The N95 is one of the best phones in the world and it's a hard act to improve on; however, this is exactly what Nokia is trying to do with the N96.

The most obvious improvement is the memory. The N96 has 16GB of internal memory and also a memory card slot which lets you expand total memory to 24GB or even 32GB when 16GB cards become available. Quite simply this is the most memory that has ever been available on a phone which makes the N96 ideal for carrying your music and video collection around.

The N96 has a 2.8 inch screen which is a bit bigger than the N95. It also has a neat little kickstand for placing the phone on a table while watching video. Another feature is the DVB/H receiver which lets you watch digital broadcasts on your phone. Unfortunately as of now in India such broadcasts are only available on a small Doordarshan pilot programme.

The biggest weakness of the N96 may be the relatively low capacity of its battery which was also a problem with the initial version of the N95. On a device which boasts a bunch of battery-sapping multimedia features, users may struggle to get through a day on a battery charge. However battery life depends on software as well as the actual battery so we will have wait for the device to launch before we know whether it's a serious problem.

Photograph: JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Also see: Apple's iPhone 3G: Is it for you?

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