Unboxing

The 'WH-920 Purity Stereo Headset' comes in luxuriously designed packaging, with outer shell, inner box and multiple plastic struts and layers inside, all presenting the accessory contents to best advantage. In fact, it took me a good five minutes to unwind and untangle all the various wires and free them from the packaging - but I got there in the end. 

There's a reinforced, zipped carry case for the headset when not in use - the WH-920 uses a 'flat' style cable which is effectively tangle-proof, thankfully. The in-ear buds themselves are beautifully made and fitted perfectly (though no less than five extra sizes of rubber outers are supplied in case you have extra small or extra large ear canals - or simply lose one of the originals).

The review headset was in black, but versions in cyan or pink are also available (for those who like showing off...!)

There's a somewhat minimalist control unit at throat level when wearing the accessory.

Also shipped in the box is a six inch "Nokia AV adapter", shown below, right. This is intended to help non-AHJ 4-pole jacks work with the headphones and I tried it with a selection of Nokia 'Nseries' Symbian-powered smartphones, including my N8. The Symbian handsets have superior audio circuitry to the Windows Phone chipsets, by some margin, meaning that to really push the Monsters, I had to test using this device and not the Lumia 800.

Audio Quality

The first and most important test was audio quality - testing against the supplied (somewhat cheap) outer-ear headphones supplied with my Lumia 800 and the really rather good in-ear ones supplied with my Nokia N86. Booting up a range of tracks across different genres revealed a startling difference. As expected, the outer-ear Lumia 800 headset was by far the worst of the bunch, not helped by the way outside noises are allowed in so easily. The older Nokia in-ear headset was much cleaner, clearer and with better frequency response. But then I plugged in the Monster WH-920s and was blown away.

My previous experience of expensive in-ear headphones (with 'Ultimate Ears') had been rather inconclusive in terms of demonstrably superior quality, but I can honestly say that there was no such problem here. Overall volume (to the ears) was dramatically louder (easily double), bass was deeper and richer, treble was crisper and clearer, even than the older, high quality Nokia in-ears. In fact, I managed to partially deafen myself several times in testing these Monsters - they should come with some kind of health warning! In practice, you can run with your smartphone's music output many notches down from the usual setting (e.g. on 15/30 rather than 25/30, on a Windows Phone) and still get the right output levels at your ears.

There's no point in having fabulous headphone quality if the audio drivers and circuitry at the phone end aren't as good though. Testing the Monsters with the Lumia 800 and the HTC HD7 produced much flatter results and with less bass and vibrancy. Another area where both Windows Phone and its associated chipsets have a long way to go?

Playback control and compatibility

Away from raw audio quality, the inline pod is Monster's 'ControlTalk Universal' and, together with the supplied 4-pole 3.5mm jack, represents Monster's implementation of the AHJ (American Headphone Jack) standard. With Monster working tightly with Nokia on the development of these new 'Purity' headphones (including the over-ear ones too), it's no surprise that they work faultlessly with the Nokia Lumia 710 and 800. The centre button picks up calls and pauses playback of music, plus volume '+' and '-' do the right thing. AHJ also specifies actions to take for double clicks of the button (next track) and triple (previous track), and these also work fine on the Nokia Windows Phones.

However, despite the box implying that the music control and volume functions work with other 'Windows Phones (AHJ)', I didn't have to look far to find handsets which failed to comply. My other Windows Phone device at the moment is a HTC HD7, fully updated with the latest Mango software, yet the control button simply failed to work with the Windows Phone music player on nineteen tries out of twenty. Rather curiously, once - just once - the button was picked up properly and I could happily pause music until the next removal of the headset. The volume buttons worked fine throughout, but not being able to quickly pause music to handle a real world interruption is a pain. Comments welcome, if you have this headset, on whether my Lumia 800 or HD7 experiences were typical.

Rather sadly, even with the 'Nokia AV adapter' in place, neither the control or volume buttons worked for music playback on any of my Nokia Symbian-powered phones - in other words, the adapter passes through the audio properly but the appropriate AHJ control codes have no effect. This is understandable but something of a shame, in view of the quality match, audio-wise. Picking up phone calls did work, since this is hooked into the use of the 4 wires rather than through codes.

My final test was with an Apple iPhone, with perceived audio quality on a par with the Windows Phone devices. Rather curiously, the control button worked perfectly (Apple being something of a pioneer of the AHJ standard?) but the volume buttons did nothing. All of which left me rather frustrated (as, presumably, it does accessory makers like Monster) - I can cope with one standard (OMTP, as used by Nokia), I can even (just about) cope with two (i.e. add AHJ into the mix), but to have a completely mixed set of compatibilities even within the two standards is just a horrible mess. It's one reason why I always recommend matching the brand names of both device and accessory - and even that dictum would fall down here because of the way Nokia has switched systems for this new generation of Windows Phone devices. Music control compatibility aside, all the tested devices did at least pick up calls properly using the WH-920s, arguably the most critical function. 

Recommendations?

Now comes the tricky part, recommending the Monster Purity In-Ears... If you have a Nokia Lumia 710, 800 or (soon) 900, then they make sense and are a recommended upgrade from the originals supplied in the device box, albeit a pricey one at around £70 (depending on where you buy). If you have another Windows Phone then try them in a shop first, since the control buttons may well not work with your phone. And whichever device you own, recognise that the phone's own audio circuits are the limiting factor - the Monsters can boost volume and add a little extra clarity and isolation from the world, but they can't work miracles.

If you have a Symbian smartphone from Nokia's Nseries then the Monsters represent the best music playback quality I've ever heard from a phone - but there's no support for the controls and I doubt many Nokia Nseries owners will be enough of an audiophile to give up their existing multimedia control headsets for these, just to gain a bit more top and bottom end.

There's certainly no doubting the style, build quality and performance of the Monster WH-920 - I just wish we had a phone audio headset standard that was as comprehensive.

Steve Litchfield, for All About Symbian and All About Windows Phone, 20 February 2012

This podcast was recorded on Wednesday 15th February 2012.

In this podcast we cover:       

• Nokia Belle update for first generation Symbian^3 devices
    
• Nokia Belle initial observations and problems (see also official FAQ)
    
• How to overcome or work around some common Belle update issues
    
• TinTin Symbian, TinTin Java
    
• Nokia Maps Suite 2.0
    
• Nokia 500 Review

You can listen to earlier episodes of the AAS Insight Podcast in our media section.

The DC-20's charging unit, housed inside a hard plastic shell, is very solidly constructed, with excellent build quality. The unit is compact too, once plugged in there's only about an inch (2 cm) sticking out. Pushing the charging unit into the connector does require a firm shove because the metal connectors on the side are quite stiff, but that's a good thing as it guarantees a reliable power connection and holds the unit very firmly in place. 

For most people, the most important feature of the DC-20 will be its twin USB charging outputs. Two devices can be charged at the same time from a single power source. It's ideal if you carry multiple devices, have accessories that you want to charge at the same time as the phone (e.g. Bluetooth headset), or have power hungry passengers. 

