Two updates are now available: one for OVI Suite and the Real Golf. OVI Suite has now been updated to version 3.1.0.74 while the Real Golf has been updated to version 1.2 (3). It’s great to see how almost all aspects of Nokia devices and software can be updated via either OVI Suite and SW Update on the devices. Only thing missing is the ability to detect and update third party software. As it stands there is no way of being automatically notified of updates for third party software. Currently only Nokia’s own software components, software or games notify you when there’s an update. Fire up your OVI Suite and start updating.

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The guys at Nokia Care have created a handy PR1.1 (013.016)/ PR1.2(014.002)  Software Update release schedule for the Nokia N8. This list has been updated today (March 30th 2011) and will be updated regularly. For example, my N8, with the product code 059D111 is still on PR1.1 so I wanted to check where my update was and It seems that my product code is still “In creation,” while PR1.1 has been “Published.”  That means I’m going to have to wait a little longer. If you’ve been wondering what these terms mean exactly, they explained that:

Status “Published” means that the software update is available for download

• via your N8 (use Menu > Applications > SW Update > tick N8-00 Device Update and then follow the on screen prompts) or
• via PC (connect your phone via USB and use Ovi Suite).

Status “In creation” means your version is currently with our software teams and we will aim to release it in week 14. We can’t give a specific day here, but you can switch on the automatic software update check in your phone (via Menu > Applications > SW Update > Options > Settings > Auto-check for updates) and your N8 will prompt you as soon as the new software is available. There may be unforeseen delays for some products if any issues should be discovered in pre-release testing.

As for those with a product saying that it’s “In creation” they give a very interesting piece of info:

Nevertheless, the lead-time is less than 5 days – so for everybody who sees his/her product code as status “in creation” it means that you have to wait for max. 5 days.

The updated list can be found right here.

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One features that many modern desktops and laptops have, is the ability to do a bit-for-bit factory restore. Basically restoring the machine to the very exact same state it was when it came out of the box with all it’s pre-loaded applications, settings and other customizations through either an included DVD or separate partition on the hard drive. So how does this apply to the mobile space? Let me tell you.

As it currently stands, I’m not aware of any consumer friendly way to restore Nokia’s current Symbian^3 devices to the exact out-of-the box state, without causing any negative effects. The N900 is one exception to this rule, with a procedure that restores it to the exact factory defaults, but this method is exclusively for the N900, which you can find here, but it’s far from the ideal one-click option that I would consider “consumer friendly.” Any mobile enthusiast would agree that a complete factory default is critical feature for these devices: I know many mobile users that like to restore their devices from time to time, clearing out “junk” and bringing back that smooth operation you had when you first got your device. Or maybe you’re selling your device or giving it to family member or friend, having the ability to do restore your device will not only give them that fresh out-of-the box software, but it will remove all private data and those other customizations that isn’t really relevant for them.

Isn’t there anything I can do?

Presently there doesn’t seem to be any way of resetting your device to this factory state, without deleting some very critical files or programs. These are the current options:

1.Three finger salute or “Volume Down” + “Camera Key” + “Menu Key”

Let me start by saying that if you love and enjoy your Symbian^3 device, don’t ever do this as it will restore the N8, but deleting many critical files causing problems with things like OVI store or even Nokia Social. I’ve written about this here. A restore that deletes critical files for normal operation doesn’t isn’t of any use for us, so let’s explore the next option.

2.FOTA

Firmware-Over-The-Air (FOTA) is a handy feature that will upgrade your software to the latest version, but leaves the device untouched when it comes to your applications or personal data.

3.OVI Suite/PC Suite/Nokia Software Updater.

Nokia’s trio of desktop software will update your device to the latest software, but again leaving all software customizations, personal data and applications intact. A few years back I remember that Nokia Software Updater was able to reinstall your software and it even did restore it to the factory defaults, without deleting critical programs or files. Right now you don’t even get the option to reinstall the the software.

