Nokia N96 in 2022 | Nostalgia & Features Rediscovered!

In this episode of Nostalgia, I cover the Nokia N96, the predecessor to one of the most iconic flagships from Nokia, the N95 and Nokia N95 8GB. This video covers the design, hardware, features, quirks, camera, symbian software experience, and issues of the N series flagship, the Nokia N96 relevant to back in 2008 when the phone came out.
00:00 - Introduction
00:54 - Quirks & Features
02:37 - Camera & Samples
03:10 - More Quirks
04:31 - Symbian Software
05:10 - Issues and Weaknesses
05:51 - Conclusions & Kitty
#NokiaN96 #Symbian #NokiaMobile
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[@shekharswarnakar5592]

I still have mine lying around inside my cupboard. It was a legend of it's time instead I must say it still is a legend. I mean really how many phones could we mention these days have such an amazing build quality, although it's made entirely up of plastic but it's solidly built like a tank, however N95 had a better build quality than this one for sure I totally agree with you. And the camera performance maybe a little bit behind N95 but still was ahead of it's time. I really want to see Nokia become the pioneer in smartphone industry again like it once was.

[@AbdullaZaki]

Nokia used to be the masters of plastic. Even their N9 / Lumia line up had the amazing build quality :)

[@shekharswarnakar5592]

@@AbdullaZaki 100% strongly agreed.

[@bhatisourav]

@@AbdullaZaki where do you find these brand new old nokia phones?? I'd like to buy one.

[@shekar8999]

I want to buy this mobile now any idea for selling

[@gouravhaldar3012]

I would love to buy your phone if you want to?

[@CLSMAG]

This one was my real dream that I can't afford back then.

[@VietboyGamerUSA]

you're not the only one my friend it's still my dream phone but im not going to buy one as today

[@CLSMAG]

@@VietboyGamerUSA ❤❤❤

[@MrMayankAcharya]

Same here bro

[@susovanmajumdar3156]

Same bro

[@r4zr699]

Now we can afford it but cant find it xDdddd

[@mgkole]

I have the impression that these old Nokia phones had much bigger "wow factor" when they were introduced to the market than the phones nowadays.

[@AbdullaZaki]

Of course! Back then every phone would try and introduce a new and cool feature.

[@Tvv1SteR]

Yep, I agree. Nowadays phones are more of the same.

[@Absynthe23]

oh definitely. And mostly because of the new quirky aesthetics and bodykit designs that each new model comes with.

[@fahrizalannas1841]

I have crush on Nokia N96 when i was teen. Back in those days, I really wanted to have one. But I don't have money to earn. Now I can buy any smartphone I want, but none of them make me obsessed with getting them like the Nokia N96 did.

[@milandimovski5279]

i still use mine to this day...12 years...16GB,5MP camera

[@ahmadsankar1260]

it was my best phone i've ever had from nokia at that time and loved it so much ,you brought back some good memories thank you

[@annaroshchupkina6366]

Great video as always!

[@AbdullaZaki]

Thank you :)

[@MrKoNtI1]

6 years of happiness with N96, loved the 3rd party apps basicly matching android phones till 2013 features, 16gb was humongous, internet radio...good times

[@kingkenny5364]

Thank you so much for this video i have been waiting for it, one of the reasons why am die hard NOKIA fan . NOKIA N96 the legend, my portable LIVE TV back then, i will never forget this guy

[@AbdullaZaki]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@kingkenny5364]

So glad

[@imranahmed8205]

Love u bro...🥰❤️ Form Bangladesh 🇧🇩

[@shueibdahir]

You forgot to mention it lacked a GPU which the N95 had. Same one as the iPhone 3G. Sadly nokia decided to never put it to use. There was a demo called system rush that used its full capability but the release version on n-gage was a software rendered version. I managed to put it to use by installing quake 3 on the phone and play using a bluetooth keyboard and a mouse at school.

[@tgoddard1988]

I loved this phone! I took it on holiday to South Africa and took some incredible pictures! Even used the gps a few times to get us in-lost. Lol. I even wowed a number of family members who couldn’t understand how the phone could know where we were and where to go. I got the N8 after this phone and really wish I had had that one for pics on holiday as I have pics from the N8 that out match what I can take on my current phone! This was also the first phone I ever had an episode of a tv show on! The tv thing didn’t work in the uk. But I did have to process the episode down to a much lower resolution so it would play, but I loved being able to watch an episode of Stargate Atlantis on my phone!

