Nokia N91 phone is music to our ears

By Rory Reid on 18 November 2005, 4:00pm

Mobiles that present themselves as legitimate music playback devices have generally been disappointing -- just look at the Motorola Rokr E1.

Thankfully, handset makers are learning from a number of botched experiments and are coming up with some interesting new designs. The latest of these is the Nokia N91 -- a phone that can store up to 3,000 (presumably highly compressed) songs on its 4GB of internal memory.

Unlike the Rokr, the N91 isn't compatible with songs bought via iTunes, but it supports most music formats, including MP3, Real, WMA and unprotected AAC, and it's compliant with the Loudeye music distribution system.

This means you can buy tracks from participating network operators over the air straight to the handset. You can also buy music using your PC and transfer it to the N91 via Bluetooth or USB2 -- although that's starting to feel a little last century.

The N91's music playback functions are controlled by a neat set of buttons on the front panel that slide down to reveal a numeric keypad. You also get 802.11b/g wireless connectivity and a 2-megapixel camera that can capture images of up to 1,600x1,200 pixels.

We can't wait to get our hands on it. The N91 is scheduled for release in early 2006, so expect a full review then. -RR

Update: a full review of the Nokia N91 is now live.