Nokia Conversations has been doing a series of 'Three favourite Nokias ever', asking the question of famous people around the Nokia ecosystem, and it's our humble site-master's turn today. The N95's inclusion was probably a given, but the other two will surprise you. Worth a read!
Sony Ericsson has just launched a new flagship media smartphone, the Vivaz, running S60 5th Edition and a tweaked version of the software in the Satio. It's a smaller device (think Nokia 5800), with 3.2" screen and 'human curvature' design(!) and available in silver, black, blue and 'ruby'. The star feature though is the camcorder functionality, with full 720p video capture and continuous auto-focus, a first in production phones. Stills are at 8 megapixels with single LED flash. Availability is this quarter. Photos, video, specs and more below.
Ewan continues his multipart look at the new Nokia X6 Comes with Music. Part 1 of this review looked at the X6's externals, while part 2 was heavily critical of the core Music player and performance and part 3 looked at the X6's camera and photography functions. In this, (the final) part 4, Ewan rounds up the X6's general applications and interface odds and bobs.
When launched in early 2009, the Samsung i8910 HD (a.k.a. Omnia HD in some markets) had eye-watering specifications, certainly ahead of anything else in the Symbian world and, arguably, ahead of anything in the world in general. Bit by bit the wider market is embracing the same technology though, with Google's new Nexus One offering an almost identical specification and form factor. Which can only mean one thing: - time to get them both in-house, photographed and tested, head to head.
Time to play 'spot that phone' in another Nokia factory/test centre video, this time from Nokia Conversations, embedded below, intended to show Nokia's state of the art design, manufacturing and testing centre in Beijing. There's a section with a load of white N86s, but what else can you spot? Was anything confidential filmed by mistake? Somehow I doubt it, but it does make for a good game!
Proporta have been touting their Gadget Bag for a while now and I decided it was high time to give this accessory the ultimate test - give it to road warrior Ewan to fill/destroy. Here's his write-up, highlighting just how much stuff can be packed into the bag but also bemoaning the lack of internal loops and ties to stop your bits from rattling around. It's a positive review overall though and a road warrior won't argue with the price.
In All About Symbian Insight 101 (AAS Podcast 165), we round up the weeks news including updates to Ovi Suite, Samsung's 32 GB microSD card announcement, firmware updates for the 5800, N86, E72 and E75 and the release of Betalab's Gig Finder. We also discuss the UI concept proposal from Nokia for Symbian^4, before Ewan gives us some concluding thoughts on the X6. You can listen to AAS Insight 101 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
OK, so I made the last three words up, but the extensively titled Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Games Edition has been sighted by CJ in the USA, equipped apparently with "20 Full version games (10 from Gameloft, 10 from EA Mobile)". It's a nice idea, is available from Nokia USA and only costs $10 more than the standard phone. Even with a number of Java titles, that can't be bad value.
Ewan continues his multipart look at the new Nokia X6 Comes with Music. Part 1 of this review looked at the X6's externals, while part 2 was heavily critical of the core Music player and performance. In this, part 3, he looks at the X6's camera and photography functions - can even the X6 transform Ewan into photographer of the year?
You may remember my own hard hitting multi-part review of the Nokia E72 a couple of weeks ago here on AAS? If you're after yet more E72 discussion in gory detail then I can recommend Clinton Jeff's mammoth one-piece E72 review, which manages to throw up all sorts of delightful details (e.g. did you know the E72's volume keys were backlit?)
A couple of interesting links of interest from the last 24 hours: Samsung has announced the world's first 32GB microSD card, based on 30nm technology (i.e. 0.00000003 metres!), to be in production from next month. Staggering miniaturisation, if you ask me. In other news, Nokia has released a Windows 7-compatible (beta) version of its Nokia Software Update tool, eliminating the need to mess around running the tool in a 'compatibility' mode. About time.
In another of my periodic hardware head-to-heads, I pitch a variety of full-screen, full-qwerty hybrid smartphones against each other, ranging from the 3 year old Nokia E90, still supported but hard to find for sale now, through to the N97 mini, the HTC Touch Pro 2 and the spanking new Motorola Milestone. Which devices punch the heaviest when the rubber really hits the road?
Thanks to Nokia Users for pointing out that a new firmware for the Nokia E72 is starting to make its way around the world. v22.007 promises 'new features' and 'updated applications', but I don't have a device to check with. Comments welcome if you can spot any of the aforementioned!
The Nokia N86 8MP just got a minor update to v21 firmware. Version 21.006 replaces v20.115 and is, unashamedly, a maintenance release, improving performance further and fixing a number of minor bugs. We might have to wait for an official changelog for this one, but please comment if you can add a specific observation. v21 is 700kb and is now available via Nokia Software Update and over the air on the phone itself in most regions. There's full User Data Preservation, but back up to memory card, just in case? (via CJ)
Following on from the first three review parts: Sony Ericsson Satio - part 1: Form, Design, Build Quality and Sony Ericsson Satio - part 2: The Camera and Sony Ericsson Satio - part 3: Applications and interface, here's my last look at the new Sony Ericsson flagship, rounding up its media suite and overall worth. It's fair to say that bugs and inconsistencies rather ruined my overall Satio experience, but hey, at least I've got photographic proof. Yet another manufacturer living with a buggy flagship? Gah.