[@MartinLuetzelberger]

I had the Nokia N96 and the N97. The N96 had a disgusting problem that I never had with any other phone. Dust collected between the display and the glass. I had to take it apart sometimes and then to remove the dust. You can imagine that this completely destroys the fun on the phone. After that I had the N97. Unfortunately, that was a short pleasure, as green stripes flickered across the display after a short time. After a certain time, the display was no longer usable and the repair was too expensive. It's a shame, I thought the N97 was beautiful. In any case, my Nokia experience ended there. But for some reason I've always liked the Nokia brand and I hope the brand will grow strong again. I like your channel and immediately subscribed.

[@THESOCIALCADETS]

😌😌 Pure nostalgia feels so heavenly love Nokia from the core of my Heart still love the N96 only if the 9 pureview was worked out with the processing of the photo

[@AbdullaZaki]

If only :(

[@romeobayogjr.6652]

It's a good thing I preserved my N96. Except for the SD card cover ( which it's plastic attachment tend to break after the passage of time), mine works perfectly. I like its form factor, making it a great music player for me. Just to prove that Nokia phones are very durable.

[@Amdecreations.]

I used to have a N96, I got it because back then, I couldn't afford an N95. I used to work in a phone/cell store and knew of the downgrade in some aspects of the N96, still, I was happy to have a great multimedia phone, which I used mostly for music and gaming.

[@joeyboy6466]

Moooore..👏👏👏

[@thedarkknight1971]

You know, while I had my black N95 8Gb, I looked upon this as it was supposed to be = a replacement to the the N95, however, when I looked more into it, even having a quick play on it in the local mobile phone shop, I wasn't impressed, so.... I did what I did with my old Nokia egg shaped 6600, N80 (and other phones), just ordered a full case/cover replacement kit, and rebuilt my N95 8Gb so it looked new again, and, stayed happy with it... Another fine video there fella. 😊😎🇬🇧 Oh, PS - Still awaiting a response to my email to HMD/Nokia re some questions about physical QWERTY keyboard phones and other questions... Will let you know when I do and what the response is.. 🤔😏

[@AbdullaZaki]

Thank you! I think you definitely made the right choice back then. I have both side by side and the N95 8Gb is notably quicker even when browsing the menu. Nokia really messed up this one, although in a vacuum, it wasn't a terrible device.

[@Dr.AbyPJohnson]

Good old days😍😍😍

[@vboykov]

I could not afford this in high school, but I did get the 'baby' version - the N81. Things like wifi and downloadable applications were such a novelty. I remember running one of the first versions of Shazaam which blew my mind!

[@SanaUllah-zr7ls]

I was having a N95 once and it was so fun

[@alihejazi2060]

I had one back in 2008, everyone was hyping the iphone 3g... But when I looked at the specs, it was a no brainer for me... The cameras on the N96 were way, way ahead, the video capture was phenomenal and nothing comes close to it... While the iphone 3g couldn't even capture videos 😂 I still have one of my favorite moments captured on this device, and when I look back into it, I'm so amazed this quality came from a 2008 phone... Other than the camera, the phone ui was so fluid... Stereo speakers were so loud albeit not having best quality X-plore app was the best file manager put on a phone, and the software was a joy for nerdy people who love to tweak and every little bit of their phone... Durability of the slider was amazingly everlasting and nothing can break it For me it was the best phone till the N8 was released

[@AbdullaZaki]

The biggest problem for the N96 was the N95 :) it's a good phone on its own. The innov8 from Samsung was also a really nice phone running on symbian

[@alihejazi2060]

@@AbdullaZaki true, especially if we're talking about the n95 8gb version

[@keeper__88_]

Back in the day this was my dreamphone. I won't be mad to use it today in 2022 as my daily driver.

[@sanmukar]

I was in love with N Series back then.

[@mohammadnadeem5853]

Please do N92. There's hardly any comprehensive review of that device.

[@AbdullaZaki]

It's very hard to find but I will try

[@rajko2012]

Wifi bluetooth and maybe IR I remember that used some Nokia with IR blaster to switch on or raise volume in caffee^s places thank you for bring memories on Nokia empire

[@Aleksaa944]

N96 was my best Phone in 2008, i enjoyed surfing internet before emartphones, watchijg videos listening music. It was epic time. Now we are old 😢😮

[@Razor_6]

In 2009 year I paid $500 for N96. It was the best Nokia gen of that time. To this day I have my piece in good condition hidden somewhere in the box. Using was perfect every minute. It was dope phone! I have good memories^^

[@Elmantukas]

We all dreamed about this phone back in the day, how simple life was, such phones were the future, shame it didnt last long.

