Just for interest sake, I see Nokia now has uploaded all the official tech specs, plus in some cases 3D models and animations/presentations of most of its new devices. Here are the pages for the E90, the E61i, the N77 and the 6110 Navigator.
SanDisk, the most respected manufacturer or add-on flash memory for smartphones and handhelds, has just announced the first 4GB microSD card (staggering, if you've seen the size of microSD media) and has also announced the first multi-adapter SD kit, the likes of which we'll be seeing more and more of in shops. Details below.
You may remember a news post a week or so ago about Nokia integrating their 'Search' tool (which accessed online databases like Yahoo) and their 'Search' tool (which lets you search for any text content on your device)? Yes, the names were confusing everyone and they were supposedly combined. Except noone told their web team and it hasn't been available. But it is now. Recommended for all.
If you want to follow the Nokia launches this morning live, here's the web address to visit at around 9.50am GMT. We'll be putting up news and analysis during the morning, of course.
What a busy time (but perhaps an appropriate one) to divulge a mass of stats from the smartphone world. Canalys' latest report shows that 64 million smartphones shipped worldwide in 2006. Symbian's world market share was up to 67%, of which Nokia accounted for 50% and Sony Ericsson 5%.
Nokia has now integrated their long available Internet-based Search utility with the local (i.e. on your device) Search previously only (officially) available with the Nokia E50. Less confusion and more functionality all round. Mobile Search is available for every S60 3rd Edition smartphone. The full press release follows. Update: See comments below before visiting site...
So much better than traipsing across the world, enduring hours of travel and sitting in a stuffy theatre - Nokia are doing another worldwide webcast 9am tomorrow (Thursday). The subject's not officially announced but clever money is on an expansion of their mapping and navigation software systems (e.g. that in the N95) into the wider S60 world.
Just as we're about to get our hands on the first 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 devices, Nokia go and announce S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2... In addition to ease-of-development benefits, this comes with "Usability enhancements supporting ease of use in (for example) messaging, multitasking and downloading. Feature Pack 2 also enables instant media playback during downloading and animated notification of inbound calls." More details and actual screenshots are available here on S60.com. The full Nokia press release follows....
It seems that after a gentle kick from yours truly Nokia N93 firmware updates via Nokia Software Update are finally back online after 3 months downtime. Moreover, the next-gen (masses more RAM, WLAN wizard, Search, Download!) v20.0.58 firmware is finally available, though watch out for a nasty camcorder bug. (Via Symbian Freak)
This weeks Matsuri (Carnival) of the Mobilists is hosted by Jan Kuczynski of Wireless World Japan. Plenty of interesting generic mobile writing to explore...
With the Nokia N92 and DVB-H mobile TV still not really established in most of the world, I was interested to see Marek Pawlowski's blogged review of his data-based 'Mobile TV' experience on a S60 smartphone. The jury's still out on the best way to provide TV on a smartphone, but suffice it to say that Marek was seriously underwhelmed by his trial.
Symbian is going to have a big presence at 3GSM 2007 in Barcelona and their 3GSM web pages are now live - including coffee, lifestyle, lounge and blogs! And a reminder that AllAboutSymbian (ok, Rafe) will be there too, reporting back on the new devices and services.