All About Symbian - Symbian, Nokia and S60 unwrapped.
Nokia's N8 overview video (part 1) examined in detail
Published by Rafe Blandford at 19:02 UTC, May 31st 2010
As part of its promotional activities for the N8, Nokia is releasing a series of overview videos presented by Chris Bennetts, a Senior Product Manager at the company. The first video covers the homescreen, messaging, Internet and mapping functionality; rather than just linking to it or embedding it, we've broken this video down in detail as it offers some great insight as to what you can expect from both the N8 and how, in many places, the UI and applications of Symbian^3 have been reworked. Read on for further details.
Video Nokia N8 overview - part 1 of 3
First, here's the video in which Senior Product Manager, Chris Bennetts, gives the first part of an overview of the Nokia N8, covering the homescreen, messaging, Internet and maps. A further two videos in this series are scheduled, which will take a look at other areas of the Nokia N8.
Breaking down the video
This first image shows the new homescreen; Symbian^3 introduces the concept of multi-page homescreens - an evolution of the idea first seen on the Nokia N97. Each homescreen has 'slots' for six widgets and the N8 allows you to use up to four homescreen pages, giving a maximum possible 24 widgets in total.
Some of the default widgets have also been evolved, allowing for a greater range of interaction directly on the homescreen. For example, the Contacts widget shown below, with quick access to individual contacts, creates a carousel of user selectable contact thumbnail images, which can be 'scrolled' to the left or right. Similarly, the search widgets gives you a choice of accessing a web search engine or searching through the contents of the device.
The way you edit the homescreen has also been changed; it now supports a more direct interaction. A long press on the screen will activate the 'edit' mode from where you can add, remove and reposition individual widgets. However, you can only move widgets within the current homescreen page - it is not possible to drag and drop them to another page (instead you'll need to remove it from one page, switch to another page, and add the widget).
This image shows how the multi-tasking UI will be implemented; as a series of images/pages on a carousel. Each application gets a semi-live screenshot showing its current status. The currently open applications can be browsed by swiping left or right and accessed by tapping on the appropriate image.
The idea behind this approach is to make it more visually obvious which application is which. This contrasts with the current approach, which uses small application icons and is not particularly finger friendly.
The N8 will be the first Nokia device to get a reworked messaging application. The most notable addition is support for SMS/MMS messages displayed in conversations. It's also a good example of where the change to the single tap interaction model (also referred to as 'direct interaction') will be noticeable. You'll only ever need to tap an item once to 'access' it. This is in contrast with the 'double-tap' model of Nokia's current Symbian^1 devices (select an item in a list, then choose an action for the selected item).
The Conversations view of the Messaging application shows SMS/MMS exchanges in a chat like interface, with each person displayed in a contrasting colour. Effectively, Conversations is a listing of messages ordered by people rather than by time.
This is important, as SMS is increasingly being used in an instant message-like way, especially in markets where SMS is available in 'unlimited' or large bundles. Having an SMS conversation displayed in a thread/chat like way makes it much easier to follow a conversation over time.
As shown below, the Messaging application also adds support for smileys. However, the way they are displayed on a recipient's phone will vary depending on the phone model.
This image shows the reworked landscape view with full QWERTY keyboard. The look and style of the keyboard has been altered, and there's clearer confirmation of each letter being typed. It's also likely that we'll see some other changes in text input for the N8 compared to older devices in both landscape and portrait view (e.g. improvements to the predictive and auto-correction input engines).
Nokia have said that initially the N8's qwerty keyboard will not support multi-touch, this means that you'll have to lift your finger off the screen before typing the next letter. However this is, perhaps, something that will be changed in later versions of the software.
As with current Symbian^1 phones, additional status information about connection status can be accessed by pressing the area around the battery indicator. There's a slight redesign of the styling of this pop-up and improved access to connection management. Note that Symbian^3 also does away with many of the connection prompts that are common on earlier Symbian versions.
The email application also receives a radical overhaul, based around Nokia Messaging technology. The client is updated (from the current Symbian^1 version) to take advantage of new UI features such as the single tap interaction model. Most key functions can be accessed with a single tap and a long press on an item brings up a context-sensitive menu.
The N8's browser (version 7.2) and WRT implementation (also 7.2) is the same version in the most up to date devices (e.g. E72 and X6 running latest firmwares). However, some of the UI has been reworked. For example, the toolbar in landscape mode is narrower, as shown in the image below. This toolbar change is system wide and should apply to all built in applications.
Overall performance will be improved, partly due to underlying platform components, but also because of the improved hardware (faster processor, more RAM, graphics co-processor).
This browser will continue to support Flash, as demonstrated by the image below showing the flash-heavy Ovi Maps page on the Nokia website. The version of Flash that ships with the N8 should be Flash Lite 4, which includes support for Flash 10.1 videos.
The N8 will ship with Ovi Maps, giving worldwide free car and pedestrian satellite navigation. Thanks to its graphics co-processor, the N8 should have the best performance in mapping of any Nokia product to date (e.g. map scrolling and zooming).
Here's an additional image from Ovi Maps which showcases another of the UI tweaks in Symbian^3. In this case, it is a context-sensitive menu displayed in landscape mode. The menu is centred on the screen and has a softkey at the bottom of the menu list. Previously, this menu would have been anchored to a toolbar on the right of the screen, with separate softkey controls on the toolbar.
More N8 coverage is on the way here on All About Symbian as we progress towards the device's retail availability in the second half of August.