The second most important feature of the DC-20 is that both its USB ports have an output of 1000mA. This is higher than many third party car chargers, which often only provide around 500mA. Moreover, from our basic tests, the unit really is delivering 1000 mA, something that's not always true of lower quality units that do claim to deliver this.

The 1000mA output results in quicker recharge times (though still not as fast as a wall charger). It also means you'll be able to recharge a phone even if you're also using it for something that's power hungry (e.g. GPS navigation). Perhaps just as importantly, it also means a greater range of devices can be used with the DC-20. That's because some devices require higher output levels in order to successfully charge via USB.  

The sales package comes with the Dual USB Charger unit (DC-20), a Nokia USB to microUSB charging and connectivity cable (CA-19C) and a Nokia USB to Nokia 2mm charging cable (CA-192C). The inclusion of these cables means that you'll be able to recharge any Nokia phone or accessory from the last few years. And with microUSB becoming more and more common, you'll be able to charge a lot of other devices too. You can also plug in other USB cables and these should work fine.

Both of the supplied cables are 190cm long when fully stretched out and about 25cm long in their compact form. The quality of the cables is also very good; they're built to last and should have no trouble standing up to the inevitable wear and tear of in-car usage (I've already shut one in a car door with no ill effects).

Ultimately what stands out about the DC-20 is its high overall quality. In a market flooded with cheap, low quality car chargers, it really is a breath of fresh air. If you need to charge your Nokia device or accessories in the car then this is our recommended solution.

You can pick up the DC-20 from most mobile accessory retailers. The price does vary, so it is worth shopping around. The best price we found, at the time of writing, was Amazon UK for £9.99. That's in line with Nokia's recommended retail price (€15) and is very reasonable, given the high overall quality and the presence of dual USB ports. However, if you're looking for a budget option, try the Nokia DC-6 (microUSB) or the Nokia DC-4 (Nokia 2mm), which are both available from £4.
   

Video Review

This short video shows you the Nokia DC-20's box and content and offers a quick overview of the key features.

Other highlights in Nokia's calendar are:

Monday 27th, 1130-1800: Nokia Developer Day.
We'll be showing developers how to take the next steps with the Nokia Lumia and Asha device ranges; designing and developing apps for widest reach and monetizing the unique dual opportunity.

Tuesday 28th, 1600-1730: Keynote by Thom Brenner (VP Applications).
This session will ask how the combination of presence and social context that mobile offers can be used for brand advertising. It will ask whether audience targeting and relevance is more assured via the mobile channel, and how the mobile social media approach can fit with a wider advertising campaign.

Wednesday 29th, 0900-1030: Keynote by Stephen Elop (CEO).
In this session, CEOs from across the mobile ecosystem will take the stage to share their thoughts on these industry-changing issues.

As well as these presentations, Nokia's trade stand can be found in the App Planet section of Hall 7, where the latest smartphones, feature phones, accessories, and developer tools will be on show, with Nokia staff close by to talk you through them.

There's plenty of background information on the site and it's sure to be updated as MWC gets closer. Rafe is going to be in Barcelona to cover MWC for the All About sites, so be sure to check in regularly for all the news.

"Smartphone product customisation" is a reference to the increasingly complex process of providing software variants for different countries and operators. Effectively this means a physical device will arrive, at one of these factories, from Nokia's Asian assembly lines as a blank slate. It will then be customised as appropriate. While the main focus will be on software, there may also be variations in the in box accessories, documentation and related material. In some cases a small amount of additional assembly may also be carried out (e.g. fitting a certain colour casing).

A typical Nokia device has several hundred different versions (product codes), with the main changes being made in the software. Building, testing and deploying these variants is a complex process. Being able to rapidly customise and deliver devices is a key competitive advantage and ties in with Nokia's stated aim of being operator friendly.

In its press release Nokia specifically mentions the benefit of reduced transport costs and reduced time to market by locating assembly lines closer to their component suppliers, but reduced labour costs will also be a major portion of the anticipated increased efficiency in smartphone production. 

Moving the core manufacturing operations to Asia is not a surprise; Nokia has been something of an odd man out by maintaining global manufacturing facilities. However, it will still be seen as a blow to the pride of Nokia, and continues a pattern of painful adjustments as the company continues its strategy transition.

Most of the manufacturing will move to Nokia's plants in Beijing (China) and Masan (South Korea), but some may also be relocated to Dongguan (China), Chennai (India), Manaus (Brazil) and Hanoi (Vietnam).

The severity of the 4,000 job losses is made clear by their impact on each plant - Komarom (2,300 out of 4,400 jobs), Salo (1,000 our 1,700) and Reynosa (700 out of 1,000). Employees who lose their job will be supported a locally-tailored program that will include financial support and assistance withe local re-employment.

From the press release:

"Shifting device assembly to Asia is targeted at improving our time to market. By working more closely with our suppliers, we believe that we will be able to introduce innovations into the market more quickly and ultimately be more competitive," said Savander. "We recognize the planned changes are difficult for our employees and we are committed to supporting our personnel and their local communities during the transition."

As a consequence of the plans, the number of steps in manufacturing and the amount of work carried out at the sites in Komarom, Reynosa and Salo are expected to decrease substantially. The changes are anticipated to impact approximately 4,000 employees in total.

Personnel reductions are planned to be phased through the end of 2012. Nokia will offer a comprehensive locally-tailored support program, including financial support and assistance with local re-employment.

Having been something of a pioneer in phone-shot video over the years, it's fair to say that I lusted first after focus of any kind (the N93, shown above, was perhaps the first phone in the world to shoot usable video, back in 2006), then later after continuous auto-focus - after all, surely having the phone always working to keep the centre of frame in focus is a good thing, right? Well, not always...

Some of the various approaches to capturing video on phones over the years:

1. No focussing of any kind, lens is left focussed on the horizon. Examples include most phones and smartphones prior to about 2008.
     
2. No focussing, but the lens is left in a 'hyperfocal' position, i.e. ensuring maximum depth of field. Examples include the Nokia N86 and N8 (in its default scene mode), with subjects from about 70cm to the middle distance being very crisp at all times.
     
3. Pre-focus, the user half presses the shutter button (or taps the screen, as appropriate) at the start of the clip and whatever's in the centre of the viewfinder becomes the focus subject. If you pan around and change the subject later in the clip, the original focus is retained - meaning that the new subject may be out of the depth of field for that lens position and so will appear blurry.
     
4. Continuous auto-focus, as it sounds, the software monitors the sharpness of whatever's in the viewfinder and if not happy with what it finds, steps in to 'experiment' with different focus positions until high enough sharpness is found again. This 'hunting' for focus whenever the subject is changed produces two effects: one, a slightly unsettling zoom in and out again (because the different focus positions all have slightly different fields of view); and two, an unsightly blurriness that clears up after a second or two once focus is restored.
     
