Nokia Maps 3.8 has been in beta for a while but seems to have been formally released at last, albeit so far only for Symbian Belle devices (screens from the Nokia 700 below). There's the usual component-based installer, the separate modules for Drive, Weather, Check-in, Guides, etc. plus a brand new homescreen Maps widget showing your location in map form. The new version is 3.8.139 (11wk41 b02), for those keeping score(!)
Nokia has finally relaxed its somewhat restrictive policy of only allowing you to download paid content up to five times (it was a draconian three times, originally) - the limit has apparently now been raised to ten times. Given that you also have to be fully signed in as well, many have argued that there shouldn't be any limit, but ten is a reasonable number and should appease even serial phone switchers like ourselves!
Earlier this year, Microsoft and Nokia announced the forthcoming availability of Microsoft Business apps for Symbian Belle. The first phase of these (OneNote, Lync, PowerPoint Broadcaster and Microsoft Document Connection) are due to be delivered later this year via an over the air software update. The second phase, due to be released in the first half of 2012 and comprising native versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, was being demoed, in an early beta form, at Nokia World for the first time.
Opera has announced updates for its Mobile and Mini browsers, plus its MeeGo netbook and tablet versions. The core engine of Opera has seen numerous optimisations and tweaks, while the clients have seen significant functionality updates. Opera Mobile has been updated to 11.5 (for Symbian and MeeGo) and most notably supports viewing bookmarks saved in the Symbian browser, along with an import function. Meanwhile Opera Mini v6.5 now features intelligent autocomplete of domains and search queries. Mini 6.5 also sports a unified address and search bar, unlike Mobile 11.5.
The Nokia 600, which was announced in late August, will not be "shipped to markets", effectively meaning the device has been cancelled. Nokia notes that "we are constantly continuing to refine our portfolio to bring consumers the best possible range of devices to meet their diverse needs". A combination of narrow portfolio placement, most notably with the Nokia 500 and Nokia 603, resulting in a lack of operator interest is the most likely underlying cause.
Quite a lot has been written in comments here on AAS (and AAM) about Nokia's switch to Windows Phone for their top end smartphones going into 2012 and beyond. And a common question is "Why Windows Phone?" In other words, what makes it different, what makes its UI 'better' than Symbian - or indeed MeeGo? Determined to find out Microsoft and Nokia's answers to these questions, David and I headed to the Speakers Corner session on "Smart Talk: Life Enhancing Phones" at Nokia World...
Notable from the last few days have been two big updates over at Nokia Beta Labs. Nokia Suite, the renamed and refreshed version of Ovi Suite, has been moved to v3.2.98, with a veritable mountain of bug fixes and tweaks. Changelog below. And the Nokia Store QML client has been updated to v3.18.032, with two important installation fixes.
A free exhibition is currently running at the London Design Museum (28 Shad Thames, London SE1), entitled, 'People Made - Nokia products that changed the world' and tells the 'inside story of Nokia - past, present and future'. The exhibition is free to enter, but is only running from October 28th to November 2nd, leaving you three days to go along and take a look.
I did report on Nokia's (beta) launch of its Maps Suite last week and was intending to write up my thoughts, but I've been beaten to it by The Mobile Tech Bishop in an excellently argued piece, in which the positives are acknowledged but the phrase "bloated mass" also makes a justified appearance.
Tucked away in the online manual for the Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone (now available online) are details of the Contacts Transfer application we spotted last week at Nokia World. This allows you to pair your existing phone over Bluetooth and transfer your contacts from the older phone.
Tucked away in the press releases from Nokia World was a small note that Nokia would be working with the New York Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA). Given that the MTA announced this trial without mentioning the hardware partner earlier in the year, it's great to see Nokia has picked up a high visibility hardware trial (at least in business circles) in America.
Here's an interesting one that's going to raise some eyebrows - it's an interactive multimedia preview of the Lumia 800, so you can get a tiny taster of the Metro UI on your Symbian device. While a number of die-hard Symbian fans are going to be very upset at the slightest hint of a possibility of a transition, it's another smart move from the marketing teams working on the Lumia launch.
The focus at Nokia World 2011 was, of course, very much on the launch of Nokia's first Windows Phone devices (Lumia 800 and 710), but there was plenty of Symbian Anna and Belle goodness across the various booths and stands too. To give you a flavour of the Symbian presence at the event, here's a virtual tour of (some of) what was on display.
Alongside the main Nokia World announcements, Nokia Beta Labs has announced an update to Nokia Maps, introducing the concept of Nokia Maps Suite (version 2.00, in fact), with four big new features; Pulse, Places, Live View and Public Transport. As always for beta software, you'll need to head over to the Beta Labs, and be aware it might not be consumer ready in terms of stability, but all your feedback will be appreciated.
Nokia announced a new hardware partnership with Monster on the stage of Nokia World today. Known for high-performance audio (in the same way that Carl Zeiss are known for high performance lenses), the relationship promises to be both long-term and exclusive with Nokia. The first collaborative product is the Purity range of HD stereo headsets.
