Time for the next part in my video review of the Nokia E75 enterprise device. How well does the dual format device cope with going online through the Web browser, and what other internet features does it carry? How does it fare for N-Gage games? And what about left-handed owners? I take a look in part four of the series, below.
Not exactly a glowing review from me for the Nokia E75 in The Phones Show 80, I end up criticising everything from the small screen to the cluttered layout to the small battery to the bizarre 'folder' icons. Just being honest. Also in show 80 are a top 10 of iPhone gaming and a brief interview with Rafe about the Nokia N97. Here are the feeds for the QVGA and VGA versions for your feedreader.
In All About Symbian Insight 68 (AAS Podcast 126) Rafe and Steve talk about the upcoming Ovi Store in relation to Widsets, N-Gage and uploading content, before sharing their recent device purchases. Steve explain why he prefers his device with an Xenon flash and Rafe talks about 3's and Orange's service strategy. You can listen to AAS Insight 68 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
Ah yes, the orphan N96, the N95 replacement that was in turn maligned by reviewers and then ignored by Nokia themselves (in terms of firmware updates) - it's been a sorry year for the device and CJ sums things up well here in an illustrated post mortem. With a little love, the N96 could have been so much more, I feel....
Ewan muses on Nokia Messaging and the lack of category support in Nokia's PIM software in the third part of his video diary with the qwerty-side-sliding Nokia E75 - remember that he's been using the device for a month straight now. Video below. Oh, and watch out for the sci-fi ending.
Ewan returns to a familiar theme (for long time AASers) in the second part of his video diary with the qwerty-side-sliding Nokia E75, pointing out the apparent complexity of S60's application menu for new users. He's also found inconsistencies in this area that are new to the E75. Some of his concerns are addressed in S60 5th Edition, of course, but that's not going to help those who buy the E75. Video below.
The Nokia E75 is now available in the UK. It is available from the usual SIM-free sources, including the Nokia UK Shop, for a cost of £375. We'll have the first part of our E75 review online shortly. Also now available, SIM-free, is the Black/Silver variant of the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music (which is the colour variant Orange are selling).
Continuing a long run of success, Nokia has scored again with the N86 8MP at the annual TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) awards. The N86 won in the 'Mobile imaging device' category - perhaps a little premature given that the device hasn't hit the streets in production form, maybe Nokia has been handing prototypes to the 'right' people? Previous winners in the category were the Nokia N82 (2008) and N95 (2007), so at least it does seem as if the judges have got their heads screwed on straight.
It may not have Xenon flash, but the Nokia N86 8MP does have a camera with the next level of performance: a bigger, better sensor, variable (and wider) aperture, wide angle optics and faster shutter speeds. In theory, this means, among other things, that it will cope much better in low light situations without needing to use flash at all. Using photos from the latest N86 8MP prototype and comparing them to those from the current imaging king, the N82, I explore the theory below. [Text amended 11.30am]
Tucked away in my office for days on end, exploring the frontiers of technology, at least in the smartphone world, it's exciting to tinker with the latest touchscreen smartphones and generally live on the bleeding edge. But heading out into the 'real world', as I've been doing for the past week, a world inhabited by parents and cousins and grandchildren, it's best to fall back on hardware and software that's going to be 100% reliable. And, in this case, with the classic Nokia N82, to do some things that no other smartphone could have matched anyway.
Now firmly ensconced back in Scotland, Ewan lets his hair down (literally) to spend some time with the new Nokia E75. Thanks for the positive comments on the 5800 video diaries - this is the first in a series of (roughly) four diary entries featuring the E75, in similar irreverent vein. Roll the credits!
In All About Symbian Insight 65 (AAS Podcast 123) we welcome Ewan back from the USA and tell him about a few additions to the AAS team. We round up some of this week's news including Yahoo Mobile Home, Nokia Messaging 1.1, Nokia Point and Find Beta, Real Football for N-Gage, Nokia E71x and more. You can listen to AAS Insight 65 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
Although the ZOMGitsCJ site might have an unusual name, don't let that fool you as it takes phones very seriously. The site's owner CJ has put together an absolutely ginormous sprawling epic review of the E75 with lots and lots and lots of pictures of the phone itself plus screenshots of the interface and various applications. The verdict? Well, you'll have to see for yourself...
According to a Nokia press release, the E75 QWERTY sliderphone is now making its way into shops, and may even be available already in some areas. As mentioned in previous stories, the E75 features Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2, a 2.4 inch QVGA screen, side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, GPS, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5G HSDPA and Wi-Fi support. It's also the first Eseries device to be compatible with the N-Gage platform. The full release is below.
Infamous tech news site The Register has been taking a look at the new Nokia E75, concluding that "It's a beautifully compact do-it-all smart phone with slimline Qwerty keyboard. Could this be the end of the Communicator?" The Register's closing para on the E75 was: "But with good email and browser services, document creation and viewing, a decent camera and music player, aGPS and N-Gage games, plus access to loads of additional Symbian apps, this all adds up to a very powerful phone both for work and in-between jobs." Rafe and Ewan now both have E75s and our own coverage of this qwerty newcomer is imminent.