TamsS60 – the Symbian Blog

Nokia’s AT&T-only Surge has been a “mystery handset” of sorts – as it will not be available outside of the USA for quite some time, there is little chance that non-US reviewers will get their hands onto the critter in the near future.

Fortunately, the folks at Engadget Mobile’s did get one – and immediately fell in love with the device’s keyboard:

…you’re presented with a majestic, backlit QWERTY keyboard that puts most other text-friendly phones to shame. We’ll just go ahead and say it: the Surge’s keyboard is the best QWERTY board we’ve ever used, and considering just how long we’ve been pecking on those vertical iPhone and BlackBerry keyboards, that’s saying something
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Don’t ask me why AT&T insisted on its custom web browser though – this turned out to be the boys main point of critique.

The full review can be found here:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/07/31/nokia-surge-review/

Nokia’s XPressMusic 5800 is an insanely successful touchscreen handset – it is said to sell like hotcakes all over the world. Nokia is thus interested in milking its cash cow even more…and will do so via the 5800i which has just passed the FCC:

Hardware changes seem to be minimal – as far as I see, the camera is largely the same except for a slightly higher maximal aperture (f4 vs f3.7). All which was changed was the removal of the WiFi transmitter.

The box is targeted to China – the following excerpt from the manual proves this clearly:

Further information can be had via the FCC:
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=846575&fcc_id=%27LJPRM-602%27

Our Nokia N86 review now comes to an end – in case you missed any part, hit the list below for further information:
Nokia N86 review – first impressions
Nokia N86 review – size
Nokia N86 8MP review – physical
Nokia N86 review – OLED screen
Nokia N86 review – camera
Nokia N86 8MP review – software

But: can the N86 stock up, or is it Nokia’s next crap handset? From a physical standpoint, the N86 is one of the best devices Nokia has ever built: the hardware is rock-solid, the screen is gorgeous and the keyboard layout and key design is sensible (rare nowadays).

Even though the camera has been improved a lot since my MWC standoff, it still cannot verse the Samsung Omnia i8910’s IMHO: the softness we saw back then remains and cant be removed with sharpening (like it can be on the E520). The lack of a proper flash lays the camel flat for me – but this is a matter of taste.

However, the images are perfectly usable and should give decent prints: if the camera were the N86’s only problem, I would recommend it immediately.

The N86’s most deadly enemy looms in its past: it’s the N82. Yes, the N82 has a f33ed keyboard and no OLED screen – but its images are on par, and the Xenon flash improves flash photography a lot.

As the N82 can currently be had for less than 200 Euros, the Nokia N86’s list price of 400 Euros appears extremely high and not backed up by actual added value.

Cutting a long story short: the N86 is a great device. Great – but pricey. The N82 is a little bit worse, but a lot cheaper and has a flash…which makes choosing the right device for you a question of personal taste…

What do you think?

The folks at QuickOffice’s have had a pretty varying future: after initially leading the PalmOS office market, they were swiftly eliminated by DataViz’s DocumentsToGo due to DataViz’s superior carrier and manufacturer relations. Motivated by this, they entrenched in the S60 market; effectively eliminating Mobi-Systems OfficeSuite. They can now be considered the only office suite on the market – which means that their updates are significant and get covered here…

QuickOffice 6.2 – editing with touch
So far, QuickOffice was not able to edit files on touchscreen devices. This has now changed.

QuickOffice 6 – free update for all Nokia handsets
All users who currently have a version of QUickOffice installed are entitled to a free upgrade – AllAboutSymbian describe it as follows:

… Users will receive an upgrade in line with the version that shipped with their device. This means that Eseries devices will receive an upgrade to the viewing and editing version, while other S60 Nokia devices will receive an upgrade to the viewing only version. Read on for more information.

Users can download and install the update though Quickoffice’s built in Quickmanager component

…

With that, the company has IMHO squashed Mobi-Systems for good – the window of opportunity for their Office suite has IMHO closed for good…

Rumors of a Nokia N97 mini were recently raised by a carrier representative – unfortunately, no pictures were available so far. This has now changed – the shot below is from Engadget:

As of now, no supporting information is available…

Having friends in phone retail can sometimes be extremely helpful. I recently visited a mate at a large Austrian phone store. He had some info to share – here’s the latest scoop:

Nokia XpressMusic 5530
So far, preorders of the 5530 have not shipped. However, her preorder was listed as “pending” by Nokia Austria..which means that this particular toy will drop within the next 14 days.

