So the updates are out and here is what we have. To start things out there is Social 1.2 which has photo and video uploaded improvements. Ovi Store2.0 is preloaded along with Ovi Maps. QuickOffice 6.4.166 will be there along with improved zooming functions. The dialer will now work in landscape mode as well as you can change the phones wallpaper directly from the options on the home screen. The music player has also been enhanced thanks to a new screen saver that shows track name and a bay of cycled colors.
Fixes include the animated screen saver now being removed as well as the charging indicator giving fals messages when charging with the device powered off.
The size of the update is 170MB so if you have a limited data plan, we would suggest downloading the update from the Ovi Suite.
Posts Tagged ‘Nokia-N8’
Nokia N8, C7, C6-01 update details released
Tuesday, February 15th, 20112010: the Big Year for the Smart Phone Industry
Friday, December 17th, 2010
To say that this year saw plenty of big changes for the mobile industry would be an understatement. January opened up with what we can consider as a foreshadowing of how the year was going to be –the Nexus One launched within the first 5 days of the new year.
Indeed, this year, we witnessed the 1GHz Snapdragon CPU set a new standard for processor speeds. While there are still plenty of great new devices running with slower processors, there are now many apps and features that required the high speed CPU in order to run smoothly. Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10 –the first announced 1GHz Android phone, launched alongside other devices using the QSD CPU.
HD also became a new standard for video recording. The advent of HDTVs in homes has increased public awareness and acknowledgement of high resolution videos and thus, video recording in 720p is now pretty common. Even better is the fact that mini HDMI ports, such as the ones found in the Nseries Nokia N8 Symbian^3 smart phone, are also becoming a commonly found feature among the high end devices.
But it was not all hardware for smart phones, there are also many important events in 2010 that helped change the way we experience smart phones today.
The big Apple versus Adobe argument led to the near standardization of the Flash support in a wide variety of platforms except for the iOS. In the meanwhile, BlackBerry has taken a major change as RIM shifted the focus of BlackBerry OS 6 to multimedia playback and social networking.
Nokia’s MeeGo is now slowly going to take the main stage as the Symbian OS seems to be stepping out of the picture. Of course, Microsoft also unveiled (last February) and released (last October) the Windows Phone 7 platform this year as well.
Nokia: No Longer on Top
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Officially, Nokia is still the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, but the Finnish phone maker is losing its touch. Early this year, many industry analysts have already predicted that the Symbian platform will not be able to stand against the Apple iOS and more importantly, the Google Android.
Android’s growth is so fast and huge that it has even been said that even the Symbian OS’ large distribution will be surpassed in a couple of years. While Nokia has been confirmed to be working closely with chip maker Intel in order to make the MeeGo operating system powerful, fast and efficient, they still have yet to show a device running the platform. Nokia is going to have a hard time keeping its place on top of the list with the competition growing stronger each day.
But are Nokia’s short term plans going to cut it? Many doubt that the current plans hold any good promises for the company. Take the upcoming Nokia touch screen tablet device. So far, we have no details on what this device is going to be, but considering the fact that Nokia will have to compete with the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Playbook and several other already impressive devices (but mostly the iPad and any good Android tablet), they are not going to make an easy entry. Microsoft has also stated that they will be launching a Windows 7 tablet as well so that is certainly something that Nokia would want to factor in before they step into the fray.
As for mobile phones –Nokia’s strong point, they only have a little grasp of the smart phone industry. While the rest of their low end phones are selling splendidly –which is what probably keeps Nokia afloat, their smart phone offerings are lackluster. Not to mention delayed, the Nokia N8 too almost half a year to launch and the upcoming E7 seems to be delayed by a full quarter and the N-series N9 is still nowhere in sight.
Motorola Olympus Spotted, Nokia N8 Sales, T-Mobile Update Delay
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
Motorola’s Tegra 2 powered Olympus has been appearing in the top headlines lately, thanks to the very leaky ship allowing us to get early image of what the new high end Android smart phone will look like. Now, it appears that Motorola is taking one more step towards bringing even more hype to their handset: leaving it somewhere for someone else to find.
Sure, it may sound a little cheap, after the whole fiasco with the prototype iPhone 4 being left in some random bar earlier this year. But the fact of the matter is that smart phones are always being brought out in the wild and thanks to the many engineers and production personnel handling prototype devices, these leaks are everywhere.
Anyway, as odd as the source of the leaks may be, it is hard to deny that the Tegra 2 CPU is certainly going to draw plenty of attention. With the Olympus and the LG Star currently being the only two confirmed handsets sporting the new hardware, we can certainly expect to see these two devices in the news a whole lot more.
