New Nokia N900: Nokia’s Next Internet Tablet wipes the floor with the Nokia N97

May 25, 2009 at 9:54 am | In Linux, Maemo, Nokian, Nseries | 7 Comments
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picture-4-630x485

Although the above is an artistic render by MobileCrunch (the actual image can’t published for security reasons), what’s more interesting  about Nokia’s next Internet Tablet are the specifications:

  • It does Voice GSM – You can finally make phone calls WITHOUT skype to other phones :D
  • 3.5″ screen but it has 800×480 pixels! WVGA (16:10)
  • OMAP3430 500/600 Mhz processor! With Open GL ES 2.0 – 3D acceleration!
  • 1GB RAM!!! (Although that’s 256 physical RAM, the res- 768MB is Virtual RAM)
  • 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss – with Dual LED flash! An old standard from Nseries but on an internet tablet!
  • 32GB internal memory – expandable to 48GB! Is this a joke? This was like the last good thing about the Nokia N97 (except S60 5th edition, which is highly subjective)

Four negative points on the hardware side:

  • First is the 1320mAh battery which should really be 1500mAh. But if those other specifications are real then I’d be more than prepared to give up some extra call time minutes.
  • Only 3 rows of keys on the QWERTY keyboard? Why no dedicated numbers row? Unless that square block of 9 keys on the right of the keyboard are 1-9?
  • At 59.7 x 111 x 18.2 mm, it’s quite big, and should have been big enough to fit the 4.1″ screen of previous internet tablets (there’s still be plenty of space either side for a 2ndary camera – although due to width, that would only leave about 1mm either side)
  • Why no XENON Flash? The device is fat enough to have xenon! :p

Possibly three more negative points – but since they’re not mentioned they may just have been missed out of the text as oppsed to not actually being on the device.

  • where’s GPS?
  • Stereo Loudspeakers (on par with N800/5800/N95 at least!)
  • 3.5mm jack

Those are basic standards now and are probably there and would be stupid if left out. But then again, that’s Nokia and they like leaving out features you think are standard. *cough – XENON*.

Lastly on the hardware, this just a guess, but on the box contents:

Connectivity cable, headset, charger, battery (1320 mAh), Video-out cable, microUSB adaptor, cleaning cloth

Stylus isn’t mentioned. Maybe it’s there, maybe they don’t supply it or maybe it will not work because this has a capacitive screen? The stylus was essential for browsing certain sites on the N800, but if they optimise finger touch for the “N900″ then we really shouldn’t need it.

Now on the software front:

  • It runs on Maemo 5. I loved Internet Tablet OS 2008 on the N800 – I often wished that was a phone. Maemo 5 should be even better.
  • The Web Browser is FireFox 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If they bring it close the the desktop version then I’m in love with the handset just for that. It supports flash 9.4 too
  • Homescreen with “live dashboard” -  probably the Widgets version of the N97 – which has been on IT OS for a while, it just wasn’t as customizable.
  • Captures video at 800×480 in AVC/H.264 No HD, but slowly getting there. What FPS though?

Sounds like a stellar device!

Taking a more objective look however, Nokia didn’t really bring anything new to the table with the “N900″; they’re just catching up with the standard for 2009 and bringing, via the new internet tablet, what users should have been expecting in the N97! If these features ring true then this is actual internet in your pocket – not the N97.

The only thing going for the N97 right now as opposed to this is that the N97 is real and it’s coming in a couple of weeks (or so).

When is the new tablet going to be launched?

Seems to be July 2009 for the whole world except Europe (the home of Nokia) who must wait till October 2009.

Via MobileCrunch

nokia-tablet-slide-600

image above via engadget.

Update: Here’s an image that seems to have been taken from the same presentation above of the Nokia N900 aka Rover. There are less keys portrayed by the MobileCrunch render, so the numbers row is definitely integrated in the top row :( .

lowres_nokrover

I like the look of this device. It may not have the tilt screen of the N97, but maybe it has a kick stand to tilt it whilst on a flat surface? I like what seems to be dedicated music keys on the left side. On the right, we can also see what’s probably the 3.5mm jack, an on/lock switch and possibly one half of the stereo loudspeakers?

I’m not really too fussed about the missing D-Pad – the screen is easily accessible enough to tap where I want to insert text to. If it’s necessary in an application, e.g. a game, I’m sure it’s easy enough to configure WSZ/ASD as a D-pad.