Nokia XpressMusic 5730
The 5730 has been for sale at her store since the 1st of July – and have sold but two (2) pieces – one blue, one black.

According to him, the handset is crappily built, has a horrible keyboard and sells accordingly…

Any questions?

The development of the N86 has taken longer as Carl Zeiss is said to have re-engineered the entire camera system to keep the pixel pitch size the same and thereby reduce noise. The N82’s Xenon flash is gone – but can the little critter stack up?
Click the images to see them in full size and unedited!

Our first shot was shot indoors in decent light – detail starts to get lost towards the back of the frame:

An few outdoor shots (in the rain, thanks to Ms. Jen for the “ride” under her umbrella) show the same washedout-ness:

Two indoor portraits reveal similar results (webmaster of World of Nokia, yours truly):

This outdoor shot emphasizes the white-out which occurs due to bright objects:

Macro photography works somewhat well:

Getting colors right does not seem to be a strength of my sample – other devices I handled fared better:

When it comes to ISO performance, the N86 is not as fine-grained as other handsets: it provides but three ISO settings labeled Low, Mid and High. I have performed some testing and have determined something surprising: high-ISO images remain somewhat usable (although the blotching gets more and more out of control):

Finally, another outdoor shot made with a different handset – one can see that the images are a lot less blotched:

In the end, my Nokia N86 seems to be on the worse end of the batch when it comes to image quality – its images look somewhat soft, poor of detail and suspiciously remind me of interpolated 5MP shots or a lens with insufficient sharpness. However, other devices I saw did not exhibit this problem…which means that we could be looking at a sporadic eeker here.

If you can live with the lack of flash, the device will suit your taste perfectly…even my somewhat eekered sample produced more than usable images!

Nokia’s naming scheme has been somewhat well-established for E- and N-Series handsets: both ran S60, and the first were suited for getting work done, while the second are intended for fun-loving folks. So far, so good – but what happens when you get out of these areas and into the “normal” handset business? What’s the difference between a 6650 fold and a 6650 slide?

According to unwired::view, Nokia will announce a new handset naming scheme in the near future:

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Those Cseries, Xseries brand names that Nokia has just trademarked? Yes, they are going to be announced at Nokia World, along with the major revamp of a naming nomenclature of Nokia phones.

The main goal of a new naming scheme – is to make it easily understandable for an average consumer. Every new phone will become part of some series. Every series will have a minimal set of functionality that is mandatory for any phone in the line.

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As of now, all of this is but speculation – let’s see how it plays out…

The folks at symbian-freak’s managed to get their hands onto a Nokia E52 – and were pretty happy with the box:

…

That said, I’ll start off with the build quality. Build quality of the device is superb, however I don’t think it’s quite up to par as say the E71. For instance, the battery cover of the e52 is very thin though this appears to be a non-issue once the battery is in the device as it sits flush against it so there seems to be no way it can be in anyway indented or damaged.

…

Further information can be had here:
http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/009/07/first_24_hours_with_the_nokia_e52_by_plb.htm

Dear Readers,
in case you feel like going to the Mobile World Congress next year: book trip and hotel ASAP!

I have just gone through the hassles of trying to get a room, and failed miserably at various hotels due to lack of free space. Yes, the event is still more than 6 months away – but the vacancies are all used up.

Keep in mind that this event is huge and can easily fill up the entire city…and get booking ASAP.

P.S: If anyone of you has a hint for a hotel, I’d be thankful for a comment for the rest of the gang…

Symbian’s Smartphone Show has provided us with loads of content for the entire network in the past two years – the folks have now rebranded it. All important information is in the image below:

As usual, expect us to report from there – stay tuned for further info as we get it!

Like most other mobile browsers, Nokia’s S60 phones use a browser based on WebKit. The WebKit engine is developed independently from the browsers, which means that manufacturers must frequently update their own code base in order to keep their customer’s handsets current.

