Nokia N73 vs Nokia N96

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

N73 compared with N96
NokiaN73NokiaN96
Overview
Released2006September 2008
Display
Screen size2.4″2.8″
Resolution320 × 240320 × 240
Sharpness167 pixels per inch (better)143 pixels per inch
PanelLCDLCD
Display type2.4-inch QVGA TFT with 240 × 320 pixels and up to 262,144 colours. Ambient-light sensor adjusts illumination; original maker consumer specifications. Native refresh and brightness in nits not published.2.8-inch QVGA screen; GSMArena identifies TFT LCD with 16 million colours. No maker refresh-rate figure established.
Performance
Chip–Dual ARM9 264 MHz (GSMArena)
Memory–128 MB
Storage42 MB16 GB (better)
MemoryUp to 42 MB dynamic shared internal storage, original maker consumer and Forum Nokia tables. Installed applications share this space. Independent reviews report different free storage and operational RAM; neither free RAM nor an unlimited application heap establishes installed physical RAM, so no RAM capacity inferred.16 GB mass storage is separate from phone/system memory. GSMArena publishes 128 MB RAM, used in configs; All About Symbian reports about 46 MB free after boot, not installed capacity. Its tested phone/system C drive has 85 MB free; neither free-space figure replaces advertised mass storage.
Storage typeHot-swappable miniSD card, up to 1 GB in the original consumer specification; not RS-MMC or full-size SD. Original Danish sales package does not list an included card. The later shared Music Edition guide covers different software/bundles explicitly.Built-in mass storage and microSD slot. Maker launch describes an optional 8 GB microSDHC MU-43 card giving 24 GB total; no hypothetical card maximum treated as a maker specification.
Cameras
Main camera3.2 MP5 MP (better)
Ultra wide cameraNoneNone
Telephoto cameraNoneNone
Optical zoomNoneNone
Front camera0.3 MP–
Main camera3.2 MP CMOS rear camera, 2048 × 1536 pixels, autofocus Carl Zeiss Tessar optics with 5.6 mm physical focal length. Focus from 10 cm to infinity, macro at 10 cm; mechanical shutter 1/1000–2 seconds. Sliding protective cover and two-stage camera key. Built-in flash up to 1 m, maker consumer specifications.5 MP autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash/video light. GSMArena reports 2592 × 1944 stills and 5.2 mm marked focal length. No physical lens cover.
Front cameraVGA 640 × 480-pixel secondary camera with up to 2× digital zoom for video calls and portrait-mode capture. Headline 0.3 MP rounds the maker pixel count. Exact N73-1/RM-133 guide distinguishes main landscape and secondary portrait operation.Secondary front camera for video calls; GSMArena identifies VGA, without an inferred megapixel figure.
ZoomUp to 20× digital zoom for rear still photographs; no optical zoom. Rear video digital zoom up to 4× in CIF or 8× in QCIF, maker consumer table.–
Video recordingMPEG-4 CIF 352 × 288 at up to 15 fps with AAC stereo audio and video stabilisation, maker consumer specifications and Forum Nokia. Maker claims up to 1.5 hours per clip, subject to storage. Shared guide High mode uses MP4; Sharing uses QCIF 3GP with a 300 kB limit, about 20 seconds. Playback codecs are separate from camera recording.VGA video at up to 30 fps in GSMArena’s production review; maker announcement confirms 30 fps without treating “DVD-like” marketing as a resolution.
Camera featuresAuto/user/macro/portrait/landscape/sport/night scenes, white balance, colour effects, exposure and sensitivity adjustments, self-timer and sequence mode. Image/video editing, slideshows and PictBridge USB or Bluetooth printing. Network photo sharing depends on compatible services; retired Flickr/Lifeblog services are not promised to work today.Location tagging, scene modes, white balance, exposure compensation, ISO selection, sharpness, contrast and colour effects; exact guide distinguishes temporary setup from persistent main settings.
Battery and charging
Battery1,100 mAh (better)950 mAh
Wireless chargingNoneNone
Battery life detailRemovable BP-6M battery, 1100 mAh. Original maker ECTEL claims up to 226 minutes WCDMA or 246 minutes GSM talk, 370/350 hours standby respectively, 150 minutes video calling, 366 minutes CIF video playback and 12.6 hours offline music. Conditions and network affect runtime.Removable BL-5F confirmed by RM-247 guide; 950 mAh is reported independently by GSMArena and All About Symbian. No unpublished launch talk/standby figures copied from N95. Contemporary test endurance remains attributed in reviews.
Wired chargingDedicated small Nokia charger connector; AC-4 charger and CA-44 adapter supplied in the original Danish package. Pop-Port USB is a data connection, not USB charging; exact independent GSMArena test. Charging watts not published.Separate charger connector and micro-USB data socket. GSMArena confirms no USB charging; RM-247 guide specifies compatible AC-5 mains charger.
Design
TypeStandardStandard
Weight116 g (better)125 g
Thickness19 mm18 mm (better)
Height × width110 × 49 mm103 × 55 mm
Weight detail–GSMArena quotes 125 g and 103 × 55 × 18 mm; those structured required figures use its exact-model production review because original maker datasheet mirror is blocked. All About Symbian describes 17 mm thickness; source difference retained.