- engadget via cellpassion

Nokia’s New Mobile OS: Maemo Harmattan

May 19, 2009 at 2:13 pm | In Linux, Nokia, Rumours, Symbian | 2 Comments
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In an interview about a couple of weeks back at the Nokia Developer Summit, David Rivas – Nokia VP, discussed the Nokia’s strategy for having multiple software platforms – basically stating that different devices need different OS for different tasks – not one OS fits the bill. The three major OS used by nokia are S40 which drives the “volume” division, S60 which drives the “value” and Maemo (built on Linux) for the internet tablets and “other interesting products”.

S60 for Value? This and the excerpt below sides with Eldar’s speculations about a month ago when we heard about the Nokia Nautilus and other new Nokia Touch screens, where Nokia maybe shifting S60 (or Symbian Foundation) into mid range/mass market handsets, and possibly have Linux reserved for the high end devices. Many, including myself, have been a little underwhelmed with S60 touch, especially  with the first ghastly demonstration – , it was embarrasing to be a Nokia fan – it had no optimisation for finger touch, it just looked like they slapped on a touch screen to normal S60 3rd edition. It’s evolved somewhat since then, as we have from both the 5800, N97 and even from the Samsung camp with the i8910 with S60 5th edition. However, it still lacks complete finger friendly optimisation, or really any new innovation – much of which is hampered by the fact that it is S60 with touch and has a lot of legacy and compatibility issues to deal with. The only real solution is to start from scratch. Much like what Palm has done with the Palm Pre and WebOS – delivering an unexpected dish of usability and intuitiveness to the table, last brought onto our plates by Apple’s iPhone.

Whilst we can go on to bash S60 5th edition for not being a completely dedicated touch UI, it maybe worth considering (or just hoping) that S60 touch is just an interim solution for Nokia’s REAL touch UI. Get some user base familiar with S60 touch, roll out some important services (Ovi) whilst silently working on what maybe Nokia’s game changer.

“Internet tablets and other interesting products we have maemo built on linux. Why are we building linux based software? Very clearly maemo has been a very important part of the product line, for tablets and such. But the thing that most people miss is that we’re in a unique position at Nokia and we’ve got very successful software platforms in S40 and S60 and it gives us the leeway to experiment a little. So I think the biggest benefit we have with maemo is that we start with a clean slate. We get to start without any legacy, without any support issues, to build the best possible software platform for the products that we are centering around maemo. That allows us to include new innovation, in a way that doesn’t/isn’t burdened by existing legacy. It’s actually a really exciting time right now for the maemo platform.”, David Rivas, Nokia VP.

So what exactly is the future for Symbian and Maemo? An integration of the two? Or is maemo just the testing platform for Nokia to reintegrate features back into Symbian? As for the future of Symbian, David Rivas states:

“Symbian is going to continue to leverage the benefits it has right now, the technical benefits and the market adoption benefits. It’s going to continue to add functionality and features as appropriate. I think we’re going to see multiprocessor support in symbian very very soon, and I think we’re gonna see fairly significant innovation in user interface over the next few months and years”

It’s possible that the Nokia’s next mobile OS: Maemo Harmattan, maybe just the dedicated touch UI Nokia fans have been waiting for. But 4th Quarter of 2010? That’s so far away. That’ll either just be too late for when other manufacturers have given us extremely mature outstanding UI or perhaps blow us away by changing yet again how people consider and use mobile phones.

We can’t really tell much from the screenshot other than the homescreen (if that’s what it is – ) is very widgets based. Much like the upcoming N97. It’s apparently  just one big vertically scrollable page – although I would have been more impressed if this was everything that could be seen in one glance, but that maybe a little too cluttered for some.

maemo1

Via Mobile Crunch

Arrived in Amsterdam!

December 4, 2007 at 7:17 pm | In 3rd edition, Eseries, Fun, Linux, Nokia, Nseries, S60 | Leave a Comment

Still very pleased with the consistently quick satellite locking times of the N82. I was able to get it out in short bursts on the way to the airport just to check where the driver had been going (I swear he went past the same museum 5 times).

Amsterdam – lovely place, quain, almost English architechture. Lots and lots of people on bikes though; and it seems exactly the same type of bike… and everyone rides with no hands on the bars (one on the phone, the other in the pocket) haha. Met the whole Amsterdam-WOM group – everyone’s awesome!