5. Extended Depth of Field, also known as 'Full Focus', pioneered by Nokia in the phone world and using optical and electronic tricks to mean that everything from 40cm to infinity is crisp. This approach works surprisingly well, with the main disadvantage being that you can't film anything up really close (so no arty shots of small animals and flowers!). 

Although I've hinted above as to some of the pros and cons of each approach, options 2, 4 and 5 offer the best results for typical user-with-phone video capture. Typical subjects include:

What's interesting in the table above is that mode 4, continuous auto-focus, which you would think is going to win out overall by virtue of being more sophisticated, doesn't sweep the use-case board. Instead, modes 2 and 5 also do extremely well, neither of which involves any dynamic re-focussing of the camera phone optics. This turns out to be the achilles heel of mode 4 - the need to continuously monitor sharpness and adjust focal length to maximise it means that 'hunting' (as described above) is a real issue.

To illustrate 'hunting' and general continuous auto-focus behaviour, here's a test video, shot on the Nokia Lumia 800 with continuous auto-focus turned on. The bulk of the video includes side-by-side comparison with video capture of the same subjects with an EDoF-equipped smartphone, in this case the Nokia E6, typical of the breed. I'm not saying that the optics and sensor in the likes of the E6 are better than that in the Lumia 800 (or other a-f-enabled devices) - they're not, but the absence of 'hunting' does make for a less flawed experience for the video viewer:

Aside from me hopefully having just dispelled the myth that 'continuous auto-focus' is necessarily the best way to go (I'd argue that, clip for clip for casual users, EDoF video is best, as almost everything will always be in focus, etc.), it's worth pointing out that one way of having the best of both worlds would be to have the option of enabling or disabling continuous auto-focus, depending on subject and need.

This can, thankfully, be achieved on most smartphones. For example, on the Nokia N8, using the new Camera application, hyperfocal (mode 2, above) is the default, but you can also turn on 'Close-up' mode, in which continuous auto-focus is used to great effect. (In case you're wondering about the 'Close-up' name, it's because continuous auto-focus is only ever really needed for things closer than a few metres - the default hyperfocal system is fine for everything else.)

To take another example, behaviour is much the same on most Windows Phone devices. For example, on the HTC HD7 (and similar), continuous auto-focus can be simply turned off in settings, with 'off' reverting back to typical hyperfocal depth of field. Things are slightly more complicated on the Nokia Lumia 800, since, although auto-focus can be turned off manually, the lens is left in the last position used - so film something close-up with auto-focus on and then switch the feature off, and everything at normal distances will then be very blurry. (You thus have to make allowances if you want to switch focus modes, remembering what you last filmed and picking a subject at more typical distance in auto-focus mode, before then switching the feature off again.)

In summary, if your smartphone does have continuous auto-focus when capturing video, recognise that the first few seconds after switching subject will be subject to 'hunting'. So, for example, you're shooting some kids playing and then you swivel round to talk to mum or dad on-cam. Having turned, wait a couple of seconds before asking them whatever you were going to say. Recognise that these 'hunting' sections of video may have to be snipped out later in a video editor.

In practice, it's quite easy to simply allow an extra few seconds at the start of each planned clip 'in your head' - you probably won't be able to see the focus 'hunting' on your small smartphone screen, but the effect will be there and much more visible on your big desktop monitor or TV later on. So just allow for it and move on.

And consider turning continuous auto-focus off altogether - yes, it means a bit more fiddling around (especially if you have a Nokia Lumia device), but the results may be more consistent.

(And if you have a Symbian-powered EDoF-shooting phone then you can basically ignore everything I've just said, apart from not shooting subjects closer than about 40cm, since your video will always be auto-magically in focus anyway!)

Steve Litchfield, 6th Feb 2012, for All About Symbian and All About Windows Phone

From the article:

I believe it is fairly safe to say that the Nokia N8 is still the king of image quality when compared to today’s best smartphones based on its superior dynamic range, low noise, and accurate color - not to mention higher resolution. All things considered, the iPhone 4s comes in a solid second in this test. Although its hardware may not be totally up to snuff, I could understand getting an iPhone in place of an N8 if editing and sharing are more important that the utmost image quality to the user due to the social platforms (think Path and Instagram) and image editing software available only for the iPhone. 

Here's one of the test images. Note, in the original article, that you can click through each blogged image to see the full photo in various sizes on Flickr. Nice job.

You may also remember my own original top camera phone comparison, though this was pre-iPhone 4S... I suspect the latter might have nipped into second place in that test too, but I reckon the N8's peerless standing is still intact a full year and a half from first availability.

(via)

In Corning's words:

Watch and share "A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked," to see how Corning's highly engineered glass, with companion technologies, will help shape our world. Take a journey with our narrator for details on these technologies, answers to your questions, and to learn about what's possible -- and what's not -- in the near future.

This podcast was recorded on Wednesday 1st February 2012.

In this podcast we cover:       

• Looking ahead to the Belle upgrade for existing Symbian^3 devices
    
• Nokia Q4 2011 results
    
• 1.5 billion Series 40 phones
    
• 360Cities comes to Nokia Maps
    
• Nokia Social 1.5
    
• Review: CNN App for Symbian
     

You can listen to all 200 editions of the AAS Insight Podcast in our media section.

Rather than reproduce every last detail here, let me point you towards the press release of Strategy Analytics and that of IDC.

In summary, here's the picture for overall mobile sales, courtesy of IDC:

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q4 2011 (Units in Millions) 

Although Nokia is still comfortably the top selling phone maker in the world, its lead has been halved by Samsung, while Apple is now firmly in third place with its much more profitable iPhone range. The whole market grew by 6%, year on year, less than in previous years but still heading upwards, in line with population and increased penetration in developing markets.

The table below shows the breakdown in terms of 'smartphones', though the very definition is something which is coming under increasing attack, not least from (what were previously considered) 'feature' phones, which increasingly have full Internet access, email and social clients, touch-based games, and more...

It's not entirely clear whether Samsung's Bada phones are included in the total above. Nokia's sales of 19.6 smartphones (around 95% Symbian) in Q4 would, a few years ago, have been dominant, but it's a sign of the times that smartphone market leaders, Samsung and Apple, both managed around 37 million sales in the same period. Over the course of the year there wasn't that big a difference between the top three and Samsung, Apple and Nokia are way ahead of the trailing pack, just as they are for wider mobile handset sales.

Significantly, the entire 'smartphone' market grew by 63% over the year, a big contrast to the 6% growth of the overall market. The 'smartphone' segment is now up to 36% and will be 50% by the end of 2012, surely a sign that we should soon drop the moniker altogether and just talk about 'phones'? If nothing else, it would make these news stories simpler to write and simpler to understand!

At the same meeting, I remember a friend (who worked at Symbian) indicating (under his jacket) the very first Nokia 9210 prototype and (quietly) decrying my two box system as old hat. And he was right, of course, the 9210 launched in 2000 and the world of smartphones was born (a full seven years before the iPhone - tell that to your kids, and they won't believe you, etc...)