Nokia’s N8 smart phone sales are pretty disappointing and when comparing to the extravagant success of the Apple iPhone 4, one wonders why the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer is not playing in their top form. Despite being the current largest phone maker in the world, Nokia is in trouble of losing its spot to its competitors, with the Symbian Foundation now turning into a licensing organization and the MeeGo platform still nowhere in sight.
Lastly, T-Mobile has not yet released the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the Samsung Galaxy S –which was supposed to be out yesterday. No official announcement has been given to explain the situation but they have announced that we might have to wait until next week for the update to be available.
Smart Phones: the Latest Developments
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
Nokia has announced that they are focused working on the power failure issues that are affecting the Nokia N8 Symbian^3 smart phone. Following a recent new update from retailers that have held off from selling the device (due to high return rates), it appears that a major issue concerning the device’s hardware has been spotted. So far, it has not been confirmed if a software-based fix would suffice or if this issue can only be repaired by actually fixing the hardware itself.
Korean phone maker Samsung has announced that it will have a pretty large lineup of Windows Phone 7 devices. In fact more than half the device they produce will be made of WP7 phones while the remaining 40% goes to Galaxy Android devices and the remainder will be Bada based handsets. For those not familiar, the Bada OS is a proprietary open source mobile platform developed by Samsung for its mobile handsets. So far, over a million Bada devices has been sold.
Another HTC phone is being rumored to be launching in the US first –with no confirmation of a possible UK release date: the HTC Knight. So far, initial details on the device show that it will be a 4G capable smart phone. Once again, here is to hoping that the device will be getting a name change then gets shipped locally to the UK.
Cupertino based Apple has announced that they will not continue with the development of the embedded SIM card. This is after many local network operators have stated that if Apple pushes through with the plan to create embedded SIM cards on their devices, they would start boycotting all of Apple’s devices –including the iPhone 4.
Originally, Gemalto was supposed to develop and manufacture the sim cards. Apple has had a very outstanding relationship with operators and unlike with other phone makers and developers, Apple cannot afford to antagonize the local networks.
News Bits: a Quick Serving of Today’s Big Headlines
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Samsung’s successful high end Android smart phone is now available in an all white version. Carphone Warehouse is exclusively selling the white i9000 Galaxy S Android handset for a pretty reasonable price tag. For those curious about this device, here’s the quick summary of its best features: it runs on a 1GHz CPU, has a 4 inch super AMOLED touch screen display and has a 5 mega pixel snapper that also supports HD video recording at 720p.
RIM’s PlayBook touch screen tablet has just gotten its official price tag. The touch screen gadget will be available for 312 GBP, pretty reasonable for a standalone browser. While the QNX platform has yet to prove itself, initial videos show that the OS seems to provide a very consistent experience. Time will tell if the limited app library for BlackBerry would be able to stand against the iTunes and the Android Market.
Samsung’s Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Focus and the Omnia 7 are both confirmed to support tethering features. The settings are easily accessed from the phone’s menu and are counter arguments to recent criticisms that the feature is not available in the OS. However, it has yet to be confirmed if tethering is available to other WP7 phones or only to Samsung’s handsets.
Nokia’s Symbian^3 powered N8 handset has a brand new selling point: toughness. The feature was not mentioned at all in any previous advertisements, making it a surprise that we all certainly appreciate. A recently uploaded video showcasing the testing that the N8 went through before production showed just how tough the aluminum encased handset truly is.
Lastly, Apple’s iOS update is announced to be scheduled for launch this coming Friday night at 6pm. While the launch date is still hard to pin down, this appears to be the most reliable and constant bit of information that is being reported regarding the firmware update.
New Androids and Nokia’s N8 to Hit Stores Soon
Monday, October 25th, 2010
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is coming out for both T-Mobile and O2 UK. The big announcement from O2 has just been confirmed and they have stated that the device will be coming out in November 1. Those interested in the touch screen tablet might want to know that it packs a 7 inch capacitive touch screen display, a 1GHz CPU, dual facing cameras, and of course, Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo.
The tablet also supports Flash 10.1 so users can browse any website without any worries about the compatibility of the browser.
Vodafone has confirmed that they will also be launching an Android smart phone, the HTC Desire HD. This handset is basically a remake of the original HTC Desire that came out alongside the Nexus One (in the UK) and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. The updated version brings in a 4 inch capacitive touch screen display and a powerful 8 mega pixel snapper as well. Expect to see plenty of use of the handset’s HD video recording and playback features.
The Nokia N8 is also coming to Vodafone, O2 and Virgin Media as well. O2 has officially listed the launched date to be on the first of November, making the launch date just a few short days away. The phone has been delayed from launch since it was announced earlier this year.
Thanks to the N8’s 12 mega pixel camera and HD video features, users can expect to have plenty of fun experimenting on the phone. The Symbian^3 operating system will also be making its high end debut with the N8 as well.