[@notircm]

That was my last Nokia phone I used....I bought it second hand......I really hope it wasn't the last one The best thing I remember it was the headphones with all controls in it and if I remember correctly you didn't need internet connection for nowadays BS voice control, for basic things it was always available

[@zach_athan]

You didn't mention the quality of video playback. To watch movies on this smartphone was just a pure pleasure - probably the best picture quality for that time. Also the audio quality was almost the same as in N91. If not a CPU downgrade it would be the best Nokia smartphone ever.

[@Nemo_neemz]

I'd still rock this phone today 😏

[@fadih6696]

Hey Abdullah, If you can put your hands on an iMate Jasjar or any other model for us and creat some content about those imaculat windows mobile phones from that golden era, it would be such a wonderful video to watch ! 😂👍🏼

[@AbdullaZaki]

iMate... Jasjar... brings back many memories :) I will try!

[@DeepteshLovesTECH]

Please cover the Samsung Innov8, even though you are a nokia channel. It was my dream phone, it cost a whopping 40000 INR in India, when it launched! My favorite Nokia phones are the 5800 XpressMusic, N95, E72, 2700C (S40). I also liked the Nokia C7.

[@AbdullaZaki]

I will try :)

[@rashidmalik4583]

Legends never die

[@elvinp.s5494]

Hey man, what about the N86 ?? , seems to be the best option. How does it does it do in terms of processing/graphics power ?(for java games and such) N86 or N95 8gb ??

[@quanchyplimp]

One of the biggest let downs (for me) was how difficult it was to develop for SymbianOS. It broke my brain. I had so many different devices from Nokia, they truly were innovative. My last device was a Nokia N900. I found it hard to use the qwerty keyboard and struggled to read what was on the screen, but that was a fully fledged Linux device in your pocket. The N9 was also quite exquisite and ahead of its time.

[@abcun17]

Great review! Will you do a nostalgia review of the Nokia 8110 aka the Nokia Matrix phone, the one Keanu Reeves used in the movie (if you already did ignore my comment). If I'm not mistaken Nokia re-released a new upgraded version of that phone...👍👍✌️ Nokia Mobile/HMD Global owe you a lot of gratitude because of how you review and promote their products! I'm glad they invited you to their official event. Long overdue!

[@AbdullaZaki]

Thanks! I'll try and find a functioning 8110 haha

[@DADA-ey2ir]

The absolute king of smart phone back in 08 09.😂

[@MiaMia-px5xo]

I still have a N95 8GB, N96, 6600 black version, 6310i Gold/silver lightening and last but not least the golden Nokia 6700. Love them all :) Collectors item.

[@jamesgu1755]

Cant wait until you cover that “disastrous” flagship which I guess to be The N97.

[@theKnight1996]

Where can i buy new one ?

[@Agumon5]

Yo, Mr. Nokia, I'm watching you on my brand new 8.3. I got it after watching your video. I'm impressed at how premium the device feels. Best part is I only paid $395 😁

[@AbdullaZaki]

Fine choice! 8.3 is a fantastic device. Even the HMD team I met up with recently were all still using it :)

[@marclordpieterson4459]

I paid 135 dollars for my nokia 8.3

[@champipoy]

Nokia made the cpu downgrade compared to the N95 because it was consuming too much power. The N95 was very powerful at it's time but people were complaining that the battery is bad! 💯✅😛

[@AbdullaZaki]

Yes but they fixed the problem with the N95 8GB which had a bigger battery... Then went back to the smaller battery on the N96 haha

[@abaalgahesaabaalgahesa9592]

good job brother. I want to know if n96 support whatsapp or not?

[@01detroit13]

Please make video about downloading Android apps in Lumia 930

[@chandisekharkonathala8040]

Is this available in online or any retail out let

[@edwardmusa2201]

the 16gb and expandable memory made me acquire one, despite the flak for it being an n95 downgrade i stiil love this model .

[@rafflesiaandfriends]

i quite liked the phone although my screen stopped working after a year of use, i think it must have been a wire that had come lose because you could still pug it into a tv and it worked fine

[@itskebiksons]

Aint no way those pictures were from that phone RAW. I had this phone, it was freaking awesome! Before that one I had a n-gage QD also a cool phone.

