N9 Countdown Timer Pulled Off Nokia Sweden

The N9 Meego-powered handset is one of the most anticipated handsets from Nokia. This is the last Meego handset that Nokia will deliver, since they are now looking at Windows Mobile to power their smartphones. The expected date for the release of this 3.9-inch handset was supposed to be the 23rd of September, 2011. A countdown clock was put up on Nokia's Swedish website, indicating the same. However, this timer has now been quietly taken down. Hopefully the N9 will release on time According to a report by GSM Arena, the countdown clock was put up on the website 50 days prior to the launch of the handset. When the timer popped up, there was no major announcement, and its removal was done as quietly. Hopefully, for those looking to get their hands on the N9, the launch of the phone should not get delayed. We certainly are hoping for the launch, as soon as possible. A brief look at the specifications of the Nokia N9: 3.9-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS support Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, NFC 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and Dual LED Flash 3.5 mm audio jack Dolby Mobile Sound Enhancement with Dolby Headphone Support 1GB RAM 16GB/ 32GB 1 GHz Cortex A8 CPU

Nokia to Launch Dual-SIM Touch and Type Mobiles: C2-03 and C2-06

Nokia has just rolled out additions to its existing range of dual-SIM mobile phones - the C2-03 and C2-06 slider phones. Additionally, a single SIM model has been announced too - the C2-02. The mobiles come with a 2 MP camera, stereo FM radio, media player and memory support of upto 32GB.

Nokia C2-03: Looks stylish!

Nokia claims that its latest introduction to the market would allow users personalisation of as many as five SIM cards, complete with individualistic appearance. It also comes with the Easy Swap feature, allowing users to change their SIM cards without actually having to switch off their mobile phones or remove the batteries, added Nokia. Among the featured specifications, Nokia states that both the dual-SIM, as well as the single SIM variants allow Internet browsing capabilities, which are both fast and improved owing to the Nokia browser's data compression technology.. 

C2:06: The Slider..

Nokia has bundled these handsets with a few pre-installed apps, some of which include Quickr, Ganesha Speaks, ESPN Cricket, among others, which Nokia claims will help the customers with their day-to-day tasks. In addition to the apps, users can also download apps from the Ovi Store. Pre-installed on the phone are location services, a part of which are local maps and directions to several places of interest. 

The Nokia C2-02 comes with a price tag of Rs. 4,289 (MRP), while the Nokia C2-03 will cost the customer  Rs. 4,949 (MRP). Nokia C2-06, on the other hand comes with a price tag of Rs. 5,349 (MRP). These phones will arrive in the country in the coming weeks. 

Nokia X7 Symbian Anna Smartphone

Nokia’s had a big screen presence for a long time, and the X7, like many predecessors made a debut in one of this year’s blockbusters i.e. Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It definitely has stage presence is what I thought, and was quite eager to put it through its paces. The handset made its way to our labs and after having used it quite thoroughly for a few days here’s what I can tell you about Nokia X7. 

Form Factor
Nokia’s latest trend for their high-end touchscreen handset seems to be ‘uni-body’. The X7 is a rather odd looking device that tapers towards the ends on both sides. Whipping it out of your pocket, you’re going to get confused as to which side is up till the screen comes on. The stainless-steel body does however, give it a very sturdy look and feel. Speaking of the screen – the 4-inch Gorilla Glass encased AMOLED touchscreen sports a 360 x 640 pixel resolution, which is quite low when compared to its peers the Optimus Black and the Samsung Galaxy S that features 480 x 800 pixel resolutions. Nevertheless, the colors are quite vivid and black levels are quite deep, although not as deep as the Optimus P970.

Widgets for all your apps on the homescreen

The X7 has the weirdest and yet oddly innovative slots for the SIM and microSD cards. The trays need to be pulled out and they’re not the easiest things to deal with. Of course, it’s not like you’d need to keep removing and re-inserting the cards, but I would still have liked them to be a bit more accessible. You need to push one side of the slot in and when the other pops out, grab and pull. I call the it the ‘pop, grab n pull’ system. A micro USB connector is located at the top near the 3.5mm handsfree socket and the power/screen lock button that’s also designed to look unconventional. The volume rocker and camera shutter release are placed on the wrong side of the curve making it quite difficult to access when required. They should also have been a bit more raised.

