
It’s been a while since the N900 got its last PR1.2 update. The N900 was a very rough black diamond, but the last firmware and updates to several applications have made the N900 quite a polished device. As always, there’s room for improvement. Last year we wrote The N900 Fix list and we’re happy that several items were fixed in one way or another: OVI Store for the N900 has been enabled through the firmware update, Nokia Messaging now works in more regions and even though we didn’t get the full portrait mode support, the browser now fully supports it.
We also asked for Better Podcast support 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. Technically it wasn’t a firmware that fixed this, but rather an update the best podcasting app for the N900:gPodder. It now fully supports auto-resume, so we can remove that from the list. Lastly support for more IM services was our the list and even though we didn’t get that either we did get superb Skype video support. We have been hearing rumors that another update is in the works. One year later,here are a few updates that could make a big difference on the N900:
1. Flash 10.1: The official word was that the N900 won’t be getting the Flash 10.1 update, but we’re still hoping that it will. Flash 10.1 means support for more Flash sites, hardware acceleration for Flash content and several enhancements for mobile devices. The N900 was actually the first device to run the Flash 10.1 before it’s official release. We don’t see why this can’t be added now that the final version is out.
2.OVI Maps with voice guided, turn-by-turn navigation. It’s seemed almost to good to be through. Free, voice guided, turn-by-turn navigation, for life. All the latest Symbian devices have it, except for the N900. The N900 does have OVI Maps and it does show you your exact position, finds you places and gives you direction. Sound good right? Except that it lacks voice guidance and many other enhancements that have made OVI Map a must-have feature.
3.Email Widget should work with Nokia Messaging. PR1.2 introduced us to the Email widget, but unfortunately it doesn’t work with Nokia’s own Nokia Messaging service! It’s a well documented bug that Nokia is aware of and hopefully they’ll get it fixed soon.
4.Equalizer: The N900 has a great finger-friendly and beautiful Music Player, and good sound quality and volume headroom that could make an audiophile proud,but strangely missing is one of the most basic features: the Equalizer.
5.Support for Live Messenger and Live Drive: Would it be great to have built-in support for Live Messenger and the ability to upload files to Live Drive’s 25GB storage?
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