We’ve been bowled over by how many top notch phones that have been shown off in Barcelona.

But there’s one that’s really caught our eye: the N96. Replacing the ubiquitous, standard-setting N95, it’s set to become the phone to crave in 2008.

Close up, it’s an absolute treat, building on the N95 8GB black stylings, but with prettier curves and a sleeker bod’.

The flip out stand means it’s great for watching vids without having to constantly cradle it in your sweaty palms, and with 16GB on board, plus room for another 8GB card, you’ll have no shortage of space for all your media.

N-Gage is also crammed in, although as ever we’re still waiting for Nokia to roll this out beyond their beloved N81.

Nokia’s Maps 2.0 also make an appearance, as does good ol’ geotagging and the AGPS the N95 was so famed for.

Frankly, this phone beats the competition hands down and lays down the gauntlet for other big players to start hitting their stride.

Take a closer look in our exclusive hands on video.

Let’s cut right to the chase. On first impressions, this handset from SE, boasting a Windows Mobile operating system, looks looks the business.

The touch screen interface is easy to use, navigating between the nine possible homescreens (internet, media, calendar etc) at the touch of the screen.

The phone has a slimmer-than-expected appearance, with the QWERTY keyboard sliding out nicely from underneath the screen in an arc. The naviagtional mouse touchpad is smooth as you like.

The DVD quality screen 3-inch is also looks top notch and a 3.2 megapixel camera owns the iPhone too.

Sony Ericsson just stepped up to the plate in the high-end handset wars. Check out our video and see what you think.

Let’s cut right to the chase. On first impressions, this handset from SE, boasting a Windows Mobile operating system, looks looks the business.

The touch screen interface is easy to use, navigating between the nine possible homescreens (internet, media, calendar etc) at the touch of the screen.

The phone has a slimmer-than-expected appearance, with the QWERTY keyboard sliding out nicely from underneath the screen in an arc. The naviagtional mouse touchpad is smooth as you like.

The DVD quality screen 3-inch is also looks top notch and a 3.2 megapixel camera owns the iPhone too.

Sony Ericsson just stepped up to the plate in the high-end handset wars. Check out our video and see what you think.