Feedback: How are you finding the official Nokia Belle update?
To those that managed to get the official Nokia Belle update yesterday, what is your verdict so far? I recorded a hands on video (twice in fact) using YouTube’s direct upload feature. YouTube failed the first time and then Chrome died the second time.
What I wanted to share from my end was that I’m really enjoying Belle. It’s amazing what they’ve managed to do on 2009 hardware. It’s smooth for the most parts, though it does stutter here and there, and gets worse if you have more things running in the background.
The web browser is much improved though it is not a fan of heavy websites at all. I like the new navigation bar that makes it much easier to browse the web. I detest that the browser bar still doesn’t fully incorporate search properly (instead you have to click ‘search for’ as if you don’t you’ll just lead yourself to an error page.
As mentioned, the phone is a lot smoother if you have less/no programmes running. I do dislike that I have to manage what’s open to get the phone running smoothly. I’m sure it’s less Belle but more the hardware that Belle has to deal with.
Other than that, I really like :
- the new homescreen with better widget implementation.
- easy shortcut addition – instead of having the shortcut bar and then editing it to look for shortcut – just add the shortcut app. And you can just have one if you want.
- the more consistent lay out – very important for overall experience.
- the drop down notification, nice quick access.
- Menu A-Z organization and the search button
I’m finding that having a lot of photos, you’re going to want to open Gallery for a while and leave it running whilst it refreshes your media. After getting the update, perhaps leave the N8 for about 20 minutes to sort itself out. If it’s still stuttering in places (like scrolling) then restart the N8. The whole update itself was pretty seamless. Connect to microUSB, check updates at Nokia suite, just click to accept the update and then done.
For those who are still waiting, it’s coming 
You definitely have a lot of good things to look forward to.
BTW, thanks to Yvonne from Nokia and co who have been replying to user questions in our comment section about Nokia Belle. That is pretty cool, no? (And yes, that is really Yvonne – confirmed in discussion through email).
- http://mynokiablog.com/2012/02/07/i-have-the-official-nokia-belle-update-d-nokia-belle-available-through-nokia-suite-d/
- http://mynokiablog.com/2012/02/07/nokia-belle-rollout-info/
So:
- What do you like about Belle? What’s been done well?
- What could do with improving?
- Any bugs?
- Any app incompatibilities?
- How was the actual update process itself?
- Are you still waiting?
Belle should appear soon, and I’m guessing most will have a reasonably positive response to the update, if not high marks then most will be in the category waiting.
You could in the mean time check out the availability Map for Nokia Belle
About the Author (Author Profile)
Hey, thanks for reading my post. My name is Jay and I'm a medical student at the University of Manchester. When I can, I blog here at mynokiablog.com and tweet now and again @jaymontano. We also have a twitter and facebook accounts @mynokiablog and Facebook.com/mynokiablog. Check out the tips, guides and rules for commenting >>click<< Contact us at tips(@)mynokiablog.com or email me directly on jay[at]mynokiablog.comSubscribe
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map network drive feature is missing…..is there any other way to do that??
I’m waiting for a way to update to Belle with a mac. Where I love we don’t have any Nokia Care Centers…
Awesome Awesome. Thanks Nokia. Good Job!
i’m very disappointed in some of my key points and currently searching for a howto downgrade to anna.
with Anna, there’s short cut to close runnning apps. now with Belle, no more short cut. am i missing something? btw, i’m using C7.
Open multitasking pane and long press any app to see the ‘Close All’ option. You mean that one?
yes DrDark. now, no more shortcut to close all the running apps. need to searh 1by1 and close manually. hmmmph
atuk, you can long press the Symbian key (between send and end buttons) to see the “Open applications” list and close all open apps from there easily. The tip is in the in-device User guide.
Atuk I also face this problem withy my n8 have u got the solution.
Updated N8 to US variant in San Fran, no problems with the actual up date. I knew there would be some apps not included or compatible but I thought that if you installed from the store via the phone it would work. I’m having problems with at least 3 I use fairly often.
Skype installed but it won’t sign in,I uninstalled and went to the Skype web site,sms’d a link to my phone,that attempt said it was incompatible with my OS.