Speaking of the Nokia N8, a specialized Virgin Media player app has been launched exclusively for the N8. Subscribers under VM getting the handset will find the app pre-loaded while those on different networks may choose to download the app separately.
Consumer View: Do We Want More from Nokia?
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
With all the focus on the newer operating systems such as the latest Android incarnations (rumors now point to a version 4.0 in the works), the just-launched Windows Phone 7 and of course, Apple’s iOS, there is very little doubt that older names and brands such as Nokia and the Symbian are getting left behind.
Several months ago, a consumer study revealed that the phone market is losing interest in the Nokia and Symbian brand labels. With all the low end Nokia phones and the ever basic Symbian S-series mobile platform, it appeared that the two brands were cohesively on the path to being obsolete. Even the launch of the Maemo last 2009 was not enough to change people’s minds.
Nokia has since taken a new approach, while the Symbian is not proving itself to be a strong enough contender for the OS wars, the Finnish phone maker has teamed up with Intel to develop the MeeGo OS.
At this point, it is much too early to say that the MeeGo would be an exciting platform. At the very least, it should be good. The new OS is based on both the Maemo and the Moblin –both of which are actually pretty good operating systems and the decision for two companies to team up and deliver a single platform is certainly going to bring in a lot of interest.
At this point however, Nokia needs to regain its public standing. The constant delays in the launch of the N8, decreasing unit sales, and even a major change in the internal structure are certainly shaking things up internally. But from a consumer standpoint, Nokia is still dawdling in a corner.
Right now, there is a considerable lack of interest and hype about Nokia’s upcoming phones and unless the Symbian^3 proves to be a breakthrough platform, the Finnish phone maker will have to consider getting all of its focus on just one OS.
News Bits: Sony’s New Camera, Nokia N8 Launch and More
Friday, October 8th, 2010
Sony is going to take the mobile phone industry’s camera technology to a whole new level. The electronics manufacturer that brought Cybershot technology to the world is now going to introduce a powerful 16.4 mega pixel snapper that will show us how much detail one can have in a single image.
The initial images of the demonstration shots are already impressive, showcasing fine text in full detail when zoomed in from a much larger image. If that was not enough, Sony is also improving on the already existing 8 mega pixel snapper as well. Expect this technology to appear on new handsets by next year. In any case, this is certainly one solid step towards making camera phones even more powerful than ever.
Speaking of Sony Ericsson, the company has just awarded Anovo with an accreditation turning the phone repair company into an official Sony Ericsson partner. This means that Anovo’s teams are now fully equipped and ready to handle issues for Sony Ericsson products. If you are an SE owner living near an Anovo repair shop, then you will not have to travel far in order to have your device repaired.
Finnish phone maker Nokia has finally confirmed the launch dates for the N8 Symbian handset and all that is needed now is for the date to hit October 15 before we finally get to preorder the device straight from the manufacturer. It was originally announced that Vodafone would also be offering pre-orders for the handset. Currently, the official date for actual launch or shipping of the handset is on October 22.
Lastly, Gresso, a Swiss luxury phone brand, has just recently revealed the Luxor World Time handset which features a front screen with customizable clocks that will allow users to check up on the time on different cities in a single glance.
Mobile News Round Up: News Phone and More Features
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
Nokia’s Ovi Music Store is going to be available to users of the Nokia 5230 under T-Mobile. What makes this pretty important is that this will be an unlimited music version of the Ovi store which will provide 5230 owners with a vast array of music resources.
The announcement just came out and is going to be quite the package for T-Mobile users. The phone will cost buyers by 99.99 Pounds –a pretty good deal considering that the phone practically gives users unlimited access to the Nokia Ovi store –which can be done through a computer for downloading plenty of music content.
In other Nokia related news updates, the N8 has finally been pinned down for a confirmed release date. Fans of the Finnish phone maker in the UK can expect the N8 to be available by October 22 (a day after WP7 devices first launch). This is reportedly the last schedule changing announcement regarding the Nokia N8 –which seems to be the device which holds the record for the most delays announced. O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile and several other network operators will be offering the Nokia N8 though buyers can also get the handset directly through Nokia’s official online store.
Taiwan based phone maker HTC has just announced that they have made a profit of almost 230 million Pounds for the third quarter of this year. The large profit margin from the previous months is a testament to how much the company has been growing. While HTC initially made a name for itself with the Windows Pocket PC, it was HTC’s involvement with the development of the Android OS that has helped it grow tremendously.
Speaking of HTC, the phone maker has several new devices lined up for fans of both the Android and the upcoming Windows Phone 7. The HTC Desire HD and Desire Z are already getting confirmations from various network operators with the HTC Mozart and Mondrian are both due to come out this month.