I finally found time to take my Smartphone Choosing Grid into 2009, adding devices like the Nokia N96, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, HTC Touch HD, Blackberry Storm and T-Mobile G1 into the mix. As usual, simply tick your preferences and have your perfect smartphone picked for you! How accurate is it now? Feedback welcomed below...
News of the FCC's approval of Samsung's S60 flagship for official use with North American networks is quite significant, or so reckons our friend Ricky Cadden - I'll let him discuss its appearance over 'there'. Mind you, the big question is, when will Samsung get its bug-fixing, firmware-updating act together so that sites like AAS can actually finish their detailed device reviews? Watch this space...
Over on All About N-Gage, we're asking readers to take part in an end-of-year survey to find out which phone they use for N-Gage, and which announced N-Gage games they're most looking forward to in 2009. Click on the link to find out more...
S60Inside is reporting that v11.0.008 firmware is about to hit the 5800 - Been There Done That, in my case, since this 9th Dec firmware was the one loaded on our review unit 8-) - still, watch NSU if you're still on v10 and avail yourself in a day or so's time to a load of bug fixes!
You'll have already seen Rafe's exhaustive (p)review of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, the first S60 5th Edition phone: Intro and Hardware, Multimedia, Software and Compatibility. In today's review feature, Steve Litchfield gives his own pointed slant on the device. Armed with production (9th Dec 2008) firmware, he critiques the 5800 XpressMusic from various standpoints, including text entry, user interface, camera and web browsing.
Ewan continues his idiosyncratic look at Nokia's new OLED-screened Nseries for the masses, the N85. In this third part, he looks at multimedia, focussing(!) on the camera, multimedia playback and some interesting UI notes and toys along the way.
The N79, which Rafe and I have played with at length (though admittedly not day to day), has received a truly huge firmware update to v11.049, with hundreds (I kid you not) of tweaks and bug fixes. Kudos to S60 Inside for getting the first detailed changelog online. As usual, if this isn't on Nokia Software Update yet, it soon will be, for non-network-crippled N79s, at least.
Yes, yes, MOAP is being rolled into S60 as well in the future. But in the meantime, hardware continues to be released. Launched yesterday were the NTT DOCOMO PRIME series SH-03A, which is made by Sharp, has a touch screen and an 8 megapixel camera, plus the STYLE series F-02A, which is made by Fujitsu and is fully waterproof.
Following on from Rafe's detailed (p)review articles on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (we labelled them 'preview' because the firmware wasn't final), I've been testing a 5800 with production (9th Dec 2008) firmware, specifically looking at video and photo capture. We'll have much more on this first S60 5th Edition handset in the coming weeks, of course, but see the example widescreen footage and embedded photos below.
Now this is what you call a long term review. One year of hard use and over 3000 photos later, Eric's Corner presents a long, detailed look back at how the Nokia N82 has stood up to every day life. Along similar lines, did you know that since July 2006, I've taken over 1,300 videos with my Nokia N93 and since January 2005, I've (apparently) taken over 8,000 photos with the 6630, N70, N93 etc. Rafe calls me an 'edge case'. Hmmm....
Having heard many a user refer to 'upgrading' from (for example) a Nokia N95 8GB to an N85, I thought it worth examining an important way in which all is not necessarily positive when going from an older phone to a newer one. With SPMark benchmark figures to back up my arguments, I'm rather disturbed by the hardware inside Nokia's current and upcoming (announced) ranges.
Just in time for a last minute festive present, the Nokia N85 and N79 have commenced shipping in the US, and will be in various stores, including Amazon and Nokia's own flagship stores for around $550 and $400 respectively. Unlocked handsets can also be purchased online and direct via www.nokiausa.com.
If you're stuck for a last minute Christmas present for a gadget-owning loved one (or yourself!) then note that I've arranged an exclusive one-week-only 15% discount for AAS readers over at Proporta - look out in particular for their (rightly) award-winning mobile chargers. Just enter "ALLABOUT" in their shopping basket system.
Hot on the heels of the last one (I don't know, you wait forever and two come along at once), it's the latest Insight podcast from All About Symbian. Catching them between flights, Steve chats to Rafe about Sony Ericsson and the Open Handset Alliance and some of the shorter news pieces, while Ewan talks about a brief hands-on with the N97 and the welcome regularity of N-Gage games.
Buzz seems to be growing in our forums that Samsung are getting their act together in terms of firmware updates for their S60 phones at last. Nothing over the air (yet), but firmware HJ7 (though from mid October) is now being offered via the latest version of their PC Suite. Join in the drama if you're feeling brave!
