Nokia phones are known for three things: good reception/call quality, solid build and easy to use menu. While that last one might be slowly slipping away, there’s no denying that Nokia devices are known for their incredible ability to get good reception even in difficult areas. There have been countless cases where I was the only one with reception, while others had 1 or 0 bars. Considering all the news around Apple and the antenna design of the iPhone, one thing is for sure, if the actual phone feature and good reception is a high priority, Nokia is still the best. With all the features being added, sometimes we forget that it’s still a phone and meant for making calls.

This what Nokia had to say about antenna design:

"Antenna design is a complex subject and has been a core competence at Nokia for decades, across hundreds of phone models. Nokia was the pioneer in internal antennas; the Nokia 8810, launched in 1998, was the first commercial phone with this feature.
Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying human behavior, including how people hold their phones for calls, music playing, web browsing and so on. As you would expect from a company focused on connecting people, we prioritize antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict.
In general, antenna performance of a mobile device/phone may be affected with a tight grip, depending on how the device is held. That’s why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand. Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying how people hold their phones and allows for this in designs, for example by having antennas both at the top and bottom of the phone and by careful selection of materials and their use in the mechanical design."

So Apple mostly prioritizes form, while Nokia chooses function/performance. What these two are not seeing is that a good device should have both. When you prioritize the over the other you get compromise, a good design closely matches form and function.

Do you agree that Nokia is still number 1 when it comes to antenna performance? Is reception/call quality important for you? Let us know.

Via:Engadget

Image Courtesy: S60 Blog

As you might have noticed, we haven’t been covering Symbian-based devices lately, focusing completely on the Nokia N900 and the upcoming MeeGo OS.  We started The Nokia Guide to cover the Nokia devices we’ve come to know and love, which at the beginning were Symbian-based. But as the mobile market has gotten progressively more competitive, especially from Android, we feel that Symbian-based devices have lost their edge to the point where we’re simply not covering them enthusiastically; we won’t buy them and won’t recommend them to our readers. As a result we’re going to make it official what we’ve been doing for a while now: stop covering Symbian-based devices. We feel that Symbian is becoming irrelevant and upcoming Symbian^3 and^4 don’t seem to change that. Other Symbian bloggers, such as our friends at Symbian-Guru are taking it one step further.

Luckily this doesn’t affect the Nokia N900 and upcoming MeeGo devices. I’m a happy Nokia N900 owner myself and would easily recommend it to our readers. Because Maemo serves as the basis for what will become MeeGo we have very high expectations for this platform and for this reason we will continue to cover Maemo and MeeGo exclusively.

Microsoft recently scrapped their plans for KIN and are completely focusing on Windows Phone 7. Nokia should do the same: scrap upcoming Nokia N8 and it’s QWERTY-based version and focus on MeeGo and getting developers on their side.

What do you think? Is Symbian becoming irrelevant?

Will future version of the N900 need a phone accelerator?

The N900 handless multi-tasking like a champ, being capable of running several application at the same time, without even breaking  a sweat. This multi-tasking power does seem to come at a cost. In certain situations there’s the need to quickly dial a number, while keeping programs running in the background. You can also imagine  receiving a phone call right in the middle of heavy multi-tasking. In these cases all of those background apps seem to take all of the processing power, leaving little or no juice to quickly open the phone dialer or handle incoming calls. The result? Both of these slow down to a crawl, sometimes requiring a few seconds before they react to button presses. The same thing can be said about the screen orientation: as it quickly needs to re-orient the screen, with little processing power left, it takes a while before it “settles” in the right position.

A dedicated processor, with the sole purpose of handling these “phone” features like outgoing, incoming calls, SMS and even the turning controls would do the trick. It wouldn’t add much to the overall price and won’t require much power, as it would require just a fraction of the processing power of the main CPU. There reason is simple: its only task would be to accelerate the phone features.

Another way to accomplish this, is by always leaving a certain percentage of the central CPU free for these kind of tasks.

We already have a GPU, CPU and even DSP, is there room for a phone processor? What do you think?