[@killer429]

Hello, where did you buy this?

[@missionphangcho276]

I will still buy if it is available ❤️

[@kid_stizz]

That's a really good looking phone.

[@urosgorjan9527]

Hello Sir. Do you have any information about upcoming flagship Nokia phones with Snapdragon 700 series chipset?

[@AbdullaZaki]

No news

[@gmailaaaa]

I think the best smartphone that Nokia had made thik date should be Lumia 1520, especially with Nokia apps like Nokia Trailer, HERE City Lens, etc.

[@AbdullaZaki]

I agree, its one of their best for sure

[@leonwilliams3221]

My first ever contract phone this was

[@alfred8376]

Hey where did you buy this brother?

[@mustafayasiranwar635]

It was launched with the first iphone and damn i crazily wanted to buy this phone to impress my crush.....things didnt go well back then....😅😅😅

[@KafilSag]

Where do u still find these phones.. i want them too..

[@ashrafshic4504]

How much is the price of the phone and is it available now or not

[@daviesmusonda9329]

Man where do you find these good Nokia phones,I want to buy one this time please

[@AbdullaZaki]

Ebay with a bit of luck!

[@bubu23101989]

I own N95 at that time, and i also see the first Iphone to a friend. To be honest, beside software was a obsolete device with terrible battery life

[@mohamedmostafa-qj5mx]

I don't remember this device at all I don't know if it was released in my country back then

[@yesanime21]

Where can i buy these phones? I never got to own them before. Also, loved your reviews.

[@AbdullaZaki]

Thanks! You can find them refurbished from Ebay but only go for them for fun, not as a main phone

[@Uncle_Reaper]

Good old days

[@jeremycush]

i still own a n96 in 2022 , very slow compared to my fold 2 , tv was great to have and the picture was good sadly the dutch kpn switched of its mobile tv service after just a year leaving a big hole in the phonel, and now unless you download old sis apps it cant do much , still nice to own.

[@deshortcut7867]

Imaging if Nokia reborn this phone again it will be great phone. I imaging the phone use android os but it have key too and slide model, may be I will say wow and have it one

[@darthvader5558]

So much nostalgia 😇 Love from India bro 🇮🇳

[@docyagamikiko]

Only OG Nokia fanboys can recognize a Nokia phone just by looking at its back. I remember doing that to everyone i see on the streets! 🤓👌

[@AbdullaZaki]

Back when we used to chat to random strangers because they had cool phones :)

[@dxndxn5105]

where did u get there phones?

[@powerstar1146]

16 gb internal storage in 2008??? Wow ... Even during the android era i used Samsung 8 gb internal storage till 2018..

[@AbdullaZaki]

Nokia was always pushing ahead with built in storage! The N9 had 64Gb back in 2011

[@champipoy]

The N95 was a flagship, N96 was targeted for the teenagers who focuses on music hence the 16 GB ROM of the N96 compared to 4GB on the N95. The successor to the N95 was the N82 which had Xenon flash and a superior 5MP camera. 💯✅😛

[@abhijitnair08]

Ahaha nice

[@43yrsago]

N82 have a shitty keypad, the screen brightness is dimmer than other nokia phones.

[@edwardmusa2201]

im getting one already ordered it , does it support WIFI and browsing via opera mini.. I was going for the n95 but the 16gig was a deal breaker lots you can do with this gadget hope it works well as asecondary media phone..

[@aditya.sharma]

From where did you order it?

[@foreveralone4015]

N97 for me was the turning point from symbian to android in galaxy s Even after i brought n8, for me symbian was already finished

[@ocegoartistadaroca8704]

Olá amigo boa noite me tire uma dúvida por favor o teclado do n96 é igual ao teclado do N95. E o slide dele é igual também é o slide do N95 que empurra para cima para mostrar o teclado. Antônio de Alagoinhas Brasil muito obrigado pela atenção

[@P4C800d]

Stereo speakers were a luxury 8-)

[@chimaobimadukwe4084]

I remember when someone tried to sale this phone to me in a shopping mall. I was tempted but I really was scared of slide screens. I don't like sliding parts on devices, it turns me off

[@ninadc158]

Please let me know from where I can buy this phone

[@kingarcadian]

just wow

[@ArmanAli-er6de]

Where can i get one?