Got through quite a few interesting presentations today, actually arriving in the middle of media Porn business (yes, I too thought, wtf, but it had a lot of relevancy to the whole Nokia marketing strategy…well it made sense at the time), then Nokia UI vision: Point and Find, MobiYouTube, and Swipe and Pay mobile wallets. More on this is future posts.

I also finally got to play with the N810. Super quick initial thoughts…I hate the wobble on the slider, and the buttons on the face. But other than that, it’s really nice. Brighter screen, touch screen is way more responsive (I was able to draw without lagging unlike the N800 even on latest firmware) and of course the qwerty keypad. It was nicer to input text on that I thought, and perhaps with some practice it would get easier to use.

Anyway, must dash, everyone is leaving again for the party tonight!

Nseries LA event: Preliminaries & sea of phones

September 30, 2007 at 9:09 am | In Event, Linux, Nokia, Nseries, iPhone | 6 Comments
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Ok, so I just realised now why all my shots keep getting blurred with sunbursts at the lower left corner – there’s a massive smudge on the dang lens that’s preventing the camera from focusing properly – eeek! Sorry guys, I only noticed that now. (Now, maybe with no lens cover on the new N95 variants, that will be easier to notice?)

Anyways, these are some shots leading up to the actual event. When I came down the lift/elevator to get to the Lobby, Jonathan Green of atmaspheric | endeavours entered at one stop. I was like, “OMG, is that really him?” Star struck as ever, I kept schtum – then he hook out his iPhone! Aargh! A couple I wanted to see in person, never thought it would happen in an elevator.

Jonathan’s iPhone with my N95. That was the first time I used the iPhone and it was very nice to know how to use it pretty much without ever having seen or used one before. Everytime Jonathan explained a feature, Christian(below) was nodding with a smile, “I know, I know”.

It’s very  slick. The whole touch interface was a delight to use. In picture flicking, music scrolling, all except text input. Man, that was harder than I thought it would be. I couldn’t even get the letter my finger was directly pressing…what the fork? Susan and Jonathan, the two iPhone owners said it takes a while and it gets better in that time.

Delon was really pissed, he couldn’t get to type the “w” for howard in the url! Thumbs down for iPhone!

IMO, it’s a great head turner. Not going to fit the bill on my current needs as a mobile user, no 3G/3.5G, crippled bluetooth, no GPS, however it’s an instant conversation starter.

“Oh, is that an iPhone?”

“Sure, you wanna take a look?”

iPhone themes…N93 and the iPhone.

Jonathan (Below)

The guys waiting around…

Above: Abhi, Chris, James, and Dan (Thoughtfix)

Delon (above right) took some comparison shots of our clamshells, Mark’s (above left) N93i, his own N76 and my rather shoddy looking N93.


(Yes, sorry again for this blur…)

This got me thinking…hmmm what with everyone being here having at least a couple of phones, why not get a shot of all of them together? So I asked the peeps who were at the lobby and this is what we got.

In order of screen size

Yes, there is an iPod touch there. A bit disappointed, I thought we would overfill the table with phones, but still pretty good. (4 devices on that table aren’t even phones)

After this photo was taken, we set off outside for the “coach”. Check out on another post as that will be my LA event blog post – the whole reason for going out to LAX.

N800 + no WLAN = :(

September 25, 2007 at 3:17 am | In Linux, Nokia, Rant | Leave a Comment

There should be free WiFi everywhere!!

This was a post I wrote on the 19th, when all the internet access I had was cabled gmail/gtalk. No WLAN. No google. No nothing.

The N800: it’s a device that’s as good as the internet.

i.e. What ever is on the web, fairly certain that the N800 can deliver it to you pretty much how it appears on your computer. I’ve taken for granted that my home always has free WiFi, but now I’m staying where there’s no wifi available…my N800 is pretty much just a flamboyant touch sreen alarm clock.

Ah, but fear not I hear. the N800 can also connect to the internet via a compatible phone’s data services through bluetooth. For those on good data rates, that’s just the obvious solution. Me – stuck on O2 for the moment means that I’m experiencing a bit of day light robbery here. Damn you O2 and your (currently) sucky data plans

It’s the 25th now. I’ve moved my RSS feed reading to google reader again via lappy. The N800 was/is such a great device for constantly keeping you updated on the latest news from your subscriptions but mine hasn’t updated in days. I guess, until I get with T-Mobile’s Web’n'Walk, my N800 can still be my PMP. (Anyone in the UK know of any good Data Plans?)

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