It's official at last. The most-leaked device in recent Nokia history finally sees the light of day. The E90 has been announced. In this article, I look at its ancestry, its specifications and who it's aimed at. [NB. Photos arriving imminently.]

Read on in the full article (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/4891_Welcome_to_the_future-the_Noki.php).

At last, a successor to S80.

I will miss a lot of S80s features but I have used S60 phones too and if this baby is as good as the hype, we will finally have as good a successor the the Psion 5mx as we can have at the moment, excluding keyboard. (I'm not a fan of touch screens!)

Now when can I get one? :)

Cant wait for this release, definately my next phone (as long as Nokia have enabled SIP) else i will stick with my E60.

don't laugh - biggest qustion - does it vibrate?

Yes, it vibrates! :)

Wow! Great pics.

Finally Symbian has come through with a 5mx replacement.

All the harsh words are now retracted.

The Psion dream of mobile computing is fianlly realised!

Again don't laugh - as of today (now) I am down to my very last 5mx. The last Revo that I have has a charging problem (just found out today too). I certanly hope this is the last time I need to install Money and DCP!

What a relief.

I wonder what the price will be ..?

The E90 is something... The great problem is the price! Is possible to buy a good Core2 Duo Laptop and a good phone.

As a long term user of the 9500, my dream phone has at last come in. The video calling camera is on the right surface, it has 3G and WLAN... I can't wait to get one. I'll miss the hard drive from my N91, but with 2GB flash cards now, perhaps it won't matter.

One thing I want to know, does the external screen take advantage of S60's scalable UI to give you access to S60 proper and all your applications, or is it another simulated S40 jobby like the older communicators?

My-Symbian has a very long E90 review with pictures, screenshots and samples, check it out my-symbian.com/s60v3/e90_review.php

My-Symbian has a very long E90 review with pictures, screenshots and samples, check it out my-symbian.com/s60v3/e90_review.php

Already a detailed review:rolleyes:

Finally Symbian has come through with a 5mx replacement.Symbian didn't do the 5mx (Psion did) & they aren't doing the E90, either (Nokia does).

"One thing I want to know, does the external screen take advantage of S60's scalable UI to give you access to S60 proper and all your applications, or is it another simulated S40 jobby like the older communicators?"

According to Steve's review, the external screen now gives you full seamless access to your S60 applications. The external screen is a full 240x320 one, so you could use the E90 without ever opening it if you wanted.


Looks like the E90 has plenty of RAM, according to my-symbian's review:

"The total operating memory (RAM) capacity is 128 MB of which.... almost 80 MB is free!"

Hopefully they'll start putting 128mb into other S60 models from now on.

Small update: according to Nokia's press release "The unsubsidised retail price of the Nokia E90 Communicator will be around €750-800."

That's around the same price as previous communicators launched for, I think, and seems okay considering how much is packed into the device (for example one full size QVGA screen and an even bigger widescreen inside). Definitely not for casual users.


"Is possible to buy a good Core2 Duo Laptop and a good phone."

Yes, but you can't fit them in your pocket. :-)

The one and only reason why smartphones cost so much is their small size. If you don't want a pocket-sized device, it's always far cheaper to buy laptops and separate dumbphones.

I understand your point. But next generation of UMPC have Core 2 Duo processors, all windows software, and the price is lower than that E90, and can be on pocket! Those days, the convergence between functions and price is almost the same... Only two ways to choose. Better have some choice then none:rolleyes:

Will we finally see Outlook category sync?

"I understand your point. But next generation of UMPC have Core 2 Duo processors, all windows software, and the price is lower than that E90, and can be on pocket!"

They are amazing devices, but they're not pocket-sized. Most people would find carrying a UMPC very cumbersome, and prefer to have something smaller but less powerful.

Here's a UMPC:

http://www.pencomputing.com/images/umpc_update_q1.jpg

and here's the E90:

http://nds3.nokia.com/pressphotos/public/global/devices/e90_communicator/06_e90_lowres.jpg

It's not a huge difference if you're using it at home, but the smaller size makes a big difference if you're on the move.

Also, I don't think the battery life on a pocket-sized duo processor UMPC running Windows is any good, Windows (the desktop one) wasn't designed to be mobile and neither were those processors.

But I'd love to get a next gen UMPC for under 750 euros, can you tell me where they sell them at that price?

Does it have a touchscreen?

