Last month NTT DOCOMO premiered its winter 2009 collection of mobile phones consisting of 19 different models. Among these are 9 Symbian phones, which are being featured on the Symbian blog today. Features range from a 12 megapixel camera, through separating parts and being waterproof to smell-o-phone, and more. However unless you're in Japan, you'll probably never see them. This may change in the future as both DOCOMO and the manufacturers are interested in expanding to markets outside Japan.
Returning to a familiar theme but with a new twist, I caught myself doing something rather silly and rather telling. Reprising the pros and cons of touchscreen phones in the face of almost universal acceptance, seemingly, it does rather seem as though a tipping point has been reached. Read on for my Dec 2009 thoughts on 'Touch vs non-Touch'...
It has been a long time coming, but the Nokia E75 has now had its first major firmware update, to v201.12.01 (from v110.x). There are new features and a mountain of bug fixes and optimisations - it's an impressive update and I've included a summarised changelog below. It's a 153MB update via NSU and isn't available yet 'over the air' in the UK, possibly because it involves so many changes. Comments welcome on availability in your country.
As I observed almost a year ago, the pairing of a Symbian smartphone and an Apple iPod Touch makes a huge amount of sense in terms of their complimentary strengths. And now Mike Macias is rightly making similar observations, pointing out that the Nokia E71 armed with JoikuSpot (for sharing its data connection via Wi-Fi) makes a perfect partner for the latest 2G iPod Touch. The best of both worlds? Food for thought, at least!
Following on from the best-selling(!) part 1 of my Sony Ericsson Satio review, here's part 2, looking at its star feature, the 12 megapixel camera with Xenon flash. In addition to comments on the interface and photo/video samples, I put the Satio's camera head to head over a variety of photo shoots with the Nokia N86 8MP, the Samsung i8910 HD and the Nokia N96 (for reference). In summary, I'd rate the Satio as having potentially the best camera ever fitted to a phone, though there's obviously still some optimisation needed in its algorithms. Comments welcome!
Nokia has released a new firmware update for the Nokia E71. The new version, 400.21.013, adds improved support for Nokia Email / Messaging and a pre-installed version of Ovi Contacts, contains numerous stability and bug fixes, and includes small updates for Internet radio, Quickoffice, Ovi Store, Email Setup Wizard, and Mail for Exchange. The update can be downloaded and installed using Nokia Software Updater, which is a module of PC Suite.
It may be ancient by 2009 standards, but it's still a very powerful beast. I'm talking about the Nokia N82, with accelerated graphics and Xenon flash. And it's the subject of a lengthy and passionate essay by Eric of Eric's Corner. Well worth a read - it's a classic phone in many ways, even if it has been eclipsed in recent times by the equally camera-centric N86 (which was, incidentally, conceived by the N82's designer). (via WOM)
In All About Symbian Insight 96 (AAS Podcast 160), we discuss recent rumour around Nseries in 2012 and the related Symbian / Maemo debate. Then there's news coverage of the Nokia 6700 Slide and Spotify on Symbian. We finish with a number of reader questions ranging from the web as a platform to buggy firmware and augmented reality. You can listen to AAS Insight 96 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
It's Sony Ericsson's first ever S60 smartphone, running the same version of S60 5th Edition as the Nokia 5800, but with several Sony Ericsson extras, plenty of horsepower under the bonnet and a distinctive camera-centric tablet form factor. Can Sony Ericsson succeed where Samsung have been struggling in the battle to compete with the lesser specified Nokias? Here's part 1 of my multi part AAS review of the Satio.
Nokia today announced a new mid-tier S60 handset - the Nokia 6700 Slide. A key characteristic of the phone is its sleek design and aluminum finish. It will be available in six colours (pink, red, petrol blue, aluminum, lime and purple), in Q1 2010, at a cost of €160 (before taxes and subsidies). The phone runs S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, features a 5 megapixel camera (with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash), 2.2 inch QVGA screen, FM radio, tri-band WCDMA (HSDPA and HSUPA) and an emphasisis on the ability to share media to friends and the web.
Nokia's latest music phone, the X6 is due to hit UK stores this Friday (27th November). Shipping on Orange, and packaged with Comes with Music, the monthly tariff is £35 (or £25 if you trade in another Nseries handset). Alternatively, you can go for the SIM free version direct from Nokia's webstore at £449.
The Gadget Show's Jon Bentley is very experienced at handling and reviewing smart/camera phones and in this episode of their Web TV he delivers his verdict on the new Sony Ericsson Satio. Summary: crisp photos but nowhere near as pleasing as those from the Nokia N86, nice application bundle, frustrating resistive touchscreen, annoyingly AWOL 3.5mm audio jack. AAS's production Satio arrives tomorrow, so watch this space for a Satio/N86/i8910 HD photo and video head to head. Can't wait!
Following on from the E52 thread, and in a clarion call for higher build quality among Symbian OS-powered smartphones, I've pooled my own and other people's comments, to produce a Top Dozen Best Built devices. With the current E52, E55 and N97 perhaps near the top of a 'Worst built' list, I think it's fair to say that terrific build quality is something to be cherished in models of all vintages. Read on.
Sometimes I think that convergence has gone too far and that modern smartphones are just too complex for their own good. And then I think 'Nah, manufacturers and networks just need to seed devices with bloggers and power users like you and I to help with testing before unleashing devices on the general public'. Witness the reported withdrawal of the Nokia N97 from Vodafone and Sony Ericsson Satio from the Carphone Warehouse after high returns and plenty of issues. Ah, life on the bleeding edge, it's not for the faint-hearted or for the great unwashed...