One issue that currently stands out in the world of Nokia is the lack of an up-to-date, mainstream powerhouse. While there isn’t a shortage of devices to choose from, those choices aren’t all that exciting, at least not anymore. There is of course the N97 which isn’t all that up-to-date and the fact that it had its share of criticism for its software and underpowered hardware doesn’t help either. Symbian S60 5th edition (including its 3rd edition sibling) is also starting to look a bit aged, despite being a pretty powerful platform. There’s also the X6 and the N97 mini, which basically are variations of the N97 with their share of software troubles. And while Nokia has fixed many of these problems with recent firmware updates, it can’t make up for the lack of RAM, outdated UI, dedicated graphics chip and slow CPU.

The Nokia N900 is a completely different story. It brings a modern UI with a powerful OS and equally powerful hardware to match and which is arguably one of the best enthusiast’s smartphone currently on the market. But that’s exactly the problem: it geared towards the  enthusiast. Because of this there’s the need for an equally powerful yet more mainstream offering. That’s exactly where a Symbian-based Nokia comes in. Hopefully of the Symbain^3 kind.

The most obvious and immediate threat seems to be RIM, which currently holds 21% of the global smartphone market. However one could argue that due to the dated OS and lack of innovation, it’s not really RIM that Nokia should worry about, but rather Apple and Android-based devices. Apple’s usual one-device army might take some time to catch up, but it’s Android that could be the more immediate threat for the Finnish giant. With support from HTC, Motorola, Samsung. Huawei,Sony Ericsson and Acer, Android could quickly gain more market share. In fact it has. Take for example the HTC Desire which currently stands as THE Android device to get if you live outside of the US, While the EVO and Droid are getting all the attention in North America.

In Nokia’s world ti’s the low-end devices that sell in buckets, but Nokia needs a powerful yet mainstream device to bring back the excitement to the brand, just like the N95 days. Hopefully the much rumored Symbian^3 based device does the trick. 

I know, I know, 32GB microSDHC cards aren’t even available yet and I’m already talking about SDXC. These next generation cards are supposed to revolutionize storage with capacities ranging from 32GB to 2TB and bus interface speeds from 104 MB/s up to 300 MB/s. Lucky for us, their will also be a mobile version in the form of the microSDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity). It’s been a few years since the launch of the N95, which is also one of the first Nokia smartphones to support microSDHC with capacities of up to 32GB. Shouldn’t Nokia be already thinking about the next generation?

With multi-megapixels Nseries devices approaching 10 Megapixels, possibly even surpassing that and the inevitable HD video recording, suddenly that 32GB of storage in your N900 or N97  doesn’t sound as impressive. Nokia’s own Comes with Music service is another way to quickly fill up your memory, OVI Maps and our ever present desire to carry anything and everything in our mobile devices are other reasons to look ahead to those 2TBs being promised with SDXC.

Another plus comes from the standard’s its fast bus interface. No need to get technical here, just think faster file transfers from your PC to you mobile. Also, in many electronic devices, including our smartphones, the storage system is almost always the weakest link. Adding a speedy storage system could make overall performance possibly a bit more responsive.

Who knows, when looking for your next Nokia you won’t only be checking  the specs to see whether it has Symbiam, MeeGo and QWERTY, but perhaps also whether it has microSDXC.

Is microSDHC enough or should Nokia quickly implement

An interesting post at the Symbian-Guru, showing 10 things Android does better than Symbian got me thinking. What struck me was that all of these things that Android indeed could do better than Symbian, were all things Maemo had already taken care of. Everything from the Browsing experience, multiple home screen and even notifications are advantages that Android may have over Symbian, but certainly not Maemo. In fact, all of these “new” features set to be introduced in the upcoming version of Symbian can be used right now using the N900 and Maemo.

After using Maemo on the Nokia N900, Symbian looks and feels outdated. Judging by the recent Symbian^3 and ^4 videos, fails to impress with just minor changes. Even Engadget seems to agree.