It's not as good as the Psion Series 5mx and it doesn't run embedded Linux like it should but I hope they get these onto the High Street yesterday! The Series 80 devices had CPU clock speeds about half of what a power user would want. If you want longer battery life, switch to a superior black and white screen, but don't slow down the core CPU.

@Jeb's: According to the only site where it's been extensively played with it's clocked as fast as the N95...

Does it have a touchscreen?

No. Read the MySymbian.com review for more details.

Why now fax?

Here in Asia, the fax reigns supreme for the "real" business people i.e. for the real trade of goods and services. The 9300i has been selling very well because of it.

IMO a big mistake by Nokia, unless it's in the E90(f)

Why now fax?

Here in Asia, the fax reigns supreme for the "real" business people i.e. for the real trade of goods and services. The 9300i has been selling very well because of it.

IMO a big mistake by Nokia, unless it's in the E90(f)

you can use install scanr.

Greetings - It is my understanding that stateside many cellular companies do not want to provide CSD - FAX (Circuit Switch Data) feature due to switch technologies changes. It appears to be very difficult to get the CSD features from Cingular or TMobile in the USA. Thanks - FLG>>>

Maybe it's just me but I really don't go for the whole digital convergence thing in a big way. A few years ago I was right there with it and thought it was the best idea going, however just recently I've been moving further and further away from this ideal. I would much rather have 3 or 4 devices that did specalised jobs, rather than 1 device that did everything only reasonably well. My real dream machine would be a Nokia PDA in the old Series 5 or Revo form factor WITHOUT a phone attached... I know it'll never happen, but I just can't reconcile myself to the idea of talking to the house brick that is the Communicator.
Maybe once Bluetooth technology matures a little and we can have good quality light headsets, with dialing capability the whole DC thing will start to make a bit more sense, until then I think I'll stick to buying suits with 4 pockets...


(Oh and is it just me or does the S60 interface look just a little lost on the larger screen? Things like active standby were designed to make use of a small screen, surely they could have come up with a hybridised desktop/menu system instead of just a simple port?)

Really impressive device. I do like the convergence of almost everything in one device. This new E90 comes very close to a complete laptop replacement.

I'm very tempted, but missing fax support is a definite showstopper for me. Any updates on this? N/A?

FAX:

IMHO, with all due respect, I think the 9300 and 9500 series phones were bigger sellers in Asia than the US, so I think Cingular and T-Mobile had little influence in the specs of the E90.

I suspect the real reason the E90 is faxless is that the S60 arcitecture doesn't have the feature built-in (yet - I hope)

I guess the E90 can't be called a communicator anymore.

I think it has to be understood, the majority of Communicator users that I have observed so far are far from tech savvy i.e. there is hardly any third party apps in them, other than what came preinstalled with the phone - legal or otherwise.

To these users, the Communicator is a tool and they have better things to do than to play around with the phone's functions. As an example, I know a small transport company that had about 30 one tonners going from Laos all the way to south of Malaysia. You wanted any thing any where, they could get it there for you. They had about 100 9300 as they could view the purchase orders, the addresses, the bank-in slips for payment confirmations etc. I was shocked - they were the most virtual operation I had ever seen.

Food for thought Nokia.

How ironic that the last message I was reading deplored the lack of built-in FAX functionality for the E90, and the ad right below that comment was for an EFax product where you can FAX directly from your phone...

I read somewhere that this phone isn't going to be available until the fall, and that it is not going to be sold in the US. Puhlease, T-Mobile, get smart and offer the E90 in the States!

The whole and painful truth about E90 is that it finally buried all our hopes for communicators to replace our ER5 handheld computers!
E90 is just an amazing feature packed S60 phone brick with extended inner screen and keyboard.
Phone finally swallowed computer!!! Amen!

this question might sound strange but does anyone know if it has a 3D graphics chip like the n95?

What I'd really like to see is some comparison pictures of the E90 and the 9300i - with particular reference to its size.

As one who owned an original Nokia 9000i "Brick" and then a 9110i for several years, and was obliged to carry them around in bespoke pockets that my horrified tailor had to incorporate into my jackets, the breakthrough for me came when Nokia managed to squeeze most of the features of a Communicator into a 9300 and I was finally able to slide a smarphone with a usable QWERTY keyboard into a pocket of my jeans - leaving plenty of space in it for Sony Ericsson K800i and a Swiss Army knife as well.

