In a bid to outdo the iPhone 3G, Nokia has apparently pulled forward the release date of the N96 in India. The handset won’t actually be delivered until early September, but Indian customers can pre-order one now ahead of Apple’s launch on Friday.

The pre-order part may be a bit of a stunt, but even so it looks like the Nokia fans in India will be able to get their hands on the much anticipated successor to the N95 ahead of the official 1 October launch date.

Until then, the only other option to get hold of one is to donate a hefty amount of cash to help save red pandas in Nepal.

The N96 is expected to go on sale for Rs 35,000 (around £430). When the iPhone 3G finally hits India on 22 August it’s expected to sell for Rs 31,000 (around £380) for the 8GB version and Rs 35,000 for the 16GB model.

(via India Times)