The headphone and power ports

Unconventional. That is the word for the X7, but it doesn’t necessarily work for it. This all metal, hardcore looking handset weighs in at 146g making it quite heavy. The built in speakers are quite loud and the bundled handsfree kit is comfortable on the ears.

Features and Performance
Interface 
Symbian Anna really didn’t impress me too much, as it’s really quite like the original S60 touchscreen edition with just a few cosmetic changes. The icons are larger and have rounded edges, like on iOS, except here, brighter colours are used. Real-time scrolling’ i.e. the screen moves with your swipe isn’t really a big deal, but does make the UI seem a little more fluid. There’s a hint of lag that’s evident while accessing apps and features. I also noticed that while bringing the handset out of sleep mode, shortcut options in the desktop tabs took about 2 seconds to refresh. It seemed like the 680 MHz ARM 11 processor had a little difficulty keeping up now and then, but functioned well enough most of the time including providing a smooth transition effect when the screen changes orientation. Multi-touch zooming is also present.

The new Anna icon set is refreshing

Although Nokia has taken on a whole new visual for their virtual keypad, I’m quite disappointed with it. While Android and iOS allow you to type and view the chat/message screen simultaneously, Anna does not. It opens up a whole new page with a text field occupying one half and the keypad with rather tiny keys taking up the bottom half. This means it takes one extra key press just to reply to a chat or to send a message. In landscape mode though, the on-screen QWERTY keypad was definitely more versatile.

Comfortable to use

Nokia has still not found a way to integrate the phone book with social networking options. Once again we see Android and iOS a few steps ahead. While they do offer a certain amount of syncing to join contacts from your phone's memory with their corresponding details found via Facebook and Twitter syncing, with Anna, like all previous Symbian versions that offered this, it has to be done manually on a contact to contact basis. It’s quite time consuming, even if you have to do it just once.