But that's never stopped many people wondering, ever since, whether a two box solution is practical. These days, the phone and data parts are built into everything, of course, so the 'two box' bit refers to form factor and capabilities. With 'smartphones' getting ever larger (I've just been reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note, at 4.65" and 5.3" screen respectively), to the point where they are actually quite clumsy to use as 'phones', is there now a case for returning to the two box concept and splitting the main functions of communications and display?

In this feature, I'm going to be looking at combining a Nokia N86 (chosen because of its terrific camera, great/traditional 'phone' form factor, and because it's great for music) with an Apple iPad 2 (great for games, applications, Web, email and social networking). So as not to duplicate functions and expense, I'm obviously looking at the Wi-fi-only version of the latter, using Joikuspot Premium on the N86 to provide mobile broadband to the tablet.

Is this the best of both worlds or simply a clumsy and inefficient solution? Would I not be better off with a one box system such as the Galaxy Note? Let's investigate.

Here's the set up then, the top rated (by me, at least) but somewhat ageing Nokia N86, showing JoikuSpot Premium in action, and the 2011 Apple iPad 2:

The whole two-versus-one argument is extremely subjective, of course, which is why I haven't awarded any 'wins' above. I did think it notable that the two box solution costs less than the single device tested, plus there's the flexibility that if one component fails (e.g. the phone) then you can switch to another while retaining the other major component (e.g. the iPad). In fact, the presence of an older iPad model (with slower processor, less RAM and no camera) means that a budget two box solution could be achieved for around £250, sourced second hand. 

On the other hand, the 'one box' solution has the advantage that everything's supremely integrated and you never have to fiddle about getting one component online:

Definitely a case of pros and cons for each. The possibility of combining the best bits, the strengths of an older, now cheaper Symbian smartphone and the arch-tablet of our times, the iPad, did appeal to me though. You really can have a phone which is phone-sized and with the usual Symbian strengths of decent battery performance, navigation and great audio, while also having a huge screen for work, reference, gaming and entertainment.

One possible big flaw for the two box approach is battery life - if you're intending to stay online on the iPad for most of the day, then the effort of keeping the ad-hoc Wi-fi hotspot going will kill the phone battery several times over. The N86's battery life isn't great at the best of times and it's really only suitable for running a hotspot in short bursts. You can't just leave it 'on' and active all day. If I were to repeat the experiment, I'd probably go for the Nokia E52 or E55, with the large BP-4L 'hero' battery. 

My gut feel is that, although the two box solution produces a more expansive, more immersive and more flexible mobile computing system overall, issues of bulk, inconvenience and battery life mean that a good all-in-one 'converged' solution (and, trust me, the Galaxy Note is one such) edges it overall. Comments welcome if you agree, if you disagree, or if you've tried something similar! 

Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 31st January 2012

PS. Bonus link to JoikuSpot Premium product page

I should stress up front that I've no knowledge of Nokia's plans for 2012. We know that it is committed to Windows Phone now, as well as Symbian, the latter in 'franchise' status (a term I still find confusing), but I for one am still optimistic for a couple of last great Symbian smartphones announced this year. Is it possible that one of these could be high end and succeed the amazingly popular N8? Of all the Symbian^3/Anna phones, it's the only one that has really made waves, the only one that has endeared itself to millions of users.

So... sitting down with the N8, how would I improve it? And yes, I know that product timescales dictate that this very (hypothetical) thought process would have had to have taken place inside Nokia a good year (or more) ago, but the exercise is still worthwhile here, if only to recognise that even the mighty N8 has shortcomings and to consider practical ways that it could have been bettered.

Let's call this imaginary new device the N8-X...

____________________________________

Form factor

There's general agreement that the N8 form factor is just about perfect, in terms of size and feel in the hand. The use of metal is uniformly praised, the device is very tough (I've dropped mine countless times) and I'd class the N8 as 'reassuringly heavy'(!) The screen bezel on the N8 is such that a 3.7" or 3.8" display could be squeezed in fairly easily for the N8-X, taking the phone closer to the 4" screen 'sweet spot' of today's  competing Android smartphones (plus the upcoming 'iPhone 5' is rumoured to be around the 4" screen mark).

Screen

At (say) 3.7" diagonal, Symbian nHD (640 by 360 pixels) would still work quite well in terms of pixel density. If Symbian was still being developed with a high budget and many future devices, I'd suspect that we might see pixel doubling to 1280 by 720 displays on 4" and 4.3"-screened devices, but even with Accenture on board for development now, I think it's a little late in the day to radically overhaul Symbian's basic screen resolution - so nHD it is.

The N8, famously (along with the C7), missed out on the ClearBlack Display revolution, being specified just a few months too early in the grand scheme of things, so the N8-X would have CBD, making for clearer, higher contrast visuals, indoors and outdoors. In fact, there might as well be an oleophobic coating as well - this worked well on the C7.

It goes without saying that the N8-X should have Gorilla Glass - the N8 was pioneering here and the technology is now more or less standard in the smartphone world.

OS

Symbian Nokia Belle, of course, the latest iteration of Symbian, with the most 2012-friendly touch UI yet. Some of its design points are a little alienating to long-time Symbian users, but I reckon it's well worth getting over these points in order to gain the performance improvements under the hood and in main applications. Plus increasing amounts of software, both utilities (latest Nokia Social) and HD games are appearing and requiring Belle as a minimum.

Combined with a slightly larger and even clearer AMOLED screen, Belle should prove quite palatable on an N8-X, even set against the eye candy of huge 720p displays on some of the (significantly larger and less pocketable) Android competition and the 'retina' iPhone 4. Display technology certainly won't lead the world (though CBD is nice), but it'll easily be 'good enough'.

Processor, memory

Although Symbian is generally pretty good at multitasking, there's no doubt that it could be snappier. Belle will help with this, of course, but in the N8-X I'd be looking for the same 1GHz chip as in the 701, together with its faster GPU and the 512MB of RAM (double what's in the N8, of course). 

The N8-X, like the N8, should also have the best of both worlds in terms of mass memory and expansion via microSD. I don't think the current '16GB plus card' arrangement should be touched, to be honest - every time Nokia has moved to 32GB mass memory we've hit performance problems and they're simply not worth it. With the card expansion as well, anyone who needs an extra 32GB can simply pop in a card as needed.

Camera

As good as the N8's camera is, with a huge 1/1.83" sensor and Xenon flash, the very fact that anyone appreciates why it's good will see them wanting even more. Although the best of the competition just jumped to 16 megapixels that kind of resolution on a sensor in a phone isn't really warranted - the law of diminishing returns definitely hits somewhere around the 12 megapixel mark, even with 2012 sensor technology.

