More FOMA smartphones, built on Symbian OS, have been launched into the market the last few days in Japan. Press releases here and here and here for those interested. The phones concerned are the SO902i (Sony Ericsson), the NM850Gi (Nokia), and the D702i (Mitsubishi). Read one for basic specifications and pictures.
Nokia has posted a press release related to its keynote speech at this year's Game Developers Conference which reveals that its "next generation mobile games platform" will launch in the first half of 2007, "with a range of titles and devices". For more on developer information revealed at GDC read our related news story. Another article about the same speech also mentions that by 2008 Nokia expects to have a userbase of 250 million Nokia smartphones.
The first Symbian OS 9.1 and first S60 3rd Edition phone have started shipping in the form of the Nokia 3250. The 3250 is Nokia's mid-teir music smartphone and costs 350 Euros. The Nokia N91 will start shipping in Europe in the first week of April, and follow in the Middle East and Asia in the second week of April. Shipping dates for the US market are not yet available. The Nokia N91 is Nokia's high end music phone and will cost 700 Euros
The Nokia N series includes smartphones that have the potential to replace yet another home gadget - the camcorder. Steve Litchfield muses on the current abilities and where the technology will undoubtedly go.
Here's the official All About Symbian review of Symbian's "How Smartphones Work" book. Warning: the title's accurate, but it's not quite about what you think it's about...
Nokia today announced the AD-42W Audio Gateway which allows you to stream music wirelessly (using Bluetooth) between compatible devices. The device plugs into the back of a stereo/HiFi using standard audio cables and enables audio in and out via the A2DP Bluetooth profile. It has two usage modes, either to listen to music stored on your future smartphone via your HiFi or to listen to music from your HiFi with a stereo Bluetooth headset.
PhoneScoop have put up a news piece delving into the FCC database, revealing a stripped down Nokia E61, dubbed the E62, without 3G/Wi-Fi or Pop-Port (mini USB instead). The phone operate on the 850/1900 GSM bands and appears to be aimed at the US market. External photos available here, and the manual here.
Steve Litchfield whips out the photographic proof from his multimedia smartphone round-up from a month or so ago, including direct comparison of the output from the Nokia N90 and N70, plus two top smartphones from the WinMob world...
The Nokia E61 has been approved by the FCC bringing the first QWERTY keyboard equipped S60 device one step closer to the market. Inidcations are that it should be available by the end of the month, though operator availability may take longer. The devices looks set to make an appearance in most major markets via various carriers. Read on for some highlights from the user manual.
While Samsung S60 phones may be in short supply in the public's hands, that's not stopped Handango partnering with them for mobile content delivery in Europe. Via a Handango hosted "Fun Club Software Store" Samsung Fan Club members (presumably over the whole Samsung range, not just Symbian devices) can access ringtones, games, and other multimedia items.
NTT DoCoMo has launched a Japanese version of the S60-based 6630. Dubbed the NM850iG, this smartphone has a slightly different keypad layout, with the appropriate Japanese characters catered for.
Symbian have announced some interesting 2005 and Q4, 2005 figures. Almost 34 million smartphones running Symbian OS shipped in 2005, the fourth consecutive year in which shipments have grown by more than 100%. Over 10 million shipments were in Q4. Here's the full press release, which goes into a lot more detail.
Late on the first day of 3GSM, Sony Ericsson announced the W950 Walkman Smartphone. Adding the Walkman brand brings a distinct marketing edge to the smartphone market, and while it may not look much in the pictures, in person it's a great looking phone.
The phone itself is Symbian OS 9.1 using UIQ3. It comes with 4 Gigabytes of internal storage (which will hold 4,000 tracks on SE's figures), and similar installed software to the M600i - if you're thinking that this is the M600i with Walkman and Megabase branding then you would be right, but you're forgetting the dedicated one-touch music keys and side volume controls augmenting the regular UIQ interface. More pictures and specs after the break...
