(20 August 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Nokia Nseries, the multimedia sub-brand of mobile handset maker Nokia has unveiled the Nokia N96 which is its most advanced converged device in India.

The company claims that N96 is the first ever mobile device to offer a memory size of 16GB expandable to 24 GB through an external micro SD card. It will be available across the country from next month.

The memory of N96 can store up to 18,000 songs, up to 20,000 images and up to 60 hours of video or 20 full length movies.

Nokia also announced a pre-booking scheme, offering consumers the opportunity to secure the N96 in advance. The offer will be valid through 2000 Nokia outlets across the country starting 20 August.

It is also the first ever mobile device to come preloaded with Wave Secure, a S60 unique security application that allows consumers not just to track their handset in the event it is lost or stolen, but also create a backup for the phone data via the internet. This is an application being offered exclusively to consumers in India.

Nokia adds that its range of multi-function, converged devices clearly demonstrates that convergence is no longer an industry buzzword - it is a reality for consumers and business users today.

Nokia India marketing director Devinder Kishore says, "With over 10 million units sold to date, the N95 has changed the way people use their mobile device. Today, in the Web 2.0 era, the new Nokia N96 places the power to shape the Internet in your hands, in addition to being to the ultimate entertainment gadget”.

Users can also explore the world through Navigation and the Nokia Maps 2.0 application. The new Nokia Maps application offers richer and more detailed maps and has upgrade options such as city guides, turn-by-turn pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation.

Further, with the integrated A-GPS, consumers can now 'location tag' their pictures with location data and share them with their online communities.

The Nokia N96 comes pre-bundled with WaveSecure, an application that allows consumers to secure everything on the device wirelessly. One can save and create a back up of all data (contacts, sms, call logs and calendar entries) through the Internet.

Additionally, in the event that it is lost or stolen, WaveSecure helps remotely wipe out all data from the device to prevent misuse, lock the device remotely and even track any new sim card inserted.