Planet S60

The Nokia Blog: SXSWi With Nokia – Photos Recap from Nokia N97 mini

2010-03-16T20:20:07+00:00

SXSW Interactive just finished and I’m at the airport waiting for my flight back to New York City. The festival was a lot of fun and describing it in text wouldn’t be enough. I had the Nokia N97 mini with me taking photos and sharing immediately to friends in Facebook & Twitter. Here’s a recap [...]

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Microsoft Silverlight for Symbian – Beta now available

2010-03-16T18:35:42+00:00

Written by Microsoft Silverlight for Symbian Team

Blog feed for Beta Labs: New category for 3rd party applications at Nokia Beta Labs

2010-03-16T18:30:48+00:00

Today we established a new application type* in the Nokia Beta Labs application catalog for applications contributed by some of our partners. The following post will introduce the first example in this 3rd party category, but first I want to explain a bit more about this new addition.

adonismobile: Nexus One Sales Low, Operators Have Power

2010-03-16T14:21:00+00:00

In comparison to the iPhone and Droid the Nexus One hasn't scratched the surface of penetration Google might have hoped for when it announced the handset. Whilst the iPhone and Droid have sold in excess of 1 million handsets in their first 74 days, the Nexus One in comparison has only shipped around 135,000. So why is this the case?

Removing the case of the actual time when the Nexus One was announced and released in comparison to the iPhone and Droid the only other major issue is the availability of the Nexus One. Whilst it is essentially available in more places on initial release, it's available without being subsidised (with the exception of the US & T-Mobile). This is crucial because the people in general do not like to buy mobile handsets outright. They prefer to purchase it via a contract agreement over several months, it's safer for them and easier to manage. The average Joe does not have enough money left over every month after bills and expenses to buy a SIM free handset costing over £300+. Especially more so in this recession we're experiencing.

The consumer has been used to getting free and cheap subsidised handsets for so long that the thought of paying for a handset almost comes as a shock. The amount of time I've heard someone complain about the fact that their upgrade is costing them money and why their handset isn't free is too many. As the mentality of the consumer has been influenced by the operator for so long, the expectancy that every handset should be free on a tariff and on upgrade is natural. Hence why this is the major problem the Nexus One is facing currently. With no operator deal yet, the average consumer just won't buy a handset outright any more. It's a rare occasion. Only enthusiasts and those desperate for change will do so, EVEN if buying a handset SIM free is cheaper in the long term than an 18 or 24 month contract. They just don't have that cash to hand nor are they willing to part with it. That is the age we are in right now.

The lack of sales is down to Google badly timing their availability of the handset itself and their stance to directly sell globally without any major subsidy involved, especially in Europe. In the long term the Google model will eventually have to change or the mentality of the consumer will, either way one things gotta give.

adonismobile: Worringly Vodafone Snatches Up HTC Legend Exclusively

2010-03-16T10:07:00+00:00

News is coming through that Vodafone have tied up an exclusive deal with HTC for their Legend handset. The Legend is the successor to the very successful Hero. Vodafone has posted up an image which indicates it is going to be a Vodafone exclusive. Great news for current and potential Vodafone customers. But is it good news for the rest of us?

The HTC Legend is an exemplary piece of mobile kit, it's uni-body design and SenseUI overlay is going to attract a lot of attention. Much like the Hero it will be a success, mainly for 2 very specific reasons:

It's a natural upgrade for those that currently own a Hero and would like to stick with something similar. With a refresh of design and a few little upgrades it would be welcome upgrade for the not so fussy and cutting edge.
The Legend is aimed at the mid-range market, which is very successful and usually more affordable than the top end. Mid-range handsets usually sell a lot more and appeal to a larger audience.

Whilst these two reasons may be a good positive for Vodafone customers and Hero owners or those that happened to fall into both categories, worryingly if this exclusive deal is going to last for anything longer than 9 months, then it could be bad news for the market and consumers in general. Purchasing a Legend would most definitely mean either getting a Vodafone contract, or buying it SIM free, leaving minimal room for competitive pricing. Which usually equates to it being more expensive and less flexible for the consumer.

What's even more worrying is that, there is talk Vodafone will be giving the Legend the 360 treatment - blasphemy! It's pretty clear I'm not a fan of Operator branding of handsets, as a fan and enthusiast I prefer my handsets to be pure and enjoyed as the manufacture intended to be. I'm not against branding by operators IF they do it right, but that's a BIG IF, as history has shown operators do not get them right and usually the user suffers a horrible experience from outdated firmware, unwanted extras and hideous UI modifications.

