Nokia's N96 to arrive in October

Nokia has confirmed the UK release date of its top-of-the-range N96 multimedia handset is set for 1 October.

The device is part of a new group of E-series enterprise handsets - a lineup which includes the E71 - which was unveiled last month by the world's largest mobile phone maker to rival the success of the iPhone.

Since its development was unveiled early in June, there has been much speculation over when the N96 would hit the market.

Today, as well as confirming its imminent UK arrival, it also said the N96 would be sold through mobile operators, 3, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

And, although pricing details still were still not confirmed, Nokia said it anticipated to retail the N96 at around 550 (430).

The revamped handset will still feature a five megapixel camera, with an enlarged 2.7" QVGA screen, built-in GPS and double the memory, at 16GB.

The market will be looking to see if Nokia's N96 sales can compete with the heavy demand Apple's recently introduced updated iPhone with 3G connectivity built-in.

Miya Knights

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.