Qwerty on Symbian - the options
Steve reprises his 'Gotta have QWERTY' theme and explores the current options... (oh yes - and he promises not to mention 'Psion'!)
Recent Features - Hardware - Page 39
N95 to N86 - Two years of evolution
I've mentioned the direct lineage between N95 and N86 before here on All About Symbian, so let's break this down - how far HAS Nokia come in the last two years?
How to: Charge your smartphone faster
No, no magic involved - just care to use the right charger with the right device!
Camera Nitty Gritty - Extra: Video focus
Following on from my camera/camcorder series here on AAS, here's a look at the pros and cons of adding focussing to Symbian smartphones. What should a manufacturer do? What's the best way forwards?
Nokia N97 vs Nokia 5800 XpressMusic - A brief comparison of Nokia's touchscreen Symbians
Head to head: the Nokia N86 8MP and the Apple iPhone 3GS
In their own different ways, the Nokia N86 8MP and the Apple iPhone 3GS represent the pinnacles of their form factor. The one is the classic one-handed 'phone', the other is the classic two-handed 'PDA/tablet. Yes, never mind that over-simplification, in the feature below I look in detail at every aspect of the two devices and try to see where comparisons can be drawn. I'm not looking for an overall winner, but am genuinely interested in the areas in which each device and form factor wins out.
A tale of three smartphones: Rescuing a dead battery
Faced with a dead Nokia N86 that refused to charge, Steve Litchfield didn't panic - armed with the luxury of some of other devices to hand, he was able to get the N86 and its battery revived and working properly. And, in the process, learned that all Nokia's batteries are electrically interchangeable. Maybe these concepts will save the day when your precious S60 phone appears to have died?
In search of the QWERTY king
After being struck by an informed comment by Symbian's Executive Director, Lee Williams, that the touchscreen market would top out at about 30%, i.e. that at least 70% of phones will continue to be keypad or qwerty-driven, I wanted to get to the bottom of which smartphone keyboard, in the Symbian world, at least, was the best, in terms of size, feel, functionality and efficiency. Oh, and I wasn't allowed to include any obsolete models... [Ouch.]
Sun, sun, sun. And I can't see a thing on my phone!
With the advent of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, Steve Litchfield reprises an old rant with a look at how the current crop of 2008/2009 smartphones fare on a sunny day. Does your phone turn into a hand mirror or can you see what's going on?
Nokia Smartphone Speakers: The BoomBox factor
In which I report on a usually forgotten feature of all modern Nokia smartphones - their stereo speakers. Why are these important and what sort of variation is there in volume and quality? Read on to find out... [updated 23rd June 2009]