I'm hoping this exclusive deal is not a permanent or long one and hopefully there will be more choice for users to enjoy what is potentially a gorgeous, modern device which oozes style, sophistication and openness.

Mobile Opportunity: Browsing the web for $10,000 an hour

2010-03-15T00:39:44+00:00

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: New Youtube, Mobile Phone Show

2010-03-13T04:52:56+00:00

Hey guys, it's been a while! I've been really busy working on various projects, but fortunately Ernest has been doing a grand job at fuelling you all with mobile news. *applauds Ernest* I'm posting today, to let you guys, and...

The Nokia Blog: Symbian Pokes at the iPhone During SXSW

2010-03-13T02:01:55+00:00

I’m hanging out at SXSW this weekend with the winners from the WOM World Nokia video contest. The thousands of people who entered the convention center received a bag of goodies. Among the swag was a card-sized ad for Symbian with a nice little remark against the iPhone. Take a look. The SXSW bag of swag Symbian [...]

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Ovi Contacts for web (beta) gets a new back end and a small facelift

2010-03-12T19:39:25+00:00

Greetings from California!

We rebuilt the backend of Ovi Contacts web UI to enable the use of contacts across Ovi services. We also did some minor UI changes, but most of the work has been done behind the curtains. The starting page for the new users changed to make the first use easier. Also, contact and group creation UI has been improved for better usability.

Carnival of the Mobilists: Carnival of the Mobilists #214

2010-03-11T16:07:45+00:00

This week the Carnival of the Mobilists – the weekly line-up of the best blogs and bloggers on all things mobile – comes to us via Andy Favell over at MobiThinking, a valuable resource with a good selection of mobile advertising stats, reports and white papers. Between Andy’s outreach for old and new Mobilists to [...]

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Symbian^3 Video Demo: What To Expect From The Next Nokia Phones

2010-03-11T13:59:21+00:00

Symbian ^3 is coming, and all of its multitouch and multitasking loveliness has been demonstrated in a Nokia San Francisco press briefing. David Rivas, Nokia's vice president, showed a demo of what users will expect from the revamped platform, due...

The Nokia Blog: Video How to: Use Bookmarklets on the Nokia N900’s Browser

2010-03-10T17:15:29+00:00

Bookmarklets are bookmarks in the browser designed to add one-click functionality to a web page. On our desktops, we save bookmarklets by dragging a links to to our browser’s toolbar. It’s different on mobile devices. I checked the Nokia N900, Nexus One, iPhone, and the Nokia N97 mini and noticed only the N900 can quickly [...]

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Sony Ericsson Satio Software Update Arriving Soon - Brings WVGA Video Recording, DLNA

2010-03-10T11:20:16+00:00

Proving their commitment to Symbian, Sony Ericsson have announced they are releasing another update for the multimedia masterpiece that is the Satio. Despite having a 12-megapixel camera, 3.5-inch touch display and a revamped interface, the Satio was plagued by software...

maramine blog: Wondering if Apple really hates Google? Ask my MacBook Pro,...

2010-03-05T16:25:23+00:00

Wondering if Apple really hates Google? Ask my MacBook Pro, which for whatever reason, won’t allow me to add Google Chrome to my dock.

Blog feed for Beta Labs: New badges for active contributors at Beta Labs

2010-03-05T11:25:22+00:00

Today we'll be making some changes to the badges that you can earn as a contributor at Beta Labs. We're going to simplify the badges we give out and switch off the Top Reviewer, Bug Buster, and Innovator badges since they were proving difficult to maintain in a reliable and fair way. In short, we're adding two new badges and holding on to two old badges.

Active Contributor

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Beta Labs contributor of the month, February 2010: maximilian.schleiss

2010-03-05T10:32:09+00:00

Last month in our little poll 87% of you who responded voted to continue the Contributor of the Month tradition. So let's keep it going, but feel free to suggest other means of giving recognition as well. And remember that all of you can influence who gets select

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Gig Finder updated based on your feedback

2010-03-04T11:14:49+00:00

Following the great feedback submitted by the Beta Labs community, we have created a new release of Gig Finder to address many of the bugs reported by users. Please download the latest release (requires login), try it out, and keep the good feedback coming!

