Now that the iPhone has been released in India with much fanfare and hoopla it is time for a dispassionate comparison of the devices in the race. As we have reported Nokia has advanced the launch of N96 by over a month and changed the venue to India.

The iPhone comes with a number of strengths over its peers. The strong brand name and its huge success abroad were seen as the raison d’etre for an iPhone mania in India. A 3.5 inch multi touch screen and excellent multimedia capabilities are its strong points. However initial media reports indicate a lukewarm welcome.

The N96 appears to score over the iPhone in more than one way. The N96 has a better 5 megapixel camera vis a vis a 2 megapixel in iPhone. An additional VGA camera in the N96 can be used to make video calls. The real utility will be realized with the introduction of 3G services. The Wave Secure application in N96 permits tracking the lost or stolen phone. The N96 supports Bluetooth with A2DP whereas the iPhone does not offer A2DP support. Although both devices come with a 16 GB memory the microSD format enables the addition of another 8 GB in N96.

The verdict is not yet out. The pricing could be the eventual factor to decide which device is better. The iPhone has already been perceived as an expensive phone. Competitive pricing may clinch the issue in favour of N96.