The N900/Maemo combo’s multi-tasking abilities could make any PC proud. Symbian in contrast feels leisurely when performance is concerned and is limited in multi-tasking. Unlike Symbian, Maemo is actually useable. The classic example is that of having multiple applications and browsers open and still having the ability to keep a Youtube video playing in the background and even having enough horsepower to show a preview of this video on the Dashboard! Unlike Symbian, the N900/Maemo combo never keeps you waiting and there isn’t really a limit to how many apps you can keep open with 1GB of RAM. For many PCs this is plenty enough, for a mobile device this is simply heaven. The best part is that performance never suffers, even with multiple apps or browser windows open.

Apps look great with next generation effects, even the system sounds are cool. There aren’t confusing soft keys, just point to where you want to go. Applications are also updated automatically and so far I’ve didn’t have the need to update the firmware using a PC. Sure, Maemo on a smartphone is fairly new and still needs a few fixes here and there.

We can also mention Maemo’s tightly integrated uploading features, Skype and Conversations. Features that Symbian doesn’t necessarily lacks, but isn’t as polished as Maemo.

Last but not least, we can mention Maemo’s crown jewel, its browser. Something that Symbian and in fact any other mobile device can match.

I can go on and on, but simply put: Maemo is in my opinion better than Symbian. For this reason I’ve simply stopped using current Symbian device, especially 5th edition based devices. One notable exception are the E72, E55 and E52. It’s sure going to take a lot to get me back to Symbian.

Do you agree? Is Maemo/MeeGo better than Symbian?

With its Tablet and Meamo roots, the N900 is closely related to the N810 and N800, both of which had a much larger 4.1” display. The N900 in contrast has a 3.5” display.

Considering its more powerful hardware and capable browser, I feel like the screen should be bigger. A 3.5”” is certainly big enough by smartphone standards, but is it enough for the N900? One thing to consider is that the N900 is now also a phone. At what point is the screen too large to comfortably be used  as a phone?

I think a browser-centric device such as the N900 should have at least a 4” display, as comfortable browsing for longer periods of time is only achievable on a much bigger display. While smartphone that are app-centric should go as high as 3.8”. What do you think? Should the N900’s screen be any bigger?

I really like the N900, so much that I decided to buy it. With so many smartphones passing through The Nokia Guide labs that doesn’t happen very often. The N900 may be a multi-tasking beast, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There are a few software features missing or that need that a quick fix to make it just right. Luckily these are software related and can be added or easily fixed with a software update. So Nokia please take note and include these in your next firmware update.

1.Potrait Mode. This is probably the most requested feature for the N900. Currently it’s only able to work in Landscape mode, save for the phone features and some apps like gPodder. This feature would make the N900 a lot easier considering its dimensions. We’re hearing that this feature might be coming around Christmas. With Christmas just a few weeks away, this feature might be coming before the year even ends. Let’s hope this is true.

2.OVI Sync support. I’ve got my contacts, appointments,meetings and notes all synced in the clouds on OVI. But I can’t access them! OVI Sync currently doesn’t support the Nokia N900 and as a result there’s now way of backing up or accessing data stored on OVI using the N900. If you’re thinking of selling your previous smartphone, be sure to sync it with the N900 to get your data on your new device. It takes a bit for Nokia to support new devices, but eventually they do get it working. What’s the point of data stored in the clouds if you can’t access it.

3.Music Player Equalizer. The N900 has a great finger-friendly and beautiful Music Player, but strangely missing is one of the most basic features: the Equalizer.

4.OVI Store for Maemo. Launching the OVI store app show takes you to a website telling you that it’s “coming soon.” We know that it’s coming, but a stop place for you apps, ringtones, themes and games is essential for any modern mobile device.

5.Nokia Messaging support for more regions. The N900 actually supports Nokia Messaging, but not for all regions. Currently it only support the US. Those of us outside the US will need to manually add all of our separate email account, instead of a single account that manages all of your email accounts.

6.Facebook App. Both the N97 and N97 mini have a Facebook Widget and app. The N900 has a Facebook Widget that opens up the browser taking you to the full desktop version of Facebook. While the browser faithfully renders the Facebook site, a dedicated Facebook app is much  faster and easier to use.

7.Better Podcast supprt in the Music Player. On Symbian devices like the N97 the Music Player correctly identifies Podcasts and creates a Podcast folder. With the N900 there is no way this can be done other than using Playlist. What’s also missing is a resume feature, for Podcasts.