- Daniel
Gig Finder team

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Ovi Mail now integrated with Contacts and available in Arabic

2010-03-04T08:28:52+00:00

The Ovi Mail team has just released Ovi Mail 2.0. With this release, your Ovi Mail contacts and Ovi Contacts are merged into one contacts list. You can view, edit, delete or create your contacts from Ovi Contacts or Ovi Mail. You can also sync your device phonebook with Ovi Contacts and Ovi Mail. This was the most desired feature by Ovi Mail users and we are excited to bring this to you.

My-Symbian.com S60 3rd & 5th Edition: Nokia 5230 Nuron announced

2010-03-03T12:55:44+00:00

Nokia and T-Mobile USA today announced the upcoming availability of the Nokia 5230 Nuron, a T-Mobile customized version of the Nokia 5230. Operating on T-Mobile's 3G network, the Nokia Nuron offers dynamic Web browsing on a 3.2" touch screen. The device is also the first pre-loaded with Ovi Maps, a free turn-by-turn navigation solution from Nokia, and the first to have the Ovi Store pre-loaded. The Nokia Nuron is expected to be available in the coming weeks exclusively from T-Mobile. The phone is based on S60 5th Edition and includes a 2 Megapixel camera and A-GPS receiver. Read more: Product pages, Picture gallery, Press release.

My-Symbian.com S60 3rd & 5th Edition: Skype now in the OVI store

2010-03-03T12:39:28+00:00

The native Skype client for the S60 platform has just been officially added to the OVI store, from where you can download it for free. The application provides full Skype functionality over either a WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G), including Skype-to-Skype and Skype-Out calls, instant messages and text messaging, sharing pictures and videos, account management, and more. Full press release is available here.

Carnival of the Mobilists: Carnival of the Mobilists #213

2010-03-02T17:25:58+00:00

This week the Carnival of the Mobilists comes to us via Caroline Lewko and the brand-new (!) WIPConnector. The new site consolidates all of the sites– including the blog, WIPJam information – into one destination and invaluable resource for developers. Please redirect any links you have to the new URL. The line-up of #213 must-read posts [...]

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Nokia C5: Stylish S60 Handset Unveiled At CeBit

2010-03-02T10:38:21+00:00

CeBit kicks off in Germany today, with Nokia choosing the tech event to launch their smart new C5 handset. The Nokia C5 has simple styling to look like an entry level device, but the Symbian operating system powering the device...

maramine blog: Sergey Brin's Pre-Google Resume

2010-03-01T18:40:55+00:00

Sergey Brin's Pre-Google Resume

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Nokia Image Exchange updated - Add new people to People menu

2010-02-26T12:51:03+00:00

Starting from today, we are releasing new beta clients for Nokia Image Exchange with which you can:

Blog feed for Beta Labs: New performance improvements to Ovi Maps for mobile

2010-02-26T08:53:43+00:00

Written by Kee, Ovi Maps team

Hi all,

We are pleased to introduce you to the new Beta release of Ovi Maps for mobile (v3.04) and have made a few tweaks to improve the performance and positioning.

Mobile Opportunity: How many Kindles have really been sold? (And other interesting tidbits about ebooks)

2010-02-25T00:30:30+00:00

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Nokia Software Updater graduates from Nokia Beta Labs with significant improvements

2010-02-24T11:50:55+00:00

Written by Mikko Inkinen, Nokia Software Updater team

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Nokia Software Updater beta updated (thanks for your feedback)

2010-02-19T13:15:23+00:00

Written by Mikko Inkinen, Nokia Software Updater

Hello,

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Symbian^3 Unveiled: Open Source Release Brings Multi-touch, HD, Multi-tasking And 3D Graphics Support

2010-02-17T14:22:47+00:00

The Symbian Foundation has released the first completely free and open source build of Symbian ^3 - and announced a whole host of changes to the platform at Mobile World Congress. The good news is that Symbian ^3 brings an...

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Nokia Ovi Suite 2.1 graduates

2010-02-16T14:19:46+00:00

Written by Samuli Ylinen from Nokia Ovi Suite team

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Making Beta Labs better with the help of members

2010-02-15T12:20:26+00:00

Hi,

We are trying a new approach, by which we aim to improve the service Beta Labs provides for all. And we are doing this with the help of the community.

Based on their activity history, we've selected a few users and empowered them with tools to help clean up the forum as it is getting more and more messy. What these users are able to do is: