How important is the OS in your smartphone? This has always been a strong discussion topic, as David Wood points out on the Symbian Foundation blog, but it's not the only issue around Operating Systems. Should we not be asking how important the perception of your OS is, to help drive the market? If that's the case, then Symbian OS and the Symbian Foundation need to make some hard business decisions in the next year to ensure the public know who they are. Read on for my analysis and suggestions.
In All About Symbian Insight 67 (AAS Podcast 127) we talk about the Nokia's Q1 results - how good/bad are they? We move on to the news that Samsung firmware updates (and a new PC Studio) are on the way, and discuss two Symbian OS topics. You can listen to AAS Insight 67 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
With the advent of Google Latitude, Nokia Chat, Nokia FriendView and other similar services, Steve Litchfield ponders their future, wondering why they haven't taken off as fast as he'd originally predicted. Part of the reason, he suspects, is that the typical demographic for such mo-lo-so applications is fairly restricted, i.e. most of us either know exactly where our main contacts are or don't need to know.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the discussion on my recent “Why I Don't Use the PIM on S60” bring in a bundle of comments both on the site and in the emails. Lots of you brought up similar points, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring those into an article about why a PIM on a mobile device is a really good idea. [And Mr. Editor (Steve) couldn't resist sticking in his thoughts as well... bah]
Nokia today released its Q1 2009 results. Nokia had net sales of EUR 9.3 billion, down 27% year on year and down 27% sequentially (down 24% and up 25% at constant currency). Nokia sold 13.7 million converged (S60) devices, down from 14.6 million in Q1 2008 and 15.1 million in Q4 2008, of these 5 million were Nseries and 3 million were Eseries. An individual device highlight was the 5800 which sold 2.6 million units. Nokia's industry outlook sees similar device volumes and market share for Q2, but expect overall conditions to improve in the second half of the year
It's time for another editorial bemoaning the fact that as Symbian OS gets older, and fancier ways are added for the manufacturers to transition between screens, some of the greatest functionality is removed. This week I want to point out the sorry tale of taking screenshots on your smartphone. Settle down for another 'once upon a time'...
In this developer feature we preview Nokia's upcoming Developer Summit 2009, which being held in Monaco at the end of this month. It is the first event that brings all aspects of development for Nokia devices together and Srikanth Raju, head of marketing for Forum Nokia, offers some insight.
In All About Symbian Insight 66 (AAS Podcast 124) we talk about the N-Gage platform's newest addition - Worms World Party. Then there's discussion of Google Maps 3.0.1, BBC TV streams, device colours. We finish with a discussion of the joys of older devices. You can listen to AAS Insight 66 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
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.
A question that has cropped up a few times since I took the Nokia 5800 to the recent Getting Things Done Conference in America is how I organise my time using GTD principles on my smartphone. And the honest answer is that I don't use a smartphone at all. I still use paper. Why? Let me explain... [Editor's note: Ewan's latest stylus for the Nokia 5800 appears to be.... an Allen key! Strewth - what next?]
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...
In this comment piece, 'Should Gravity come down?', James Whatley shares his thoughts on mobile application prices. Have on-device stores, such as iPhone's App Store and Android's Marketplace, changed consumer's perception of the pricing of mobile applications? What constitutes reasonable value? Read our first Whatley Wednesday, then share your thoughts in the comments thread.