8.Support for more VoIP and IM Accounts. The N900 supports Skype, Google Talk and OVI Chat. I would like to see Live Messenger, Yahoo and other popular IM clients.

9.More Application memory. There’s a 2GB partition where all the software is installed. That’s just 2GB! Considering that many Maemo apps can be larger than 10MB, it’s easy to see that 2GB can fill up fast. This storage space should be set more around 4GB or at least be user selectable among 2, 4 or 6GB of space.

10.Rhapsody App. Remember that cool Rhapsody application on the N800 and N810 that allowed you stream an unlimited amount of music from their library? I absolutely loved that application, but it somehow got pulled from the N900.

What fixes and features would you like to see on the N900?

Nokia’s line of 7000 series are targeted towards the fashion-conscious consumer, favoring style with just a handful of extras. Stand-out design, lots of fashion details like a a cloth Nokia tag, phone jewelry, matching carrying case and box are all typical 7000 series characteristics. Just take a look at the L’Amour Collection that consisted of the 7360, 7373 and 7390. 

The same can be said about their earlier Art Deco Red and White 7260, 7270 and 7280 phones

and even the Prism series with the diamond-cut design of the  7070, 7500 and 7900 phones stayed true to this theme. Afterwards it all went downhill. Nokia’s latest entry in the fashion device market is the rather colorful but bland design of the Super Nova series. What is considered stylish or beautiful is pretty subjective, but in terms of design, the Super Nova series do not stand out, a tradition typical to the 7000 series. Take for example 7610 Super Nova. It could very well be a your typical Nokia with some crazy colors and mirror effects. What happened to Nokia’s 7000 series?Today Nokia released the 7230. Judging by the series and press release, it’s clear that style is plays an important role. Taken from the press release: “Share in style”, or “Being connected has never looked so good” and even “colorful looks”. Now let’s have a look at the 7230:

Does this look like a fashion device to you? If this is a fashion device, than Nokia can just quit here and now. After the solid Prism, L’Amour Collection  and Art Deco, is this what we get in 2009? Is this the best Nokia can make in a series that made devices like the legendary 7610?

High-end specs aren’t really what makes or breaks a fashion device. In some cases it can even help it (Like the N97 mini), but at least it should stand out or have a stylish design.

Do you agree?

e-Books readers are all the rage these days with big players like the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and Sony Reader Daily Edition joining what’s going to be a very competitive market. Mobile devices like the iPhone have embraced this trend by partnering with Amazon to bring a Kindle reader for the iPhone, allowing you to read your e-books and even synchronize your last page read between these devices. 

So where’s the reader for the Nokia N and Eseries? With big-screen devices like the N900 and even the Booklet 3G, you have to wonder why Nokia isn’t running around signing deals with Amazon, B&N or even Google (Yes even they are joining this market). Of course there’s Mobipocket’s reader, but as Ewan from Allaboutsymbian pointed out, there’s no specific touch screen additions. I can also point out that the interface looks dated, lacks support for popular e-book stores, it also lacks support for synchronization of your last page read and some kind of store to buy, download and manage your books. What’s even worse is that this application was last updated for 3rd edition devices, supporting devices like the N93.

There are a few eBook in Nokia’s OVI store, but these are mostly free books that have already entered the public domain. Where are the recent titles like Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol and Going Rogue by Sarah Palin?

Nokia might try to come up with a eBook store as part of OVI, but why re-invent the wheel? They can strike a deal with already established platforms and just create the necessary app, sharing the income with Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Seeing the popularity of eBook readers in the US, being compatible with these stores, these Nokia devices would also get much needed attention in the US Market. Nokia, we need a eBook reader and we need it now.

Update: This November, Amazon will release a Kindle app for the PC, which should make Kindle books and periodicals available for the Nokia Booklet

Here’s a list of features:

• Purchase, download, and read hundreds of thousands of books available in the Kindle Store
• Access your entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers for free
• Choose from over 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
• View notes and highlights marked on Kindle and Kindle DX
• Zoom in and out of text with a pinch of the fingers (Windows 7 users only)
• Turn pages with a finger swipe (available in a future release for Windows 7 users)