So what would I want from the N8-X's camera? To be honest, not a lot extra. Maybe the sensor could be made larger still, perhaps 1/1.5" - which in turn would mean that 16 megapixels would actually make sense. The optics are already excellent, but I would ask for basic camera glass protection, as on the N95, N82 and N86 - hang the extra millimetre, not having to wipe the glass free of fingerprints before every photo would be a big convenience for me. And there's the really nice feature that opening the sliding protection could start the Camera app, just as on the older models quoted.

And yes, I realise that a larger sensor and camera glass protection would necessitate a slightly thicker 'hump' on the N8-X's back, but this is a specialised smartphone and every purchaser will hopefully know exactly what they're buying - not everyone aspires to a phone that's razor thin.

Having a proper Xenon flash, 100 times brighter than LED, was a major feature of the N8 camera but it was let down ever so slightly by being dimmer than that on the N82 (for example). It's all relative, but I'd like a bigger Xenon unit, something which could light up a room like that on the N82 could, rather than just nearby subjects. With the extra camera hump thickness on the N8-X, fitting in a larger Xenon flash module and capacitor should be no problem.

Battery

Definitely a change needed here. The 'integral' battery system of the N8 simply doesn't work, in my view. Although brave souls can change the BL-4D battery if armed with the right screwdriver, running out of power for most people means having to wait until the device can be charged again. All of which I don't understand, since the N8's twin sister device, the C7, with identical core specifications, manages to have a battery door and removable battery and yet its body is still a good millimetre or so thinner.

In short, there's no reason whatsoever why our hypothetical N8-X shouldn't have a metal battery door, C7/701-style, and the savvy photo-centric user can simply pop a charged, spare battery in a pocket in case power runs out after a lot of shooting while out and about.

In fact, with virtually the same width and thinner than the C7's BL-5K, I can't see why the 'hero' BP-4L Li-Poly battery shouldn't be used in this new device (hey, why not shoot for the moon)? With 1500mAh, I don't see why the N8-X would ever really run short of juice before the end of even a busy day.

Speaker(s)

The N8 comes with a loudspeaker that's a cut above the rest of the smartphone pack, with a larger cone and a power amplifier similar to that in the likes of the old Nokia 5800 and X6. While good enough, while we're redesigning the N8, why not put in an extra speaker, matching the two older music phones? After all, the N82 (the N8's spiritual predecessor) had loud stereo speakers, so let's put the same units either end of the new N8-X. You'd be surprised how often having a decent set of speakers helps in a phone...

2012 must-haves

Aside from the remarks above, there's not that much else the N8-X needs to hold its head high in the 2012 phone world - NFC is the big omission in the current N8, explained by the device's specifications being set in stone before NFC was available to the designers, no doubt. So the N8-X would have to have NFC, for tapping to share, pair, and so on - NFC in Symbian Belle is more advanced than on any other mobile OS, so it's a shoe-in on our hypothetical device.

So there we have the Nokia N8-X, my personal wishlist for what Nokia could create in an N8 successor. Not that anything I've said here will have any influence of course - as I said earlier, for an N8 successor to be announced this year, the design would have been set in concrete way back at the very start of 2011. But I can still dream....

Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 30 January 2012

From the Series 40 news: 

Mary McDowell, Executive Vice President for Mobile Phones at Nokia, said: "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products. At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world - it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people's lives for the better."

Congratulations, Series 40.

Going back through the news archives and checking figures with industry watchers, according to our calculations, we passed the half billion sales point for Symbian last Autumn. With multiple manufacturers contributing to these figures over the years (albeit with Nokia dominating), and with some 'closed' Symbian-powered phones like the FOMA devices in Japan and the older Ericsson R380, the actual counting is obviously less clear cut, plus Symbian as an organisation no longer exists, which is perhaps why noone has yet remarked on the milestone.

But still. Half a billion Symbian smartphones.

The next question is, I think, how many of these are still in use, i.e. what's the installed base across the world? With the tech press loving to dismiss Symbian as being a dinosaur, it shouldn't be forgotten that dinosaurs were often very, err... large. And so it proves with Symbian's installed base. 

Now, obviously, there's no point in counting every last phone back to the Nokia 9210 Communicator, Sony Ericsson P800 and Nokia 7650 (for example). There comes a point where smartphones are too old to be practical - or will simply be broken. In the chart below I've chosen to go back to 2006, where Symbian OS 9 and S60 3rd Edition were being sold for the first time and where the last great Series 60 phones were selling in high volume - think Nokia N70, etc. It's a fair bet that everything from this point on is still in use in some form, barring breakage, even as another family member's device these days or passed on down through the second hand market.

Here then is the Symbian smartphone installed base, 2006-2011, compared to those for other mobile OS, for direct comparison:

At the very least, such a chart is a reminder to anyone looking to dismiss Symbian as irrelevant in 2012 - in addition to still selling at the rate of getting on for twenty million smartphones per quarter today, the installed base of Symbian users across the world is enormous, dwarfing even that of iOS and Android (though they are gradually closing the gap, of course - I estimate Android's installed base will exceed Symbian's sometime in 2013).

Anyway, even though there's no Symbian Ltd or (active) Symbian Foundation to trumpet the news anymore, why not raise your glass of beer or wine today and drink a toast to the half billion mark? Achieved in just over a calendar decade, too, in a pioneering smartphone world where Symbian was the behemoth.

Cheers!

Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 28 January 2012

Nokia's results were slightly ahead of market expectations, with core earnings per share of €0.06, compared to market expectations of €0.04.

The headline loss of €964 million is a big number, but the biggest component of it is a write down in value of goodwill from the Location and Services division of €1,090 billion. This can be seen more clearly in Nokia's non-IFRS figures.

Non-IFRS operating profit was €478 million (down 56% YoY and up 90% QoQ), with Devices and Services non-IFRS profit at €292 million, and margins at 4.9%. Non-IFRS results exclude special items for all periods and can be seen as measures of underlying performance. In Q4 2011 the non-IFRS results exclude €1.432 billion of charges, an unusually high level. This includes charges related to the partial impairment of goodwill in Location & Commerce (€1.090 billion), a number of restructuring charges (€100 million in Devices & Services, €25 million in Location and Commerce) and a variety of charges related to acquisitions and similar (e.g. €24 million because of Accenture deal).

Stephen Elop said:

"The fourth quarter of 2011 marked a significant step in Nokia's transformation. Most notably, in Q4 we introduced new mobile phones and smartphones, which resulted from the strategy shift in our Devices & Services business. 

And, while we progressed in the right direction in 2011, we still have a tremendous amount to accomplish in 2012, and thus, it is my assessment that we are in the heart of our transition.

In summary, with a strong balance sheet, our performance in mobile phones and the new excitement around Lumia, we are confident that we are on the right track to build long-term value."

In Q4 2011, Nokia shipped 19.6 million smartphones. Separately, Nokia disclosed that "to date [26th January] we have sold well over 1 million Lumia devices". Allowing for some sales of Lumia devices in January and sales of the Nokia N9, this would suggest Symbian sales were in the region of at least 18.5 million units. This compares well to Symbian device sales of approximately 16.8 million in Q3 2011, but is significantly down from Q4 2010's figure of 28.6 million. 