Nokia has just done that:

Nokia has introduced S60 Browser 7.1 for S60 5th Edition and selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices from Nokia. This new version of the browser is based on WebKit 525, which adds features and updates contributed by Nokia and other members of the WebKit open source community. The new user features include:
* Enabling users to define the function of shortcut keys.
* Providing users with the option to view a web page in the full screen, by hiding the status bar and softkey labels.

For developers the introduction of S60 Browser 7.1 delivers full support for Flash Lite 3.0. It also extends support for WRT API 1.1, which offer S60 Platform Services, to selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices.

The new browser is already offered in the following S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices: Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6730 classic, Nokia N86 8MP device, Nokia E52 messaging device, Nokia E55 messaging device, and Nokia E72 device. Other selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices will gain S60 Browser 7.1 through firmware updates.

Developers should note that early versions of S60 Browser 7.1 were released without support for onKeyPress to capture select and navigation key events. For full details, see the Knowledge Base entry TSS001451 – Key event handling in S60 Browser 7.1 and S60 WRT 1.1. This omission affects both web and WRT widget code. Later versions of the browser will correct this omission.

Don’t ask me why the boys can’t just make the sis file available for download – let’s stay tuned to see who gets the new browser…

A recent press release from Nokia’s Network manufactureing division NSN (short for Nokia Siemens Networks) claims the following:

…

Nokia Siemens Networks has transformed its North American business under the leadership of region head Sue Spradley. The company announced on July 20, 2009 it had won a contract with the new Canadian mobile operator Globalive Wireless for the roll-out of a 3G network in Canada. This marked the fourth such agreement in just over a year following deals with Bell Canada, TELUS and Videotron in 2008.

Momentum also continues to build in the U.S. where Nokia Siemens Networks has a leading position in long-haul optical networks and is building its business with both cable and wireless operators as illustrated by recent key deals for IMS technology with Time Warner and with Verizon Wireless to support the roll-out of LTE.

Nokia Siemens Networks is well positioned to transition its leadership in 3G into long-term success in LTE throughout the network from the core IMS system it is building for Verizon Wireless to the Radio Access technology it is supplying with partner Panasonic to NTT DoCoMo in Japan. Nokia Siemens Networks has enjoyed recent wins in both Asia and Europe for LTE and is working on other prospects with customers across the globe.

…

I am walking on thin ice now, but chances are high that this carrier will use loads of Nokia handsets. This prediction is based on two things: past experience and supply chain logic. First of all, let’s look at Hutchison Austria. They use NSN hardware, and sell loads of Nokia handsets. This is only too logical, as they already have an established supply chain with Nokia…so why shouldn’t they reuse it?

Of course, all of this is a wild prediction as of this writing – what do you think?

What do you think?

Airlines have used GSM-based credit card billing systems for quite some time – don’t ask me why the FCC had no issues with that after that infamous CrossAir crash which brought us the lovely anti-cellphone legislation we currently enjoy in most countries.

Mexico was very slow to adopt these regulations, and is one of the first to remove them – Engadget reports the following:

…
Soon, travelers there will no longer have to keep their handsets safely stowed or in airplane mode, with the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, or SCT (the Mexican FCC equivalent), approving cellphones en-masse for flights anywhere in the nation. This cancels an earlier edict made in 2001 banning their use, and while Mexico’s federal government still has to approve things, that’s not expected to take long.
…

At Tamoggemon’s, we celebrate – now all we need is to motivate Hutchison to get into Mexico…

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Fcb981, lightboxing by Tam Hanna

Sony Ericsson has had a “media store” for quite some time due to Sony’s MP3 players – the boys have now expanded it to include S60 and Java ME apps:

Their process looks as following – all similarities to the App Store from Apple are purely coincidental:

As usual, private individuals are forced to get their hands onto an UK limited:

…To submit content, you need to be a legally registered company or entity. This is required for payment processing and tax (VAT) reasons. We regret that we cannot accept submissions from private individuals. …

Hit the URL below for further info:
http://developer.sonyericsson.com/site/global/gotomarket/sellit/p_sellit.jsp