Outing the Nokia N100?
Published by Steve Litchfield at 15:02 BST, May 27th 2008
Wednesday morning sees the start of the S60 Summit in Barcelona, with Rafe and Ewan in attendance, more from them as it happens. See below, though, for photos and information on so-new-it's-almost-vapour Nokia N100 - the ultimate S60 smartphone? Plus my thoughts on Nokia's design strategies - maybe some of these will be taken on board by the manufacturers represented at the summit?
But first more on the Nokia N100 - you're dying to see it, after all:
(OK, you've got me, this is a rather amateurish photoshop amalgam and can't be found in stores - so please don't email in! Read on for why I've pictured it...)
If there's one key theme that comes out of reviews of smartphones, over and over again, it's that every single design leaves something major out or has an obvious design flaw. For example:
Nokia N82: small and dim screen, fiddly keys
Nokia N95: smallish battery, low RAM, relatively flagile
Nokia N95 8GB: unprotected camera glass, still fragile
Nokia N93 and E90: far too many moving parts
Nokia N81: horrible screen that blacks out in bright light
Nokia E61i: low RAM, slow OS/processor
And that's just a handful of the latest Nokia-branded devices, off the top of my head. I've used Nokia as an example, but every other smartphone maker gets it wrong too. Even Apple. Somehow, something always gets left out or mucked up. And it's not just me that keeps observing this.
So, with this in mind, I've turned on my imagination and produced the Nokia N100 - there is nothing unrealistic in the spec and design here, this is not intended to be a fanboy wishlist - I'm simply trying to combine existing highlights from Nokia's S60 smartphone range into one device, with no silly compromises or strange design decisions. In short, there is no reason why the (ahem) N100 couldn't exist today.
Here's the breakdown: (Not actual size, by the way!)
Some extra notes (working from the top of the diagram above):
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It's essential that any high-spec camera have a mechanical cover - the lens on the N95 8GB (and presumably N78 and N96) gets too scratched in real life, even under ideal conditions, producing slightly fuzzy results.
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2.8" is a minimum screen size - many rivals are in the 3" plus region. The days of tiny, hard-to-read displays are well and truly over - no squinting required!
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It's an utter mystery to me why manufacturers keep on churning out designs like the N81 (for example) with low-tech screens that black out in sunlight. The transflective displays on (e.g.) the N95 and E61 are superbly visible, even in bright sunlight, outdoors - which is, after all, where you'll be using your smartphone a lot of the time, not in a darkened office.
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There's a good reason why myself, Rafe, and numerous others from the smartphone world, all prefer candy bar designs when all is said and done. With no ribbon cables to break, no hinges to crack, no display wires to fracture, a candy bar smartphone will be more robust and longer-lasting than any other design, whatever materials are used.
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A decent battery is a must. Anyone using the GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi and camera a lot in an existing current smartphone has to nurse it through a heavy day and charge every night. With a 1500mAh battery (Nokia make a lot of these for their Eseries range), you can leave everything on (more or less), all day, and simply not have to worry about ad-hoc recharges.
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The 'Home' icon was an innovation for the Nokia E51 that deserves repeating across the range. A simple 'Home' icon makes a lot of sense on several levels - not least because it's the same behaviour as in the much-hyped Apple iPhone interface. You press the 'Home' button, you get to all your nice, shiny application icons.
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Front keypad shortcuts to extra applications have been a feature on several recent Eseries devices, plus some designs from Samsung - and they're a great idea. Apps like Contacts, Calendar and Messaging are so core to the smartphone lifestyle that they deserve their own shortcut buttons - just as long as there's also a Settings dialog for changing the assignments - e.g. if the user prefers the third party Handy Calendar instead.
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The experiment with the pencil thin keys on the Nokia N82 and Samsing i550 needs to end here. Regular sized keys are preferred by the majority of people and can look just as stylish. The bigger the keys, the less of a requirement for having fingers the size of toothpicks.
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A 3.5mm audio jack is an absolute must. The Nokia N95 and N82 have shown that you can still have 4-way headset connections and TV out facilities through a standard sized jack - this should be standard across smartphones now.
Of, course, despite my eloquent(!) reasoning, you'll doubtless disagree with some of the above - in real life, there isn't one smartphone design that fits all. But my hope is that some of the S60 design teams present at the Barcelona summit get time to glance through this feature and ponder the N100...
Ideally, manufacturers would consult with, you know, real users, before finalising hardware designs. In this way, clunkers like the Nokia N93i (appalling screen and mike placement), Samsung i550 (appalling trackball control), Sony Ericsson P990i (appalling RAM spec) and Nokia N76 (appalling... err.... where do I start with this one?...) would never have been made and manufacturers would have saved themselves millions of dollars in development costs.
Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 27 May 2008
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Categories: Hardware, Miscellaneous, Editorial Thoughts, Events
Platforms: S60 3rd Edition
News Discussion
bartmanekul
Doesnt matter what you have written there, I bet you still get many questions about when/where this N100 wil arrive ;)
As for the phone you designed....
I agree with it in every respect.
One thing worries me though. With a keypad and screen that size, not being a slider isnt it going to be really long?
Did you actually measure out the 120mm?
And could you get a 1500 battery in there, with all that stuff as well?
But that aside, you have made my perfect phone. I have often said Id like the E51 if it had GPS.
But then theres that old argument.
Why would nokia want to produce the *perfect* phone?
If someone from nokia is reading, for what its worth, Id buy that phone in an instant.
Although, it could do with a bit more rounding of corners at the top ;) Dont suppose you want to add xenon flash?
W.Bart
My reasoning is that a manufacturer like Nokia could neither be blind to the advantages of a perfect smartphone nor lack the expertise of proper implementation of the technologies into making such a device. There should be some twisted business reason. They make a perfect smartphone and people buy it. Then what? Where is the reason for people changing their handsets and then where is the business?
JimH
I hate to say it, but I wouldn't want the "N100" as specified above, a handful of reasons:
0. It's going to be too big - I'd much prefer something N78 sized, and I'd rather something even tinier than that.
1. Yes, I'm old (almost as old as Steve), but I don't need a 2.8" screen, 2.4" or smaller is still ample for my eyes at qvga resolution.
2. Too many keys - I never use the extra keys, they get in the way - give me the basic 18 that the 6120 uses (plus a three on the side for camera and volume) and I'll be happy.
3. Thin keys are good, with distinct spacing between the keys you can easily touch-t9
4. Points 2 & 3 added together save more space on the phone, all good for a smaller device.
5. Home key, nah, it's misleading, only surpassed in stupidity by Microsoft's click "Start" to shutdown.
There you go, 6 reasons why the "N100" doesn't top my list, other people will have other different niggles too, hence why Nokia have such a divergent range of phones.
krisse
Quote:
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My reasoning is that a manufacturer like Nokia could neither be blind to the advantages of a perfect smartphone nor lack the expertise of proper implementation of the technologies into making such a device. They make a perfect smartphone and people buy it. Then what?
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I suppose you think oil manufacturers know how to make cars run on water but are holding back that secret too?
This conspiracy theory stuff about manufacturers deliberately holding back a "perfect phone" is a total myth.
There's three main reasons for this:
1. People's tastes vary
You might have a smartphone with every available hardware feature at the current time, which is pretty much what the N95 was in early 2007, but 95% of people won't touch it because such a phone will be too expensive. The N95 launched for something like 600 to 700 euros, which is way way way beyond the budget of the average phone user, who prefers phones near the 100 euro mark. Price is a feature too, and the more hardware you add the worse the price becomes.
The only way to get mass sales for devices is to make them a reasonable price, which means leaving stuff out and making a variety of devices that serve the different priorities of different people.
I personally thought the 6120 was as close as I could get to my own perfect smartphone, because I'm not a huge fan of Wi-Fi and I don't really need a 5mp Carl Zeiss camera. It looked like a normal phone, it had the same size and feel of a normal phone, but it had just the right combination of features for my own needs. At the time I reviewed the 6120 last year I had an N95 on loan too and the 6120 felt like a much better phone, even though on paper it was technically worse. My idea of perfection is that fewer features are a great idea if it means a smaller, cheaper phone.
Others absolutely hated the 6120 because it had a small display, but that was part of the reason it was so small and cheap, which is what I wanted.
2. Technology doesn't stand still, so tech fans will never be satisfied for long by even the best model
AND... even if you did come up with some mythical "perfect" phone, how long exactly would it remain perfect? How long was 3G the fastest standard? How long will 3.5G be the fastest standard? How long will 16gb seem like a large amount of storage space for a phone? How long will people settle for non-touch phones? If phones all become touch-based, what happens if 3D gestures become more popular than 2D touch? No one knows the answers to these, yet manufacturers have to start planning for the future right now.
Phone technology moves on so so quickly that there's absolutely no point in manufacturers holding anything back because whatever they release will become rapidly outdated anyway.
I remember when the N91 came out I thought "They'll NEVER top that, it's got EVERYTHING", but just a few years later it seems like rather a primitive phone with its low res display and limited amount of memory.
3. Real people don't buy phones very often
For this conspiracy theory to work, it would have to force people into buying phones more often because they can't get all their features in one device. But this just doesn't match reality. Outside the tiny number of hardcore tech fans, real people only buy phones maybe once a year at most.
In those circumstances it wouldn't matter if someone bought a "perfect" phone because by the time they do their next upgrade the "perfect" phone will already be out of date as new technologies and components have become available.
bartmanekul
Quote:
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I personally thought the 6120 was as close as I could get to my own perfect smartphone, because I'm not a huge fan of Wi-Fi and I don't really need a 5mp Carl Zeiss camera. It looked like a normal phone, it had the same size and feel of a normal phone, but it had just the right combination of features for my own needs.
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Thats my take, hence why I have a navigator rather than an N95.
But having said that, I do want a 5mp camera, or at least a decent macro one, but the N95 was far to unweildy and ugly for me.
The N100 has all the niggles of the phones mentoned (mainly the N95s and N82) sorted. For me at least.
Id like the N82, since it has all the functions I like, but like Krisse I want my mobile to look like a mobile. Hence thats why Im going for the 6220 classic.
sandy_1988
Quote:
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You might have a smartphone with every available feature at the current time, which is pretty much what the N95 was in early 2007, but 95% of people won't touch it because such a phone will be too expensive. The N95 launched for something like 600 to 700 euros, which is way way way beyond the budget of the average phone user, who prefers phones near the 100 euro mark.
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The N95, according to me wasn't the perfect phone, even when it was launched. Battery issues, poor RAM, low-powered GPS, and several bugs in the OS itself, made it less than perfect. And I don't think your theory about 95% of the users won't touching N95 is true, because, it probably sold pretty well (AFAIK, just less than N73ME in the Nseries range). I agree with your 2nd point though. No phone can remain perfect in terms of features for even 6 months in this everchanging world.
Regarding the N100, I want to make some additions/alterations:
1. I think a 2.6" screen will be suffice, as, the potential difference between recent S60 devices and other smartphones is, S60 phones are pretty POPULAR in mass market, while other smartphones at least find it hard to penetrate into that market. By that you can keep the size shorter.
2. Those buttons (for accessing PIM apps) are not needed at the first place. The S60 key SHOULD always be there. It is almost a signature for S60. And for God's sake, please bring back the Pencil key.
3. Protection for Camera lens is a must. And a Xenon flash will only do good.
4. RAM of at least 128 MB. Hardware acceleration should be very good.
5. Give 2 N-Gage gaming keys at the top. With N-Gage steadily growing, this will be really nice.
6. This one isn't specifically N100-centric, but an issue which I want to be redressed by Nokia. They cram up our firmwares with some applications which all of us don't use. Like Lifeblog, Download! (I know you all will flame me for this one. Actually, I don't need to use that one.), etc. Some applications like Maps are installed in the Z: drive with obsolete versions, which we have to update anyway. So, I say, that give these apps with the phone or with the firmware updates, but let them be installed in our NAND memory (C:) so that we can remove them to save some necessary space and can get rid of these irritating applications (specially Lifeblog, it's an absolute nuisance).
fernando20
The home key was an bad idea, how am I supposed to know what's my "home"? The standby or the menu?
Unregistered
What is so hard with having a simple lense cover? Nokia came out with the N95 8gb that overcame almost all the shortcomings of the N95 but, alas the missing lense cover. There was absolutely no excuse for it. So pardon me if i do indeed believe in the 'conspiracy theory'. Look at their latest lines of releases. The N96, almost perfect, but with the same battery as the N95? Its a stupidity that simply borders on being retarded. Isnt it obvious that it's deliberate? N78 with 3.2mp cam, wifi, gps, no lense cover. 6220 classic with a 5mp cam with a lense cover, gps but no wifi. We could go on and on and on. We're not talking about changes that would significantly drive up the prices of these phones. Just some small details that are available here but missing there for no good reason. Why would a company that produces so many different models come out with a 'perfect phone' that would jeopardize the sales of their other 'not so perfect' models? The way i see it, the only company in a position to produce the 'perfect phone' is Apple, for the obvious reason that they don't have to worry it's gonna affect the sales of their other models, since they've got none. Sure it's not gonna be 'perfect' forever. But it's enough to be 'perfect' for some time until the next 'perfect' replacement comes out. Apple may very well one day come out with a killer phone that would wipe the smirk of the faces of nokia fanboys everywhere and force nokia to rethink their strategy and finally produce a product that befits the tag 'multimedia computers'.
darwoodious
OK, so this doesn't fit into Steve's "existing highlight" list, but I'd really like to see USB charging on the next S60 über phone.
tnkgrl
I'll add one more:
- Tri- or quad-band HSDPA support!
I realize there's a battle raging between Nokia and Qualcomm, but I'm sick and tired of having to pick between a euro/asia version (2100 MHz 3G) and a US (AT&T) version (1900/850 MHz 3G). Not to mention the ucoming US (T-Mobile) version (2100/1700 MHz 3G) and others (900 MHz 3G).
There are several other manufacturers (Sony Ericsson, HTC) who make tri-band HSDPA devices (2100/1900/850 MHz 3G) and quad-band devices (2100/1900/1700/850 MHz 3G) have been mentioned...
