I don't normally shout about my print reviews, but if you're in the UK, this one's worth looking for in the newsagents. Issue 63 of PDA Essentials is out today and has my review of the Nokia E90 Communicator. And it seems that the editor has been playing with an E90 too, slapping his 'Editor's Choice Award' on the review. The review bottom line? "Great to see the line continuing and with such a cutting edge spec, but it's not for everyone". Score: 8/10.
Nokia have announced the Nokia 6121 Classic, a variant of the previously announced Nokia 6120 Classic . The 6121 supports WCDMA bands 900 and 2100 in contrast to the 850 and 2100 in the 6210. The other specifications remain the same with quad band GSM and HSDPA connectivity, a 2.0 megapixel camera, microSD support, QVGA screen and use of S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1. Read on for the explanation.
Look what DHL just dropped off! I'm still unsure whether I love it or hate it(!), but enjoy below the photos of me unboxing the Nokia N76, their answer to the RAZR generation and a nice piece of design in its own right. Just don't mix the mirror-finish N76 and fast food.....
Maybe AAS should launch 'The Observers Book of Smartphones'? Anyway, it's always worth a glance in all the phone shops in your local town. In this case (photos below), I spotted Vodafone heavily promoting their new data tariffs and the first appearance of the Motorola Z8 to the masses.
If you own an N73 then it's worth backing it up and then hooking it up to Nokia Software Update via your PC Suite. According to Ricky Cadden, there's a MAJOR new firmware update available, 4.0723.2.0.1, for many N73 variants. A2DP, FOTA and other handy acronyms(!) are reported now supported. Please comment if you do the update.
Yup, it must be Nokia Maps weekend.... Never mind their web/version problems from yesterday, there's now an official slick promo video for Nokia Maps, along with a err... amusingly contradictory explanation for the current 'is it out or isn't it?' position, check out the first para here.
Thanks to Ares for pointing out that the Sony Ericsson P990i has had a major new firmware update (available on the Sony Ericsson Update Service). 'R6D23' has many bug fixes and improvements, positively affecting the camera, free RAM and OS speed. Maybe the P990i has finally reached its potential?
Projekt, the only genuine 'outliner' for Symbian OS, recently hit S60 3rd Edition. Now that it's available for both current Symbian-based platforms, Asri al-Baker reviews the UIQ 3 version of Projekt and shows how it can be used for everything from project management to shopping lists... And in the second part of a UIQ 3 double bill, Asri explains his top 10 wishlist for UIQ 3 - any developers fancy a challenge?
[Updated] Smart2Go, in beta for months, is 'final', or as final as a first version can be. Although we were told that it's not available yet, the Smart2Go web site seems to show it. See the comments below, for example. Listed in the full story are most of the improvements, applicable to both the generic version and the 'Nokia Maps' brand within the N95 and E90. Lots that's new - I've made a few screenshots below...
Just a little Friday taster... You'll remember the popular freeware Y-Browser for S60 3rd Edition? There's going to be a companion utility, YTasks, for those interested in the tech details behind how S60 and Symbian OS are working. A download page for it hasn't been created yet and YTasks is still in beta, but some Nokia E90 screenshots are shown below, to whet your appetite.
Sony Ericsson has announced a new range of music accessories for their Walkman phones such as the W950i and W960. The new accessories include the HBH-DS200 Bluetooth headset (including music and call controls), two standard headsets (HPM-90 and HPM-83), the MMR-70 FM Music Transmitter (adjustable frequency and 10m range), and the MDS-65 Music Desk Stand (with both battery powered and AC modes).
The new Sony Ericsson W960, announced today, is the new top of the line Walkman phone. Headline features include 8GB of flash memory (700 albums, 8000 songs), UMTS (3G) and WiFi connectivity and an autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera. The W960's software platform is UIQ 3.0 on Symbian OS 9.1. The W960 weighs in at 119g with dimensions of 109x55x16 mm and has a monoblock form factor.