See also
Nokia N8 - content creation and consumption on Symbian^3
The Nokia N8: Imaging champion with a five year legacy
The making of the Nokia N8's camera
The Nokia N8 seen through YouTube videos
What does the internet think of the Nokia N8?
Nokia N8 image and video samples
News Discussion
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Originally Posted by Tenkom
What about text entry? Symbian currently has the worst text entry system of all the major smartphone oses(on the touch only devices that is).
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I also find it hard to get excited about threaded SMS - I had it on my 6110 Navigator (S60 3rd ed, FP1) thanks to a Nokia app, and am amazed that it isn't on Symbian^1 and is deemed a major new feature for Symbian^3?
Now, I'm not an Apple or Android fanboy, as I said, I'm a long-time Nokia and Symbian user (current device a 5800XM), but I'm really worried for the future. Symbian^3 looks like being the OS with the 5800XM should have shipped, and not a challenger for mind share in 2010.
My brother has recently got an HTC Desire and it was hard not to be impressed. I know that when you strip away the wow factor both the Desire and the current crop of Nokia's do pretty similar things, but it is the way that it does them that makes the difference.
Will my next 'phone be Symbian-powered? I really don't know at the moment (loyalty is a funny thing, isn't it?), but if Symbian^3 continues to be nothing special (as seems to be the case) then I'll be jumping into Google's arms - and I'm guessing that once I've gone, I won't be coming back quickly...
Currently I'm carrying three devices where ever I go, N97, iPhone 3Gs n the N900.. The N97 debacle forced me into buying the 3Gs coz b4 the FW 2.0/2.1 using the N97 was really like a nightmare day n night.. But alas I found the 3Gs didn't give me the satisfaction I get like with Nokia devices that I've had.. Mind u, I had loads of them from my first 3210 X 2.. 3310 X2.. 5300.. 6600.. 3200.. 6760.. N90.. N93.. N95.. N95 8gb.. N96.. 5800.. N97..... N900.. Sure the 3Gs gives me fluidity n stupid/funny apps. all the time, everytime i poke my finger at it.. without fail.. But i find myself keep coming back to the N97 as my main phone.. and when I take photos, I'd pick the N97 everytime.. even with the leaked flash n all(I'd simply switch it off)..when i go to facebook, N97 most of the time.. lite surfing, N97.. I keep coming back to it even with the 3Gs on my beck n call, always ready to offer its unrelentless service. So what does the 3Gs actually good for u might ask..? Well at this moment, its mostly for media consumption, music, videos n the occasional time passing simple games.. coz those were the few things that the N97 is still terrible at..
Now with the N8..coupled with Coreplayer 2.0(when the hell r they gonna release it anyway??They're like taking forever!!) the UI/UX looks juz like the N97(which I loike) things will get sweeter.. The 3Gs might juz gotta give way..
Ooh.. the N900..? Still learning it n soaking up Maemo.. it will surely stay for a while..
Jaydee @ Sg
It sure looks like Nokia have improved on exactly all the things that I find irritating about my N97, and kept all the things (plus more) about the N97 that I really like. This is perfect for me, especially considering the N8 runs all the old apps as well as the new shiny Qt stuff and 3D.
Yay! I'm going for the N8, unless a QWERTY N8 is announched soon ;-)
More worrisome though is that the device seems a bit stuttery and laggy, almost like a Windows Mobile phone.
JD @ SG
Interesting comments about the UI not being impressive enough. What phone UI is? What really matters is if the UI is effective.
And I love the comedy comment about changing the camera flash sync so the flash doesn't co-incide with the shutter opening, thanks for that, great laugh to start the week!
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Originally Posted by slitchfield
My problem with the video is that it's all a bit boring -90% of the excitement in the N8 is in its hardware... Let's hope that the focus of at least one of the remaining two videos changes to look at the USPs in the hardware rather than the detailed changes in the software....
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I'm not a huge fan of Apple's awesome, incredible, amazing... (check this video, rather funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx7v815bYUw), but maybe Nokia needs it (at least to some extent).
Cheers,
Miki
But as a work horse the desire cannot match the simplicity and usability of my e71, the battery life for a start.
i wonder where Nokia are going with this, as a multimedia experience the androids and the iphone will hammer this, with a keyboard i may be tempted but there are better touch screen options around.
Nokia in my opinion should look at the hole in the market between enterprise and consumer which used to be occupied by Windows and make devices to suit.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
Interesting comments about the UI not being impressive enough. What phone UI is? What really matters is if the UI is effective.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy1
The UI looks okay, but sort of 'blah'; not bad, just a tad dull. I don't see much of a 'Wow, cool' factor.
More worrisome though is that the device seems a bit stuttery and laggy, almost like a Windows Mobile phone. |
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Originally Posted by brendand
Please point out where the "lag" is in the video.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy1
The UI looks okay, but sort of 'blah'; not bad, just a tad dull. I don't see much of a 'Wow, cool' factor.
More worrisome though is that the device seems a bit stuttery and laggy, almost like a Windows Mobile phone. |
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Originally Posted by buster
You could argue that a 5 second "Processing" message when adding a background image to a home screen is too long...
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Originally Posted by brendand
So how fast should a mobile phone scale 4000x3000 to 640x360?? Show me an Android phone that can do that.. In fact, the Droid that I had took 5 seconds to save a bloody contact, never mind scale a 12 megapixel image.
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Try opening a 12mp image on *any* phone, see how well it copes.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
I don't see any lag at all. Probably not as polished and smooth as the iphone but fast enough. You'd probably see it if you don't have a life!
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It does seem that other phones are allowed to have these faults, but if it happens on a Nokia it's a disaster and the end of the world.
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