Nokia today finally began shipping the N96, its significantly delayed flagship smartphone. The two-way slider has the same specifications as when it was announced in February and improves on the N95 by holding 16GB of internal storage along with a microSDHC slot for at least 8GB more. Most versions also include a DVB-H tuner to pick up mobile digital TV broadcasts in Europe and other regions that support the new portable video standard. A five-megapixel camera with flash, true GPS and Wi-Fi are also onboard.

The Finnish phone designer maintains a relatively high price for the N96 and estimates that it will cost 550 Euros ($794) before factoring in carrier discounts or taxes. No mention is made of whether the shipments are limited to the European version or whether this will also include the North America Model, which is unlocked and supports 3G data on AT&T and Rogers for a higher-still $895 price. A third version for China is also being readied with support for local networks.