ColoursOriginal launch finishes: silver grey/deep plum, frost white/metallic red and frost white/mocha brown, 24 July 2006 maker shipping release. Regional Danish consumer package lists the first two only. Music Edition is explicitly distinguished in the later shared operating guide; its software/bundle is not silently applied to the original.–
ButtonsFive-way joystick, numeric and soft keys, dedicated multimedia/review/camera controls and side zoom/volume rocker. Original edition multimedia key opens configurable shortcuts; later Music Edition guide explicitly distinguishes that key behaviour.Dual slider reveals numeric keypad or media/game controls. Front media keys, scroll control, menu/multimedia shortcuts, camera/volume controls and top keylock switch. All About Symbian confirms prototype Navi wheel was disabled in production; generic FP2 review paragraphs suggesting it remains active are excluded.
SpeakersIntegrated stereo loudspeakers with maker 3D-sound claim; stereo FM/Visual Radio uses a compatible wired headset as its antenna. Original HS-23 headset connects through Pop-Port; no built-in standard 3.5 mm headphone socket.Built-in stereo loudspeakers and rear folding stand for hands-free video viewing. DVB-H receiver requires compatible local services; original guide specifies SIM and subscription/coverage conditions.
Software
Operating systemSymbianSymbian
Software at launchSymbian OS 9.1 and Nokia S60 3rd Edition, exact maker consumer/developer tables. Native 2nd Edition applications need compatible 3rd Edition versions; Java MIDP 2.0/CLDC 1.1 also supported.–
Software featuresContacts, calendar/tasks/notes, email with attachments, web browser, music, Visual Radio, document viewers and PC Suite synchronisation. Quickoffice components and Adobe PDF viewer are readers, not unrestricted document editors. Historical third-party services and firmware observations retain their original context.S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 on Symbian OS 9.3, as identified in full reviews. Original music/video/Photos software, FM radio with RDS, Internet Radio, N-Gage, document viewers and web browser. Historical regional BBC iPlayer widget and online-service support are described as launch-era features.
Release detailAnnounced 25 April 2006. Maker says shipments have begun on 24 July 2006; the August full retail test confirms market presence but does not prove the worldwide first retail month. Year precision retained. Original N73-1/RM-133; no unsupported direct predecessor link or no-front-camera regional hardware inferred.Original maker announcement dated 11 February 2008 planned Q3 shipping. Issuer’s 3 September notice announces availability and says first shipments have started; September retained without treating notice date as exact worldwide first retail. Regional retail timing differs. Maker says N96 builds on N95’s success, without an explicit direct replacement link.
In the boxOriginal Danish package lists BP-6M battery, AC-4 charger, CA-44 adapter, HS-23 stereo headset, CA-53 data cable, wrist strap, lens cloth, software CD and documentation. Region/operator and Music Edition bundles may differ.–
Connectivity
Mobile networkGSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and WCDMA 2100 MHz, original maker consumer and developer tables. Consumer overview gives WCDMA 128/384 kbps upload/download while its packet-data section lists 384/384; conflict retained without assigning an unsupported upload speed. Actual service/network determines throughput.GSMArena exact model table lists GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 900/2100 with HSDPA. Separate N96-3 regional 850/1900 WCDMA bands are not combined into the European record.
Wi-FiNo Wi-Fi, independently tested in the contemporary All About Symbian and GSMArena full reviews.IEEE 802.11b/g with UPnP home-network sharing; exact RM-247 guide documents infrastructure/ad hoc modes and media sharing.
BluetoothBluetooth Specification 2.0, exact N73-1/RM-133 English guide and consumer specifications. Profiles include printing, dial-up networking, headset/hands-free, object/file transfer, imaging, SIM access, synchronisation and HID; compatibility depends on both devices.Bluetooth 2.0; exact RM-247 guide lists A2DP, AVRCP, imaging, printing, dial-up networking, file transfer, hands-free, headset, HID, object push, SIM access, synchronisation, serial-port and phonebook-access profiles.
USBPop-Port USB 2.0 full-speed, maker consumer specification; supplied CA-53 cable. Supports USB Mass Storage and PC Suite; no high-speed transfer inferred. Infrared and Bluetooth also support local transfers and synchronisation.Hi-Speed USB 2.0 data via micro-USB. Nokia AV 3.5 mm connector serves compatible wired headphones and CA-75U TV-out cable; separate mains charging connector.
Positioning–Integrated GPS and assisted GPS with historical Nokia Maps navigation. Launch navigation subscriptions and retired online services are not promised as current services.

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