Nokia take on the iPhone with the Tube and N96

The release of the Apple iPhone 3G has kicked everyone else who makes mobile phones into high gear, as the young upstart is gaining ground rapidly. But how are the biggest name in mobile phones, Nokia, going to combat the threat of the iPhone 3G?
The challenger - the Apple iPhone 3G
So, what is the big deal about the Apple iPhone 3G? Well, it's easy: it's one of the most hotly-anticipated mobile phones of all time. EVERYONE was waiting to hear about it, when it was announced, even people who didn't like the first iPhone. Once it was actually released, we saw the rush to buy it that never had with the first iPhone... or with any other mobile phones, to be honest. Features-wise, the Apple iPhone 3G is very similar to the first iPhone, with a whizzy, flashy interface, sleek body, MASSIVE touchscreen, and so on. There are two new things this time, though, that finally give it a chance to compete against other mobile phones on an even footing. The first is 3G, meaning that the Apple iPhone 3G, at last, has a decent internet speed, and has finally become a viable, go-anywhere internet device. Second is GPS, which works brilliantly with Google Maps, built into the Apple iPhone 3G.
The one thing they didn't update on the Apple iPhone 3G, though, is the camera, which is a shame, because it's abysmal...
Totally Tubular! - The Nokia Tube!
The obvious solution, in the fight to beat a touchscreen mobile phone is... make your own touchscreen mobile phone! So, that's exactly what Nokia are doing, as we speak. There's not word on a release date yet, but the Nokia 5800 XpressMedia (called, much more catchily, the 'Tube') is their first full touchscreen mobile phone (not counting the one they did ages ago which was truly awful...). Early reports suggest that Nokia really have gone all out to beat the iPhone, and that the Nokia 5800 Tube is particularly iPhone-esque. But with a better camera. And a faster connection speed. Only time will tell, but Nokia 5800 Tube could potentially be a mobile phone to watch!
Nokia N96 - the safe bet
Meanwhile, right up at the top-end of their product range, Nokia are soon to release another mobile phone which, whilst it doesn't have a touchscreen, beats the features list of the Apple iPhone 3G in every single, imaginable way. I'm talking about, of course, the Nokia N96, a handset that looks set to be one of the most powerful mobile phones ever made. The features list alone is incredible: 5 megapixel camera, patented Nokia media player, full internet access at super-fast HSDPA speeds, 16Gb of memory built-in and GPS built-in. On paper, it seriously dominates the Apple iPhone 3G, but... well, will it be as nice to use as it sounds on paper? Based on what people are saying about this monster from Nokia so far, the answer is a resounding yes. Put simply, it is one hell of a mobile phone!