In the second and final part of his definitive review of the 'Silver Snapper', the Nokia N82 , Rafe proves that this smartphone is a lot more than just a great camera. Looking at GPS and navigation functions, music, general applications and overall performance, Rafe concludes that, despite a few problems and annoyances, the N82 is "an outstanding handset".
Photos have appeared on a German site (and reposted here in English) of a new Nokia E90, apparently a 'version 2', with totally redesigned, flush keyboard, presumably to stop any possibility of greasy fingerprints on the keys transferring to the screen. Comments welcome if this has made an appearance in other countries or if you can shed any light on timescales and distribution details.
Here's the first part of Rafe's definitive review of the Nokia N82 , looking at the form factor, the connectivity and (of course) the camera. Loads of close-up and sample photos and masses of considered opinions. Watch this space for part 2, coming shortly!
A new firmware update for the Nokia N82 is now available (from 10.0.046 to 11.0.117). The update appears to be relatively minor with a number of bug fixes and stability improvements. However it is notable for being the first Nseries firmware updates that supports User Data Preservation (UDP).
The first firmware update for the N82 is going to have a subtle change we've been looking for; the preservation of User Data (writes Kevin at the S60 blog). The plan is that when you do upgrade the firmware, your applications and settings will remain intact . Three caveats; 1) you should still back up your data first; 2) It's only for the N82; 3) you'll need to wait a bit longer for the first N82 firmware upgrade to arrive.
In AAS Insight # 8 (AAS podcast 56) Rafe, Steve and Ewan discuss some of the news out of CES: the announcement of the Motorola Z10 and Nokia N95 8GB North American version. There's also information on the recent firmware update for the N95 8GB and the importance of runtime technologies for the Symbian platform.
We seem to have missed that the big-selling Nokia N73 ME got a new firmware upgrade a few days ago. The new version is 4.0750.31.2.1 and reportedly makes the device a lot snappier. Hmm... I don't think Demand Paging is implemented here, but comments welcome from N73 owners - anyone care to back up, update via NSU and restore in the interests of experimentation?
There's a fabulously interesting article over at Unwired View, where the author's got hold of the probable tech details of Nokia's multi-touch system, to be seen this year. Even more interestingly, the article goes on to describe a Nokia patent for a touch-less, ultrasonics-based 3D control system. 2008's shaping up to be quite a year!
In All About Symbian Insight # 7 (AAS Podcast #55) Steve, Ewan and Rafe look back at 2007 and pick out their highlights from the year. We cover the Nokia N95, a resurgent UIQ and Nokia's Ovi announcement. In the second half of the podcast we turn our attention to 2008 and make a few predictions.
A US variant of Nokia's flagship Nseries device, the N95 8GB, will shortly be made available. The only change in the specifications from the standard N95 are in the supported the WCDMA frequencies - 850/1900 MHz instead of 2100 MHz. The device will be available from Nokia Flagship Stores and Nseries retailers during the first quarter at an estimated retail price of $749.