4.Phoenix

Some people have been trying their luck with other alternative, such as Phoenix, but reports seem to indicate that this too will reset the device, leaving out many important pre-installed files, again totally missing the mark.

What should be done?

Nokia should leave FOTA as is, a convenient way to update your device while still being able to restore all your files and settings.

As for the desktop front, I think they should reconsider adding the option that allows you to reset your device, to the very EXACT state it was when it came out of the box with all the extras, applications and settings. The user should be able to choose to just install an update, keeping all their files, but there should be an option that restores EVERYTHING. In the case of the N8 owners that have had trouble with their device due to the three finger salute, should be able to use one of these desktop software options to restore all of the missing software. This especially counts for mobile enthusiast that want to experiment with their device, but should have the peace of mind that they will be able to restore their devices when something does go wrong. In the process this should lower the amount of work for Nokia’s own Care Centers. As it stand, there is no way to really reset your device without causing damage and that is one major flaw.

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Have tried updating your N8 yet? Nokia just pushed a new FOTA update in the form of the “Quick Search Update,” a 1.2Mb file that promises to:

1.Search history suggestion for the Search Widget

2.Faster access to search engine, also another feature for the Search Widget.

3.Updates to better organize conversations

4.Update to make easier send photo’s with your phone.

The search widget is now clearly improved, providing search suggestions as you type. This method of search suggestion is based on an internal database of words and so different to what Google has implemented recently, which does require an internet connection.

To this this out, I put my N8 in offline mode and it was still able to provide some basic words. For example: As I typed “Ci” it suggested City, when I continued typing “Cind” it suggested “Cinder and “Cindy”  but when I typed “Cinderel” it did not suggest “Cinderella”, clearly indicating doesn’t actually use a connection like Google does. It apparently also remembers previous searches and suggests these as you begin to type.

I haven’t noticed any changes when it comes to the other parts of the update. If you do, please let me know.

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The  guys at Nokia Care have created a  PR1.1 Software Update release schedule for the Nokia N8. The same schedule for other  Symbian ^3 devices will be released soon. The list will be updated regularly with release timings for different countries and variants. So, if you still haven’t received the update, please check the follow lists:

-Nokia N8

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PR 1.1 is now available for the N8, either via OVI Suite or as an OTA update.  The update now includes (Thanks to Allaboutsymbian):

• Web updated to 7.2.8.10
• Quickoffice updated to 6.4.166, editing functions now enabled on the N8 (i.e. don’t have to pay to upgrade), improved zooming functions
• Adobe Reader updated to 2.5.653
• Big update to Nokia Email; performance improved; ‘unread emails’ flag added to homescreen widget; meeting requests can be accepted directly from email invitations; maps integration, which means people can view the meeting location on the map when the address is mentioned in the location field in the invite
• General performance improvements
• Dialler now works in landscape mode
• Previous performance updates are rolled in and, in the full (Ovi Suite-installed, >100MB) image, there’s the facility to provide a better working starting point than hard resetting a PR 1.0 device

The most interesting part of the update is the inclusion of full office editing for the N8. This marks the first Nseries device that gets free office editing, something previously only reserved for the Eseries. It’s even more interesting when you consider the fact that the N8 is more multimedia/camera centric. Adding free office editing now further blurs the line between N- and Eseries.

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While looking for a good IM client for the N8, it quickly became clear that there wasn’t one, at least not the official ones. While there are options like Nimbuzz, Fring or even Palringo, I still prefer the official apps like the one created for 5th edition by Microsoft or even the official Nokia created apps. So I continued my search at the usual places:

1.There’s a Nokia Messaging for IM on Nokia Beta Labs for the N97 and N97 mini, but that doesn’t seem to work on the N8.