Media Once again, I’m appalled to find a new version of an old operating system come minus media features that matter. While the native music player offers Loudness and stereo widening with a few presets thrown in, Nokia has still left out a customizable EQ function. Audio quality is crisp and clear with bass levels deep enough to enjoy without complaining too much. Personally though, I would have preferred them to be delivered at slightly higher decibel levels. Nokia has also thrown in Shazam for getting details on music you’re listening to. The FM radio was thankfully a non-issue. It did, however find only 4 out of the 9 or so available stations. Reception was not bad in most places, but just a little skewed while commuting. A photo editor is also thrown in. Multi-touch zooming works well Video playback was also quite average. With the ability to read DivX and XviD coded files, it managed to play a few of our test videos, but 720p came through sans audio for some reason. It was vice-versa with 1080p videos. We did not expect them to play in the first place, either. The X7 also supports FLV files, but you won’t know that till you actually go through the file manager, find them and play them from there. My FLV test files refused to show up in the video player’s list, but played quite well directly from the card. A video editor is also on board, which allows you to create slide shows for your images or make a few minor adjustments to your captured video files.  Gaming on the X7 is pretty good, and although the higher end games available for download are a bit jittery now and then, visually they look pretty good on the display and control is just about right. Needless to say, Anna has done nothing major on the media front.  Connectivity The Nokia X7 does offer a decent amount of connectivity options, but nothing that would compete with even some Android devices priced at about Rs. 6,000 less. 3G and EDGE support is of course provisioned for and so is Wi-Fi connectivity, but no hotspot creation or DLNA support is provided. Other options included VPN access, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and USB 2.0 with modem support. The new Anna browser is a breath of fresh air and is designed to support HTML5 with Flash Support. Web browsing is actually one of the X7’s better features. AMOLED screen offers really good picture quality Nokia’s Social app allows you to connect to Twitter and FB simultaneously and whether you like it or not, will update posts in both places if you don’t access either one separately. The Symbian version of Whatsapp is a real let down and is no where as neat or streamlined or basically as visually neat as the other OS'. Other apps for chatting on Gtalk etc. will need to be downloaded off the Ovi Store. The Setting up email accounts is as easy as it is with any other smartphone thankfully and support for Microsoft Exchange is also present. Nokia has also preloaded their YouTube, Nat Geo, Paramount Movie Trailer, CNN Video and E! video streaming apps.   Nokia Ovi Maps have been seriously beefed up and not only look better, but also seemed to function better. The UI is simplistic and getting directions is almost as simplistic as Google Maps. 3D views and add-ons like Burrp!, TravelAdvisor and Lonely Planet are well integrated into the system.  Misc. Features The Nokia X7 is bundled with a few extra features that are pretty standard as mobile handsets go. An alarm clock, calendar that syncs with your Microsoft Exchange account, converters, a memo pad etc. are on board. Nokia has bundled the Traveler app that provides all kinds of details from plane schedules to currency conversion and more. What is a bit of a disappointment is QuickOffice is a read only version. To edit files you’ll need to download the paid version. Text to speech is also part of the X7’s make up.  Camera I’m not sure why Nokia’s been launching handsets these days with fixed focus cameras. The X7 is unfortunately no exception. The 8 megapixel fixed focus camera comes with a Dual LED flash and features like face detection, geo-tagging, scene modes, white balance, Exposure, ISO settings and a timer to name a few. The outdoor pictures are clear with good amount of detail, even after zooming in. The colours are good as well with no fringing seen around edges. Plenty of options to tinker with The X7 can also record HD video up to 720p @25fps. Overall, video recording was not bad, save for a little bit of grain in low lit conditions, but videos come out quite crisp in outdoor well lit areas. Captures good details Battery Life We ran the X7’s 1200mAh battery from 100 per cent to dead with a video test and it ran for an impressive 8 hours and 50 minutes non-stop. All settings were kept standard including screen brightness. The next round of testing consisted of loops – 2 hours of video, 2 hours of audio, 1 hour of calling, 2.5 hours of streaming radio and then we repeat the process to see if the battery can take a licking and keep on ticking. Here, the X7 stopped just short of the call test in the second cycle. This shows that the X7 was quite a capable device. The Bottom Line With a price tag of Rs. 20,990, the Nokia X7 fails to compete very well with the likes of Android devices in the same range. You’d be better off with the Optimus Black, that’s slimmer and lighter (but not as sturdy) and although has a 5MP camera, at least it’s auto focus and also captures 720p videos. The Samsung Galaxy S is also a contender and both these devices also come with 1GHz processors easily making them faster and more capable. The Android Market Place also has so much more to offer than the Ovi store.  So, although Symbian Anna looks and feels a little better than the previous editions, Nokia fans will find it a little impressive. However, the rest in the smartphone community might just hope to see this 'futuristic' albeit un-conventional looking handset run a slightly better OS like maybe Windows 7. I know you’re thinking Android, but alas, that’s not going to happen.

Press Images of the Nokia N950

Nokia officially announced the N9, a few days back and it was received with a lot of admiration, owing to its premature launch. Alongside it the Nokia N950 made quite an appearance at the Nokia Connection 2011. This device would not be commercially available like the N9. Other than a few specifications, there were no images showing off the N950 developer’s handset. According to a report by Engadget, the Nokia N950 is a MeeGo based developer’s handset and will have limited availability. The Nokia N950 phone software is in beta stage and does not represent the final quality or feature set which will be available when Nokia N9 is commercially available.

The breakdown

Some of the specifications of the Nokia N950 are:

• QWERTY keyboard.
• 4-inch TFT LCD display.
• Display resolution is 854×480.
• 8 MP camera
• Bluetooth version 2.1+EDR
• N950 does not have support for NFC
• 1320 mAh battery

Since the announcement, not many people knew what this handset would look like. However, press images of the Nokia N950 have now  surfaced with it looking a lot similar to the N9 albeit a few differences in specifications – internal, as well as external.