Unregistered
but the batteries should last longer
netborn
mmm, what can I say, take an E71, add tri band 3G, a 5MP camera, a 2.6 or 2.8 screen and an accelerometer and it will make me so so happy...
sturgeon
Add a 3" screen (don't care if its a bit wider), 32 GB onboard and a micro SDHC slot and I'm hooked!
Cheers,
s.
abruenin
I you add gaming keys on top of the screen (for 2 handed gaming), please take my pre order.
BTW: The application key is great. I just switched from a Palm Treo to a E51. The application key gives me the same functionality as on the Treo, I like this.
EricSeale
I really love my N80 and E51 but I'd like a S60 device with a form factor more like the willcom03 without the E90 pricetag. As much as I want the E71 I'm going to pass until nokia has something with a big display.
Unregistered
More than one person said it already, way too big. N96 is already creeping up sizewise compared to N95, it's not good, I don't want to have to lug the phone around in a side holster like western gunslinging americans seem to like doing. Having a nice phone on show in the UK is the fastest way to get robbed. Smaller phones allowed them to be secreted about the person.
Sergey Zak
I am holding my money until Linux-based TouchScreen N200.
Is not three numbers reserved for them Maemo beasts?
Seriously speaking, I like Garmin Nuvifone design very much. Better than iPhone. It's the style thing. First time I saw it I thought "nice SE at last!"
If only they had an open/popular software platform underneath...
Android?
Maybe the way to go to market for Garmin is to buy the MOTO with its UIQ3 shares?.....
Unregistered
idij
No strap? must be connectable to the top of the phone.
Audio jack must also be on the top, not the bottom.
Unregistered
The D-pad of my N82 is just plain horrible and i cant stress that enough. I've had it for 4months and I'm still having a miserable time with it. Here's a phone that would actually be quite perfect if not for the d-pad. Now they've come up with the black version where the d-pad has been raised a bit making it actually usable. What is nokia hoping to achieve? That we would 'upgrade' and give them more money? I find the mistake with the d-pad unforgivable. The small keys you can get used to over time and the reason behind it is quite understandable considering the form factor but not this crap. I hereby demand a free 'hardware upgrade' from nokia. So what say you Mr. Nokia?
yade
Unregistered,
If you need the black casing I have a link for where I brought the genuine black housing (all parts) It was $70 but I dont mind that. Let me know.
As for the N82, so much emphasis on it being ugly but its really not, its just not that good looking. If nokia were trying to hit the fashion freaks with this phone they messed up but you cant argue with its quality. It's build quality is far superior to the N95 variants, it feels light and like a phone which the N95 8Gb really fails on.
Things I love:
Camera (better than N95 for sure and especially when flash is used)
Battery (better than N95 8Gb IMO)
GPS
Keys - Many might disagree but because of the spacing between the tiny keys its very difficult to hit the wrong 1's. Better than what I found with the N95.
RAM/Stability - device never crashes or hangs
Things I dont like:
Stupid multimedia key
D-pad isnt great ( i hope that will be cured by the black cover)
Thats it actually
Unregistered
All those small keys look like they'll get in the way.
Where's the Xenon flash?
What about storage?
Pythonista
The E90 has many deep flaws. Too many moving parts is not one of them.
For example when you try to use Nokia Multimedia Transfer, it returns the message: "The list of all files and folders couldn't be fetched. The device refused the operation and returned an error code (32)."
If you try to use iSync, it says:
"[E90] Connection to the phone failed.
Please make sure that your phone is turned on. If this error occurs again, please restart your phone.
Device "E90" synchronization failed"
The number one flaw of the E90, of course, is the lack of a Linux kernel. Other flaws include a slow camera.
The Nokia N810 solves many of the problems of the E90 and supports many powerful Unix applications such as ext2, Mutt and elinks, a fast tabbed browser. Ext2 is required for reading web sites offline because VFAT can not do it. For more information see:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/li...ashFileSystemssnoyt
The keypad is far to large. As such I suggest. Rip out the numeric part. Make the screen a touchscreen and allow finger touch entering of numbers and ascii (as in the Maemo 2008). Absolutely no pen with the thing! Just do a good userinterface. A slider is then not required and the length becomes more practical and visual pleasing. One hand typing is then still an option if the current screen orientation is maintained. Love the bluetooth shortcut.
I guess we would be pretty close to a decent Symbian Touch device ;-)
Ah, what the heck, add some n-gage game buttons to the left of the ear-speaker ;-)
bartmanekul
Quote:
Originally Posted by snoyt
The keypad is far to large. As such I suggest. Rip out the numeric part. Make the screen a touchscreen and allow finger touch entering of numbers and ascii (as in the Maemo 2008). Absolutely no pen with the thing!
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Yuck, touchscreen is not for me.
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