Fring installed from the store,started and I signed in not problem. now it won’t start again,even after a phone reboot.
Google maps the same, installed from the google m site,added a short cut to the home screen, started a couple of times to test it, did a couple of searches OK, now it won’t start either,just the white background and google maps in the top status bar, after a couple of seconds it shuts down.
Also in SF area. Skype downloaded from the store and works as well as Maps. Haven’t tried Fring yet. Try a factory reset?
Tried the factory reset, no difference. I haven’t reinstalled Skype but Fring and Google maps still don’t start
To get fring to work again, go to the Nokia Store anad download X-plore (a file manager). Open X-plore, go to C:\system and delete the folder named 03081978. Fring will now work again, but don’t exit the app when you’re done. Log out (options>personalize>logout) and then exit. If you ever exit Fring without logging out, you’ll have to go delete the folder mentioned above.
Thanks, worked like a charm. Any suggestions for Skype or Google maps?
What do you like about Belle? Seems faster and more fluid.
What’s been done well? Home screen customizing.
What could do with improving? Appointments have fixed alarm intervals. Profiles; I always used timed profiles. They are now easier to use via the Profiles Widget, but I’d really like to be defaulted to timed every time I select a new profile. Also like to be able to subscribe to multiple Exchange (Google) calendars.
Any bugs? Sounds via Bluetooth don’t always adjust by the volume control. Angry Birds Music is at full volume or off while Real Golf 2011 is adjustable. All work via wired ear buds. (Jawbone Era)
Any app incompatibilities? Battery Monitor V2.2 seems nearly broken. It frequently starts up very slowly.
How was the actual update process itself? Update was flawless.
Are you still waiting? Nope.
Still undecided,the update went real smooth,except for the issues mentioned in this post compatibility seem OK, but I still have reinstall all I had. many I didn’t use so I may not reinstall.
It seems smoother and quicker but I would like to see the ability to add to the drop down pane.The email widget is waaaay to big,so is the music widget.
I think they are trying to influence android users with the UI should have stayed more Anna but with speed improvements because many things were just more accessable in Anna.
Wait, how do you do timed profiles in Belle? On my N8 the widget doesn’t offer timed as an option anymore. Worked in Anna… This is annoying, since I used the timed profiles a lot.
With the widget, click it. Then select “All Profile Settings”, then click on the profile, select timed and set your time.
Not sure about SF but in the UK there are 2 versions of Skype on Nokia store, one for Anna and one for Belle… If there’s 2 versions in your store try downloading the one with the highest version number
Store only shows one version of Skype 2.1.23 specifies this version is for Belle. As I us Skype regularly to speak to family in NZ and Aust. I would like to get it to work, video would be nice but that is expecting too much.
Great. Lots of microsoft apps and html5 scored 157. Belle atlast
059b6d7, no update for my swap phone!
Same goes to my C7 059B899.. I think i’m gonna flash it using phoenix..
Nice and slick.
But my Merriam Websters Dictionary that I bought from the Store has vanished……and so has the OliveTree Bible Reader…….
Hi! Did you find any solution regarding the Olive Tree Bible Readeri? I use the S60 v.3-version on Anna and do not want to upgrade to Belle if I am going to loose this app.
Isn’t the app anymore available in Store, under “My stuff”?
Olive Tree BibleReader do not officially support Symbian Anna or Nokia Belle but I have their S60 v.5-version installed and functioning on Anna (E6-00) (not v.3 as I wrote in my previos post).
I heard some S60-apps that run on Anna do not work in Belle and I wanted to check if someone have tried the Bible Reader S60 v.5-version on Nokia Belle before upgrading.
Google maps work only with wi-fi on first time. If you keep maps open and swich off wi-fi next time will open without wi-fi
Google maps work only with wi-fi is on.
Ok Ok, So it’s obvious people don’t like change, Agreed? leave it a few days and you’ll get used to it.