This, to me, does not appear to be a device that could replace my much-loved 9300i - even if it did (like my 9300i) have fax. Which it doesn't. And which thus rules it out anyway, for me.

After reading the detailed review (My Symbian) I loved a lot of what E90 offers, but (to me) S60 brings with it a lot of limitations (no Fax, limited calendar, no scheduled messages, no timed profiles, limited contacts search). To me, going with an E90 could be a downgrade, and to top it all off, a heavier downgrade (E90 weight and size) :con?

Do you have similar doubts? :frown:

I guess I should buy a few more 9300i phones before they become obsolete, and wait and see if Nokia is going to do anything to address the missing functionality (one advantage is that the introduction of E90 will lower the price of the 9300i).

The E90's specs have got me drooling. Unfortunately leaving out fax just spoils the fun for me. I have been missing my fax calls since I picked up the E61 last year and had been expecting the 9500 replacement to bale me out. I might have to go back to the 9500... or the 9300/i. Unless Nokia puts the fax back in before production.

limited contacts searchWhat limited contacts search?
http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=269428#269428

What limited contacts search?
http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=269428#269428


On page 2 of My Symbian review ( http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/review_e90.php?page=2 )

It says:
------------------------------------
The Phonebook application is very similar to the Series 80 version, however the Contact search function is extremely simple, only supporting first and last name fields (it's the "Quick search" type function looking for results as you type letters). However, the E90 includes Nokia's Search application that provides all-device global search and quickly locates the searched string in Messages, Emails, Calendar entries, To-dos, Notest, Contacts (all fields) and contents of files. Assign the Search app to the MyOwn or Multimedia key and you can have instant access to the powerful search function with just one button press.
------------------------------------

So it's not part of the contacts search (you must depend on another app.). I guess it depends on how you look at it. But now that you mentioned it the addition of a global search is great. Still, I wish I can search all fields while I'm in contacts. Not a show stopper though, you win some (global search) and you lose some (search within contacts) :)

For me the big problem with the Nokia 9500 and 9300 was lack of synchronization of NOTES with Outlook - rendering the devices pretty much useless for professional/academics - presumably its target market. Does the E90 address this problem ?

thanks

For me the big problem with the Nokia 9500 and 9300 was lack of synchronization of NOTES with Outlook - rendering the devices pretty much useless for professional/academics - presumably its target market. Does the E90 address this problem ?

thanks
Since E90 is an S60 device, the behavior with PCSuite should be the same.

So when is it due?? Some blogs and forums are saying that there will be some early deliveries in April...

HOW LONG DO WE STILL HAVE TO WAIT ?!?!?

April:con? On Nokia Press release they said 3Q 2007. So, as Nokia usual, end of September, first days of October with limited quantities.

does anyone know if the E90 come with a back light for the the internal keypad?

Yes! Go to mysymbian site, and see the amount of photos about E90, where is possible to saw that.

great phone with all what i want but can i dowenload msn on it and chat to my friends ,is it compatible with apple mac book

YEah, about the fax support, I really do need it. SOme people just can't get over there faxes and they still use it. WIll there be an update?

After reading the detailed review (My Symbian) I loved a lot of what E90 offers, but (to me) S60 brings with it a lot of limitations (no Fax, limited calendar, no scheduled messages, no timed profiles, limited contacts search). To me, going with an E90 could be a downgrade, and to top it all off, a heavier downgrade (E90 weight and size) :con?

Do you have similar doubts? :frown:

I guess I should buy a few more 9300i phones before they become obsolete, and wait and see if Nokia is going to do anything to address the missing functionality (one advantage is that the introduction of E90 will lower the price of the 9300i).

hello sir, when i read your comments i felt i am in clouds, i have been using nokia 9110 on wards and have been the avid user and gladly carried brick in my pocket because i had functinality that i was proud, got to 9300i heaven opened, i had eveything but few silly stuff that kids like, waited with eager for 6 month and then got this rubbish called E90, rubbish thumb control rubbish contact search, just loved the 9300i search i had 1500 contacts all i needed to know remember few letters and in no time found the contact, rubbish text, list is long, i just can not understand how these millions are spent with these weezals in there development department, they must be in planet ziogon, all they need to do is just listen to the users. so as you cleverly said i am going to put my E-crap on the Ebay before everybody find out about it and buy several 9300i, and enjoy life and now i dont even care about few miner fall backs of 9300i.