Nokia's S40 1GHz Speed Demons Snapped

We reported last month about Nokia prepping some 1GHz smartphones based on the S40 platform and today we finally get a glimpse of one of the phones. Called the C3-01.5, this unusually named mobile seems like a carbon copy of the existing C3-01 touch-and-type mobile but with beefed up internals. There are many other phones listed as well on Nokia’s site like the C2-01.5, X2-01/X2-03, X3-02.5, X2-01. Proof that this naming scheme could make it to retail A couple of Chinese websites have managed to snap a picture of the upcoming C3-01.5 and along with the 1GHz CPU it will also be packing 512MB of RAM. While the naming scheme is a bit un-conventional, it marks a clear distinction from existing products. Looks exactly like the C3-01 The display also receives an upgrade to a ClearBlack capacitive screen so videos and images should look better. Now I’m guessing there’s a good reason for packing all this horse power in these budget phones and that is HD video playback. I’m hoping they’ll be able to playback at least 720p files smoothly, else it’ll be a wasted potential.

Nokia Ovi Maps Available for iOS and Android Users Now

Although Nokia’s market share might not be doing as well as it used to, that’s not stopping the Finnish company from rolling out new devices and sharing their technology with others. By the latter statement I’m talking about the very recent discovery that Nokia’s own mapping software i.e. Ovi Maps is soon going to be available for other smartphone OS'. That means Apple and Android mobile users without any navigation software loaded onto their devices can avail of Nokia’s generosity. It was already quite obvious that Nokia WP7 devices would not be losing out on this system either so I guess Nokia decided, why should anyone lose out. However, here’s the catch, if you can even call it that – although there doesn’t seem to be an application in the works just yet, according to thehandheldblog, the Finnish company has announced an HTML5 powered, mobile optimized Nokia Maps website. The site can be accessed from your iOS or Android powered device, activate your GPS settings and you’re good to go. iOS offers multi-touch zooming but Android will have suffice with Zoom-In and Zoom-Out buttons. Ovi Maps on Android and iOS You can access the maps via your device's browser here – m.maps.ovi.com, and you’ll be able to find your way around your location with ease with a-GPS services aiding you. Switch on your GPS module for accurate readings though. I’m sure most of you are wondering why bother with Ovi when Google Maps comes preloaded with iOS and Android? The answer is for those using smartphones with these operating systems in countries where the search giant has not yet managed to dole out navigation for their maps. This is where this online service will be most handy. So far Nokia has made no official announcement about this latest update in the Ovi Maps segment, but it won’t be too long a wait I’m sure. And I have to agree with the mobile community, it’s only just rolling out so if you find bugs, chances are that they’ll be weeded out with a few updates that shouldn’t be too far behind. Right now, it’s extremely basic and very simplistic so don’t expect too much, but with a few updates over time, Google could be looking at some serious competition, especially if Nokia also decides to take it to the “streets”, if you know what I mean. You can take a quick look at how Ovi Maps runs on Android (LG Optimus Black used for test) and the iPhone 4 -

Nokia 700 (ZETA) Pictures Leaked Online

Nokia seems to be manufacturing phones on a whim these days. After a slew of smartphones running on the Symbian (E6, X7) and Meego(N9) platforms were announced recently, there are leaked images of a new touchscreen phone Nokia Beta 700 doing the rounds in the online space.

According to some details found along with the pictures, the phone may come with a 1GHz processor and a 3.2-inch AMOLED display, will support memory cards up to 32GB and will be available in white. It will feature a 5MP camera and is expected to run on Symbian’s new Belle platform, successor to Symbian Anna.

It also packs in Wi-Fi and has fast HSPA speeds (10.2Mbps or 14.4Mbps downlink and 5.76Mbps uplink). The battery was a 1080mAh unit. The report claimed the phone weighs 80 grams and might measure 110 x 51 x 10mm.

Keep reading this space for more updates.