Stephen Elop noted that he was pleased with the progress made with Nokia's Windows Phone devices, following the announcement of the Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 last October. The two devices were brought to market ahead of schedule, an example of Nokia's "changed clock speed":

"In the war of ecosystems, clearly there are some strong contenders already on the field. And with Lumia, we have demonstrated that we belong on the field.  Our specific intent has been to establish a beachhead in this war of ecosystems, and country by country that is what we are now accomplishing. To date we have sold well over 1 million Lumia devices. From this beachhead of more than 1 million Lumia devices, you will see us push forward with the sales, marketing and successive product introductions necessary to be successful.  We also plan to bring the Lumia series to additional markets including China and Latin America in the first half of 2012."

However, Nokia's Symbian devices are facing significant pressure:

"In certain markets, there has been an acceleration of the anticipated trend towards lower-priced smartphones with specifications that are different from Symbian's traditional strengths. As a result of the changing market conditions, combined with our increased focus on Lumia, we now believe that we will sell fewer Symbian devices than we previously anticipated."

Nokia's mobile phone business remains strong, with year on year shipment numbers shrinking by just 1%, a good result in the context of the market. This was, in part, driven by Nokia's dual SIM products, which "in Q4 showed sequential double-digit percentage growth".

Looking forward, Nokia expects its non-IFRS Devices and Services operating margin in Q4 to be around break even, suggesting Nokia is facing a tough Q1 as continues the roll out of new products and feels the impact of lower than expected (long term) Symbian sales. The outlook is based on a number of factors, including competitive industry dynamics, a greater than normal seasonal decline in sales, costs associated with new product launches and ramp up, and the macro economic environment.

Nokia did not provide an outlook for 2012 as a whole, noting that 2012 is expected to be a year of transition, during which the "Devices & Services" business will be subject to risks and uncertainties. 
   

Market Context

This chart shows smartphone shipments by manufacturer for the last few years. The figures for Q4 2011 include some estimates as some manufacturers have not reported their numbers, nor have the numbers been fully normalised between manufacturers.

The most notable recent change is the increased sales of Apple and Samsung. Samsung's sales performance was primarily Android based, but also include around 3 million Bada devices and a small portion of Windows Phone devices. Apple's increased sales was largely driven by the release of the new iPhone 4.

These figures from the chart above can also be expressed as % market share, which shows comparitive performance over time.

See also

Nokia Results

Earlier results: Q3 2011, Q2 2011, Q1 2011, Q4 2010, Q3 2010, Q2 2010, Q1 2010, Q4 2009, Q3 2009, Q2 2009, Q1 2009, Q4 2008, Q3 2008, and Q2 2008

It all started back in October of 2011 at Nokia World 2011 in London. Nokia announced a free mobile screen reader for blind and visually disabled people and Nokia tasked a Spanish company to build this tool. Code Factory already makes their own popular mobile screen reader for Symbian called Mobile Speak and also a few other accessibility applications for mobile platforms including Android, so they’re not newbie’s in the field of screen readers and accessibility.

Nokia Screen Reader v1.1, or for short NSR, currently supports four Nokia devices, the numeric keyboard C5-00 and C5 5MP and also the touch Symbian Belle 700 and 701. NSR is a totally free application, essentially a stripped down and simplified version of Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader (feature set comparison) but it is in no way too simplified to make your phone unusable. If I can explain it by comparing it to sports cars, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia is a stripped down racing version of the normal F430. The Scuderia still gives you all the functionality of the normal F430 but because it’s stripped down it doesn’t, for example, have comfy adjustable leather seats and it also doesn’t have air conditioning or a booming sound system like the standard F430.

Getting back to Nokia Screen Reader, it still gives you all the functionality of Mobile Speak but you can’t customise the reading options or verbosity settings - what you hear is what you get! NSR works with Nokia’s built in TTS (Text To Speech) voices and, in its current form, supports eight languages: English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish and Spanish. All it takes is a simple download from the Nokia Store just like you would download any other application, just remember that you’ll need some sighted assistance at this stage. After the download, it’s a quick and easy installation process, a phone restart and there you go, your phone speaks. In my case it was a install on the Nokia 701, which is one of the newer Symbian Belle phones, and because I know and have been using Code Factory’s Mobile Speak for a while now, I fortunately already knew how to use it so I was on my way immediately. For those not familiar with Mobile Speak, I would recommend you read the NSR user Manual before installation.

Down to the business end, everybody’s first questions would be: 1. Is it any good? 2. What can it do? and 3. What can’t it do?

Firstly, it’s very good - it doesn’t have to stand back for any other mobile screen reader on touch or non touch devices. Secondly, NSR allows a visually disabled or blind person to read and manage all phone menus, read and manage their contacts and calendars, send and receive messages and emails and it also allows you to browse the web. All this is done without any problems and with built in Nokia TTS guiding you every step of the way.

On the subject of the TTS voices, this is I believe an area where Nokia can still improve. The quality of the Nokia TTS voices is simply just sub standard - I only tried the English voice so far but I can’t see that it will be different with the other languages. The voices are simply too mechanical, which makes it hard to understand what it’s saying at times, especially at lower volumes and higher speeds, the way most people use screen readers on their phones. Nokia could, for example, invest in some third party TTS voices, a lot of companies make TTS voices which have much higher quality.

  NSR is free, so it might be a bit unfair comparing the TTS quality to those used by companies like Code Factory (in Mobile Speak), Nuance and Apple in their screen readers, but I believe the quality of the TTS voices will eventually make or break NSR. The question is, if Nokia can use higher quality TTS voices in its Maps application (e.g. in pronouncing road names) then why can’t it also use higher quality for NSR? As it is, NSR runs the risk of being dubbed a bad screen reader just because of the voices used.

Another major shortcoming, but this time platform-related, Nokia Store can’t be accessed by NSR or any other screen reader and this is a big problem because then the only option for visually disabled and blind people to get any applications from the Store is to ask for sighted assistance. I see this as a Nokia problem and it falls into the same hole as Nokia Suite - the Windows application not being accessible with any Windows-based screen reader - but this is a subject for another day.

What can’t it do? As I’ve mentioned, you can’t customise the reading options and verbosity settings like you would in Mobile Speak and you can’t set up different customised user profiles. This isn't really a problem in practice, as Code Factory has put some thought into it and has selected the best settings which would suit the widest group of users.

I'm almost blind and yet a heavy phone user and somewhat of a phone geek, I use my smartphone each and every day to its full potential. In the past two weeks or so of having NSR on my Nokia 701, I have used my phone like I normally would, I called, messaged, sent emails, used the calendar, made notes, used the web for Google searches, Facebook and YouTube, and I also used Twitter via Tweets60. I did all this without any problems and with NSR running smoothly. I’m pretty happy with the application, except for the TTS voices already mentioned.