As for the people complaining about widgets, be patient! They will arrive. You really didn’t think Nokia would have it all figured out, did you? things like widgets are only available after a minor update (like it did from PR1.1 to PR 1.2 and then eventually we got PR2.0 (Anna) and now PR3.0 (Belle)… remember? So once again, be patient and expect a lot of things to happen over the coming weeks (including Microsoft Office and Widget update)
The problem with places like this, is the questions and comments you are all doing now, have most likely already been answered but there’s that many comments people can’t be bothered to look through the whole comments.
Honestly though guys, don’t expect everything all at once as you would be the one’s who complain if it was buggy etc. Big things come in small packages
Some findings 1 day with Belle:
-generally improved (now works closer to Androids)
-email widget too large to fit 1st page with clock, calendar and 1 row of “buttons”
-email widget should be configurable NOT to show message preview (then widget should be smaller)
-calendar widget too small, now it shows only 1 entry per day
-email (gmail) does not sync between phone/server if messages deleted either with phone or PC. Was already bug in Anna. Annoying to delete same messages 2 times…phone + PC
Is there any official channel to give feedback to Nokia?
“MUCH IMPROVEMENT IN BATTERY”
But Flash Is STill On 4.0.
Our Xpctetion Were High.But All Hopes Went In vain.
i lost my apps after updating to symbian belle ..any 1 have soltion 4 it to bring baq my apps
Belle is fantastic.
The things that dissapear from anna is notification widget, and “desactivate alarm” function!!!!
You can deactivate (or delete) the alarm by longpressing it in Clock.
And, the notifications are now available in the notification view which you can open by swiping from the top of the UI downwards.
Belle is disaster, most apps gone, some just broken, after such a scary update process. This is only for hard boiled hackrs, not averager like me, i’m not going to spend hours on cleaning the mess. nokia screwed big time, i hope they fire release manager or hang him.
Love the look, but a few issues. Calendar needs to show multiple entries, email widget is way too big.
I m update N8 Belle ,
now i can not see my previous message and my folder msg , i m so disappointed . please help me how i can recover.
I upgraded my Nokia E7 to belle and I did not get option to download Microsoft Apps, am I missing something? I checked for software update 10 times already and Microsoft Apps did not load, I still have old communicator and not Lync, also no onenote and other sweet apps….PLEASE HELP, SOMEBODY! How can I load Microsoft Apps??? I tried via ovi store and could not do it..
UK **STILL** waiting for Nokia Belle update… UK operators sucks big time!!!
i have updated my E7 to belle and since i have, i have had to have my phone sent away back to nokia twice,i got it back yesterday i have installed skype it doesn’t even work and i use this quite often, i think it is a disaster i am absoloutly sick of my phone all i have had is problems with it since i got it and it wasn’t cheap either!! i cnt get a refund because it is out of my 28 day warranty thing can anyone help me with a solution to this how i could possibly get a refund so i could possibly get a new phone !!!!!!! i have only had this phone 6 months and i dnt like it anymore nothing just seems to work i dnt know whether it is the phone or the software that’s causing me the problems but it is doing my headin and i dnt want to have to get it sent away again please someone help if they can
thanks
Ashleigh
My N8 still waiting for Belle
product code 059B288
why?????
Hi updated my N8 and C7 to belle i like it but since iv updated when i receive a call now my caller ID pictures do not display. I’v tried resyncing more than once, tried re doing my contact pictures still no good… How do i fix this? PLEASE
Apart from this it seems to be running ok on boh phones
This normally happens when you have the same phone number associated with more than one contact. Make sure you go through all your contacts and their telephone numbers to make sure each unique number is associated with only one contact. They photos should then show.
Don’t like it. Good to copy android with the drop down thing, that’s nice would like to customize it myself. Email widget way to big. I used to have it on my first home screen now its so big I had to move it. Time widget again to big, and now i cant tap the date & go to calender I have to put an extra calender button on screen! That’s a step backwards. Plus the music thing is to big as well. Why have it so big If one wants it large one would tap it and open it. The rest of the time keep things small & nice looking why did you make the music widget look so odd. Looking forward to the Nokia 808 but not sure I want to put up with Nokia O.S and this is from someone who has only ever had a Nokia..