[@gooeytv1184]

I have the N81 back in 2008 🤗

[@Me_Bangali]

What is the name of the starting music

[@Pirustae]

My dream phone. Too bad I didn't have money back then. I wanted it so bad. I was in high school still, and wanted it.

[@Robloxstudio_28666]

I have one but when I try connecting to a website everytime it says do you want to have a secure connection I said yes and it gave unable to secure this connection and doesnt load

[@gouravhaldar3012]

I would love to buy your phone if you want to sell?

[@ahmadzuhai4581]

I have this phone, now it's broken, and I still keep it

[@jugantakonwar5438]

How can i get one of these at present ..this phone was a dream ! Still coz can't get one now !

[@RahulSingh-kr1zr]

I used to own one of these, and for me one of the best things on these smartphones were the games, yes they weren't as high graphics as today's but I don't know they had something, I mean they weren't robbers like today's mobile games

[@fumochabalala6284]

Reminds me of the N81 my dad gave me

[@AbdullaZaki]

Similar design language :) I had the N81 8GB back in the day

[@ProfWereW]

You got the processor specs all wrong, there were no dual core phone processors at that time. It's "dual processor" is called today a SoC. It has a general compute core and an other "core" which handles cell connectivity and such things.

[@the_winged_helm]

Can't get enough of the Nokia feature phone vids! However, the N96 feels like a successor to the N86 rather than the N95. In that perspective, it is a slight upgrade. By the way, do you know any reliable sites where I can get my hands on an N900 communicator, N95 8gb (preferably the model with the sliding lens cover) and a Moto RAZR V3i with shipping to India? The sites I find on Google search page do not inspire confidence that the received product would be genuine. I tried getting an N86 via Amazon India, but it didn't even turn on. Was thankfully able to return it and get the refund.

[@danijelujcic8644]

N96 was a high-end N81. Same design.

[@AbdullaZaki]

The N86 came out after the N96, and it was a better phone :). The design of the N96 was a continuation of the design language from the N81 Regarding buying old phones, I use eBay. They are refurbished so would only recommend for fun, not to get something reliable

[@the_winged_helm]

@@AbdullaZaki Ah ok, my bad! I thought the N86 came earlier. Regarding the used Nokias, I just want them for fun, but in working condition. I don't trust the sellers on ebay India site either 😔

[@AbdullaZaki]

If you can find a US or China based seller with a high rating and many reviews, you should be okay. That's what I usually do!

[@the_winged_helm]

@@AbdullaZaki Thanks for the tip mate! Cheers!

[@wimarshiseneviratne1233]

Is this in the market in 2022?

[@dhuwdhuwdhuw]

I remember my buddy was flexing his n96 over my n95, I knew it, mine is still better. Anw, I'm pretty sure Nokia demise started with their touch screen devices. Symbian is simply not built for touch, But, I still think 5800 Xpress music is the coolest thing in 2008, so I'll go with Nokia N97.

[@h.t.creatction5321]

so currently which devices you and your buddy are using

[@AbdullaZaki]

Very good guess :)

[@parthasarathi1101]

Bro u have stock ok n96 mobile may know how much

[@cata2181]

Hello there! Big Fan of you. Where can I buy such nostalgic models like this one or Lumia ones, 6700 etc? Please, help me!

[@AbdullaZaki]

Hi, thanks :D You can find them refurbished on ebay, just choose a seller with a high rating and a high number of reviews. They aren't always flawless, but its the closest thing we have sadly.

[@cata2181]

@@AbdullaZaki I see. Thank you so much🙏 Keep up the good work🙏

[@curious_Bot]

The biggest disaster was certainly Nokia N97 but for all it’s fault I loved that device and envied whoever had it.

[@ibj3]

Loved mine but was sluggish compared to the n97 mini. I had both and i don't know why nokia made the mini better then the original.

[@wolveie7302]

Is there a place to buy this item??? 💌

[@common_sense_supreme]

Also, N96 didn't have the general purpose TI OMAP 2420 graphics acceleration chip that powered the N95/N95 8GB and N82, meaning that it couldn't run the 2007/2008 generation of games which needed the chip.

[@VIadaBGD]

Even worse, the cpu they put in N96 was slower than one in the N73... It looked like a premium device but actually it was a total failure..

[@saqib123ali]

Yo boii please do nokia e63 and C5

[@rizwansheikh4146]

Brother How can i buy the Nokia phone???

[@user-yn9iu8uy8q]

На нем пойдет Jtube и SymTube?