2. IM for Nokia is a great official Nokia IM app I used before on the E72. No updated version for Symbian^3.

After doing a bit of a research, I found an interesting answer to my question: The N8 already had IM built-in, but for some reason it hasn’t been enabled…yet. As you can see on the video above, it was enabled and working on pre-release firmware. (At 0:45min)

This seems to be supported by a number of sources. Rafe at Allaboutsymbian for example says that: “In early previews of the N8, Nokia Messaging for IM was present on the device. However, this has been left out of the launch firmware. It’s not clear why, but it seems likely it will be made available via Ovi Store or included in a future firmware update.”

Some users tried installing a newer version of IM on the N8 and were informed that: "Cannot install component. It is already installed." Even Nokia’s http://messaging.nokia.com site (which now directs you to another URL) says that “Your Nokia Phone has IM built in”

So as it stands, the N8 does have built-in IM for all the major clients, but it simply hasn’t been enabled and all of Nokia’s previous add-on solutions do not work with the N8 or any other Symbian^3 device for that matter. When done, this feature could easily be enabled on future firmware releases for the N8.

While this isn’t  high priority as this functionality can easily be added through third party applications, I certainly hope that Nokia enables this feature soon. This is especially true for users who prefer the official Nokia applications. The fact that it even has a widget with added functionality is another reason why they should quickly make this available. Judging by the pretty much finished product in the video above, it probably won’t take long.

What IM client do you use on the N8?

One of the features introduced with the PR1.2 update was the Email Widget. This widget is supposed to display an overview of your emails, including subject and number of unread emails. Officially this should also work with Nokia Messaging, but it didn’t.

Fast forward a couple of months and we now have PR1.3 and the Email widget now works with Nokia Messaging, but here’s the catch: this time it only shows the number unread emails, but not the subject line of those emails. If you’re using Nokia Messaging (and you should!) you’re now stuck with a large email widget that only shows the number of unread emails, with most of the space remaining unused.What’s even worse is the fact that they don’t plan on fixing this as Quim Gil from Nokia clearly stated that:

“According to the developers, testing with the upcoming update the number of
new/unread emails displayed correctly.

About not displaying email subjects, at this point of Fremantle we are not
going to change the UI specs, sorry.”

I really hope they change there minds and fix this as this email can easily one of the most useful.

Would you like this Widget fixed?

The latest PR1.3 update for the N900 is now available to download. No surprises here as the existence of the PR1.3 repository hinted at the up coming release. An official announcement indicated that the update was just days away, 12 days to be exact.

The update itself (version 20.2010.26-2 or PR1.3 for short) is available as both an 87.5MB OTA update or a very large 200MB full firmware update through Nokia Software Updater. The difference is that the first just ads the necessary pieces, while the second option is the complete new firmware. There’s another option which I’ll discuss below.

What’s new?

-Ovi Suite support to access and sync files and messages

-Ovi Music Store is now accessible through the N900

-Performance Improvements

-General bug fixes

-Aligns the Qt application and UI framework with the planned version for the MeeGo 1.1 platform (Qt 4.7). Qt Mobility 1.0.2 APIs for mobile development are also included.

-Email widget now displays the number of unread messages in Nokia Messaging

Overall, the N900 feels much faster and the slow down after heavy multi-tasking doesn’t seem to come at all. But I’ll have to see how it holds up after prolonged heavy multi-tasking.

Manual Update

After a major firmware update it’s always a good idea to start clean, and do a hard reset, which can lead to faster performance. After installing or uninstalling programs, updates and now a major update on top  can lead to OS slow downs. That’s why we highly recommend doing a hard reset. As always remember to backup! Instruction on how to do this can be found here.

Did you see any new features? Let us know!

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?

6.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.

7.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.

8.Better support for OVI Suite.OVI suite has been updated and fully support the N900, now the N900 should do the same. An update has to be done, to enable support on the device itself for OVI Suite.

9.Support for Instant Messaging and Social Networking. Messaging on Nokia devices is more than email (Nokia Messaging). Symbian devices not only Nokia Messaging (email), but also Instant Messaging and Social Networking, the N900 lacks these. It would be handy to have these functions in one single app.

What features do you think the next firmware will add to the N900?