE) along with upgrade options such as City guides, turn by turn pedestrian mode and voice guided navigation for cars.

The N96 has a mobile TV and video calls feature using the front side VGA cam. The N96 comes with a 5 mega pixel camera and the iPhone sports a 2 mega pixel camera.

In the iPhone, the bluetooth can only be used for hands-free calling. Unlike the iPhone, the Nokia N96 allows data transfer also.

The iPhone does not have the FM radio and SMS forwarding is not allowed. The battery, which is sealed within the handset, can be put off.

The iPhone does offer the popular Google maps but the drawback is that it does not offer voice directions in India. Whereas the Nokia N96 has the Nokia Maps 2.0 with voice directions.

The N96 has more storage capacity than the iPhone, which can be a minus point for iPhone for music buffs.

The Nokia N96 has a standard Nokia HTML browser in comparison to the Safari browser, which is considered to be the most advanced web browser ever on any portable device.

The three axis accelerometer feature, which comes handy while gaming, senses motion much better than the Nokia’s N96 basic motion sensor. The player can steer the frame using the phone itself instead of a joystick.

The Nokia N96 lacks the encrypted pushmail with Microsoft Exchange that the iPhone possesses, which would make it a hit with executives on the go.

Looks wise, the iPhone wins the race with its stunningly sleek look.

Both the Apple’s 3G iPhone and the Nokia N96 would be in everyones wishlist. What’s your take? iPhone or the N96?

Source: merinews.com