Nokia Screen Reader is perfect for anybody first needing or trying out a screen reader for their phone and who knows, if you like it and the way it works but need a little more, then the upgrade to Code Factory’s Mobile Speak would be the logical upgrade.

It looks like Nokia is starting to take accessibility seriously so I really hope it continues the development of NSR and other accessibility applications in the future. I hope we see support for more phones and, looking further ahead, I'd like to see accessibility applications like NSR built into the Nokia operating systems like we see in Apple’s iOS and some versions of Android. 

Nickus de Vos, for All About Symbian, 19 January 2012

___________________________________________

Thanks, Nickus, his blog (where an unedited version of this article first appeared) is at www.nickusdevos.blogspot.com and you can follow his musings each day on Twitter.

Nickus: "I plan to do a lot of accessibility things in the future, not only Nokia, not only Symbian and maybe not even only phones. I want to write about anything and everything to do with technology and whatever disabled people use on a daily basis. I'm in talks with the manufacturers of the different screen readers to compile documents outlining requirements for accessibility for third party developers. At the moment, a lot of the developers don't know anything about accessibility or screen readers, let alone how to make a app accessible."

If you're an application developer and want to improve the accessibility of your app then please get in touch with Nickus directly, via the blog above.

Steve (AAS)

In All About Symbian Insight number 199 we start with a discussion about the recent release of version 1.4 of Nokia Social and the additions and updates it contains. We also discuss, briefly, some of the third party options for accessing Facebook and Twitter. Steve shares news of Sisvel's recent acquisition of around 450 Nokia patents and the team consider the implications. In the last part of the podcast we revisit some of our favourite Symbian^3 devices.

Aditya writes:

Introduction to the Indian market

2011 has been a very tough year for Symbian. Ever since Stephen Elop's "burning platform" memo was 'leaked', things have steadily gone downhill for Symbian. However, Symbian's decline is happening at different rates in different markets. 

My recent visit to Nokia World showed me the reality of the UK mobile phone market, giving me an interesting insight about how people there look at the industry. At a simple level, India isn't that different, mobile phones are present everywhere. But, as you'll read, the psyche of the consumer could not be further apart.

The Indian mobile phone market and telecom industry is enormous, both in financial terms and in terms of the number of customers. In India there are nearly 900 million mobile phones in use (94% market penetration), compared to 330 million in the US (103% market penetration) and 76 million in the UK (122% market pentration). And the market is growing too - Gartner estimates that 213 million devices were sold in 2011 and this will increase to 322 million by 2015. The UK and the US are expected to have relatively flat sales at around 30 million and 15 million respectively.

But even more than the numbers might suggest, the fundamentals of the market are quite different in India. How different? Here’s a snapshot:

• Apple, which is so big in the US and UK, is a minnow in India and a niche player at best.
     
• Nokia, which has almost no marketshare in the US, is a major player here.
     
• The UK and the US are smartphone centric markets, while India sells some of the cheapest phones and the most expensive as well.
   
• India has an astounding 15 operators, as against just 4-5 elsewhere. None of the 15 is an MVNO and none of them offer devices on a subsidy.
     
• Over 90% of Indian subscribers are prepaid or ‘pay as you go’ customers.
     
• Call rates are much lower. Rs.80 (£1) will give you a minimum of 267 minutes of talk time.
   
• Indians do not pay for receiving calls and SMSes at all, even when roaming within the country (unlike the USA, famously).
     
• Mobile phones in India are as much a part of one’s appearance as good clothes are. They are material indicators of one’s status in society and economic wellbeing.
     
• The Indian market is not uniform. The north of the country behaves completely differently from the south and each region displays unique characteristics. What works in one state might not work in another.
     
•  Camera, music player and battery life are key factors influencing the buying decision, besides brand.

One of the points I want to highlight from the above list is that there are no handset subsidies in India. Consumers make an outright purchase of the handset he or she is going to use. That’s right! We actually pay the full retail price for the smartphone that you (in the UK) get on subsidy from your carrier. This means that the iPhone or the Samsung Galaxy S2 or even the Nokia Lumia and other devices are bought outright as against a small fee and a monthly commitment. As a consequence, the operators are not as strong as the handset manufacturers. Because there's no handset subsidy, their influencing power is limited. The operator merely serves to provide connectivity and not devices.

Mobile phones in the Indian market are available from as low as £10-£13. These are not on contract but outright purchase prices. They are decent phones for the price and come with warranty as well. In fact the cheapest Nokia is priced in the vicinity of the £13 mark.
 

Nokia Series 40 and Nokia Symbian in India

The market for Nokia's Series 40 devices is big and Nokia is doing a good job at continuously providing features and improvements to users at a competitive price point. A typical Series 40 device will start off from Rs.2000 (approx. £25). This market is what will drive the numbers for Nokia. These phones will continue to provide value to people who want a simple phone or cannot afford an expensive phone. Another factor that is helping the sales of these phones is the goodwill the brand enjoys. People are willing to buy a recognized and trusted brand rather than an Indian brand whose devices aren’t as good as a Nokia’s.

However, the situation is not quite so rosy for Nokia's Symbian devices. At a price point of Rs.7000 to Rs.16000 there is a lot of competition and there are a lot of devices available. Android and Symbian are very much head to head, with BlackBerry being the third player in the game.

While most contend that Android is emerging as the top choice, I feel the market is still open. Symbian devices in India are overwhelmingly available in this price bracket, with a few exceptions, namely the N8, X7, C7/701 and the E7.

Android seems like the populist choice, driven more by the adoption of it at the top end of the market. But it has its disadvantages as well and they are more pronounced in this segment.

1. Android development is moving at a rapid pace and that pace is too much for devices in this price bracket.
      
2. Android’s true experience is best had on 1GHz and above clocked processors with ample RAM. Devices in this segment are mostly powered by 600 to 800MHz processors, where Android isn’t as good.
      
3. When it comes to battery life, Android still lags behind Symbian’s power management solutions.
     
4. Android still remains a bit complicated as a platform solution for a majority of the audience in India.
       

I’ve seen many users complain of battery life on the devices and about build quality as well. The chief reason for people complaining about battery life is the lack of knowledge on how to exit an app. I’ve overheard so many times about how their Android device becomes slow after a while and how the battery life also becomes poor.

These things point to only one thing – lack of knowhow about how Android is designed and works. The educated folks who have access to internet and know their way around might be able to tackle these issues and even push the boundaries of their basic Android phone, but for a large set of people this is a hurdle and a headache. Most of the users in this segment are looking for sturdy and reliable devices that will work without too many hassles. A device they won’t have to change too often.

This is where Symbian holds an advantage.

1. Symbian development isn’t being stretched on the top; it is a mature platform and has quite a few functionalities built in.
      
2. Symbian Belle devices are smooth even on 680MHz processors.
      
3. Most of the new Symbian devices are already running a 1GHz processor.
      
4. Symbian devices are known to be efficient when it comes to power management. The N8 on 3G or HSDPA can easily do 10-12 hours with moderate-heavy usage in India.
      