Picture Courtesy: GSMarena

Hands-on With the Nokia E6 Smartphone

Like its predecessors, the E71 and E72, Nokia’s new E6 business smartphone has some big shoes to fill and our first impressions of it say that it’s on the right track. This is Nokia’s first QWERTY Touch-and type handset and it comes with the latest version of Symbian Anna. While it hasn't deviated too much from the original design, it does pack in some nifty improvements. At Nokia's event, I managed to grab some private time with the device and here's what I thought.

Design

The form factor is what made the E71 and E72 very popular and the same is carried forward in the E6. This makes it fit snugly in your hand without being too small or too big, therefore it's comfortable to hold. It’s not too heavy, either at 133g and the stainless steel panels gives the appearance of a premium handset, a big tick mark for any business handset. The edges are curved, more so at the bottom which breaks the slightly blockier shape of the E72.

Two very professional looking colors

The keyboard is like the Holy Grail for any business phone, screw this up and you might as well wave the white flag. That’s not the case here, though, the keyboard is very comfortable to use (dare I say slightly better than the E72) and even though we didn’t use it for very long, it shouldn’t be a problem even for those lengthy mails. Nokia have increased the size of the Spacebar so it’s easier to type. The feedback of the keys was good just like its elder siblings.

E-Series style comfortable looking keypad

The power button is located on the top along with the 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro-SD card slot. The three circles you see upfront are the ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and the front facing VGA camera. The volume rocker and lock screen slider is placed on the right which makes it easy to operate with your thumb if you're a righty. The other side hosts the micro-USB port which we've seen on all their recent phones.

MicroSD card slot on top

Overll, the E6 makes a very good first impression when it comes to build and finish and is quite visually appealing in the two color options it comes in.

Features The touch screen is Nokia’s latest addition to this form factor and it’s not too bad, actually. There’s not much room to work with obviously on the 2.46-inch screen, but it’s fairly responsive. Even with fat fingers like mine, I was easily able to navigate through the menus without accidently hitting something else. Also, since this screen has a higher than usual resolution of 640x480, everything looks really crisp and sharp. No more pixelated icons and wallpapers, everything looks modern and fresh. While opening folders or the menu, there is a very minor lag, but it’s a lot less pronounced compared to, say, the X7. I think this is because it’s easier for Symbian to render a 2.46-inch screen instead of a 4-inch where the lag is more pronounced. Anna's menu on the Touch and Type Nokia has packed in plenty of productivity applications, like for instance you get the full version of Quick Office, which lets you create documents, as well. We’ll get into the full details once we get the unit for review. All metal, all business The 8MP camera is a bit of a step backwards, though. Although the mega-pixel count has been bumped up from 5MP on the E72, it's now a fixed-focus camera instead of an auto-focus. This means capturing proper, in-focus shots will be a challenge. Nokia have added another LED for the flash and the new E6 can record 720p videos with Geo-tagging. This is made possible thanks to the 680MHz ARM 11 CPU in side with a graphics hardware accellerator. The phone also support more video formats out-of-the-box like H.264 and H.263. Storing all this HD content is not a problem either as the E6 has 8GB in-built memory that's expandable to 32GB via micro-SD card. Verdict Like the previous two phones, the E6 also launched at Rs.22,000 (approx), but unlike the E72, the E6 has already seen a price drop in this short span of time. You can find it on Flipkart for as little as Rs.17,499. Slim looks with easy access buttons on the side Nokia has stuck with their winning formula with E6, and if you loved the E71 and E72, then you'll no doubt love this one. After my brief stint with the device, I liked the overall build and feel of the device. The keyboard is very comfortable to use and the high resolution screen is simply gorgeous. The only downsides that I can see for now is the fixed focus camera and perhaps the Symbian Anna, which is still not as fluid as you'd want it to be. Also, Nokia will face some stiff competition from the Samsung Galaxy Pro and the upcoming BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 and even though they fall under different price brackets, they still fall under the new touch-and-type QWERTY family. Stay tuned for our full review on the E6.