5. Symbian is simpler and has a shorter learning curve as compared to Android. It has elements familiar to a user moving up the ladder from a budget device.
      

As things stand, currently Symbian is definitely a better choice for smartphones in this price range in India. The user experience on a Symbian Belle device is now much improved and mimics Android (the pull down status bar). The widgets have also improved and they look more user-friendly and appealing.

In India, looks and appearance play an important role and the new UI refresh, Belle is just what the doctor ordered. People in the metro cities (8 major and important cities in India) and other tier-1 cities may have begun shifting to Android. However, Symbian has not vanished from there yet and I’d contend that it may even make a small comeback.

Barring the metros and tier-1 and a few tier-2 cities, the depth of knowledge is not high about platforms amongst the populace. It might have heard of Android and know it’s something from Google and perhaos  that the current version is Gingerbread. Tier-2 cities and smaller towns and villages are where Symbian holds a good chance. A lot of people in these places still have a strong positive attachment with the Nokia brand and they are beginning to move up the ladder. They are increasingly exploring options. For them Nokia is familiar, almost reassuring in a way.

The new touchscreen devices in these places are the best things to get them started on. An Android phone in these parts of the country would only confuse them. People in these places are not as savvy as we think. A majority of the people here aren’t that well educated and many of them cannot afford to take ‘risks’ when it comes to expensive items - the mobile phone being one of them. So they will turn to something they are familiar with or have heard of.

Now these things might seem very old school for a typical AAS and AAWP reader, but this is a reality in India. Research and recommendations are more prevalent in the urban areas when it comes to purchasing a phone and this is evident even more so in the cities and towns with high tele-density.

However, Symbian phones can’t sell by themselves or on just the basis of the brand. Strong marketing and advertising push is needed to remind people of this bond and the familiarity. After all, it’s not as if competition is non-existent in these places.

So what does Symbian need to be able to survive and thrive?

1. Specs – Highlighting key specifications of the product, like a 5 megapixel camera, big battery life, loud speakers, processor speed, etc.
      
2. Apps – Show how apps are available on these phones and that one can do a lot more than just take photow or listen to music. A lot of the people in towns know that they can add apps and do more with a smartphone.
      
3. Events – By organizing small events at local shops (somewhat of an awareness drive) where people with a Nokia phone can come and get apps installed or update the Maps on their Nokia phone.
      
4. Roadshows – Nothing attracts public attention like a roadshow, showcasing the new Nokia Symbian phones and allowing people to have a feel of it will play a big role in creating increased visibility for the phone.
      

It is also important to understand that there are large regional variations within India, with consumer purchase decisions driven by different factors. For example, I’ve seen people prefer expensive and big phones in the north, especially in the NCR (National Capital Region). For them, the phone should be big and expensive, because it’s a sign of prosperity. By contrast, come down to west and the south of the country and people are looking at getting the best deal. Even a saving of Rs.50 at another shop a couple of kilometres away and people are likely to prefer that place to the one they are at. Here it is all about getting the most bang for the buck!
 

Phone shops in India

India has three distinct shopping formats from where a mobile phone can be purchased: a regular stand-alone outlet, a branded store (part of a large retail chain) and an online store.

Now this is where it gets tricky. A large portion of the market is unorganized, i.e. single stand-alone outlets. These, known as 'mom and pop' shops, are places from where most people buy their phones. The reasons are somewhat similar to why you go to a branded store in the US or UK.

These shops provide better customer service - if you are a regular then they’ll greet you and even give you a discount on your purchase if you ask nicely. You can even pick a phone from them and pay them later in a few days. These stores will go out of their way to provide you the best prices and will even arrange for a model if they don’t have it or if it’s not available. These stores work with a lot of co-ordination amongst themselves, despite being competitors. These stores also will buy and sell used phones.

Typical 'mom and pop' store

Since they aren’t run by a group, they are more flexible and will compete with each other to offer the best prices. These stores are also less likely to fool the customer - call it ethics or the fact that they don’t want to be hassled if something goes wrong with the phone that they suggested. Due to their cost structures these stores are able to undercut the retail stores by quite a margin, sometimes by as much as Rs.2000.

Then you have the modern retail stores, which are much like the Carphone Warehouse and Phone4U stores found in the UK. These retail stores have different pricing structures because of the incentives laid out by the manufacturers and their higher operating overheads. As a general rule, these stores are always more expensive than the 'mom and pop' store down the road and they always advise you to buy phones they have or the ones for which there are higher commissions. In addition, these stores usually aren’t as warm and friendly as the neighbourhood mobile store. So there’s no buying now and paying later and definitely no grey market handsets.

In the next few years, they are expected to absorb the ‘unorganized trade’, through buyouts and franchise agreements. Though I think it will be a while before they replace the neighbourhood mom and pop store.

Typical modern retail store

The last format, and one of the fast growing this year, has been online. The number of ecommerce sites from where you can buy a phone today in India is truly staggering. These online stores offer great discounts and price the phones aggressively. Delivery is quick and includes the option to pay at the door in cash. 2011 has seen a lot of people log on to an online store and buy their phone from the internet. It’s sometimes easier to find that odd phone model online and order it than it is to search the physical stores.

However, what’s really helping the growth of online phone stores is that they offer the right ambience when it comes to buying. No annoying salesman, specs are all there to see, plus colour options and a list of accessories that goes with the phone. These online stores also keep a wide variety of phones in stock. With inventory costs being low and delivery times quick (2-3 days is normal and free) it’s easy for people to look at all sorts of options.

Online shopping is becoming more popular, but for it to become truly successful there needs to be greater penetration of internet and PCs. With only around 13.13 million broadband connections in India, this could take some time.
   

Concluding thoughts

This is a small snapshot of the Indian market. I’ve tried to cover what I consider to be the major themes. Consider this as just a peek into the Indian market, the consumer mind here, Symbian in India and the retail industry.

Thanks, Aditya! (editor of worldofphones.net), follow him on Twitter: @adityasinghvi.

From the press release:

“Sisvel has been extremely active in recent years working with the wireless industry to provide simplified access to essential wireless patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory, or 'FRAND', conditions,” said Giustino de Sanctis, CEO of Sisvel International. Mr. de Sanctis also explained that “Acquiring the many essential patents in this key portfolio is a very significant step for Sisvel and a testament to Sisvel’s commitment and determination to succeed in this space. We look forward to offering these essential patents on FRAND terms and to continuing our work within the wireless industry.”

Here's his image from My Nokia Blog:

Using just 2 binder clips you can make your own home-made tripod that has adjustable angles (moving the clips- or as I call them Quadpod Legs). If you’re worried about scratching your N8 (even-though that shouldn’t be an issue considering the adonised aluminum) you can put some tape or tissue paper, or gauze around the ends of the binder clip… be creative!