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After using Maemo on the Nokia N900, Symbian looks and feels outdated.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?

The 5800 XpressMusic has been  out for a while now and  with all its success you’d expect it to get the full Nokia treatment, like Nokia Internet Radio or viNe. But one of the biggest omissions is N-Gage support. The N97, basically a souped-up version of  5800 has N-Gage support, so why not support it on the 5800? Even E75, a business device (!) has N-Gage while, the 5800 XM, device all about entertainment doesn’t? Doesn’t make sense to me. With so many 5800 XM units out there, not supporting means locking a big share of Nokia users. Would you like to see N-Gage support on the 5800 XpressMusic?

As a Music device the 5800 performs brilliantly and 5th edition’s iteration of the S60 UI is surprisingly easy to understand and navigate, same thing can be expected for the soon-to-be-released N97. One thing that stands out though is the scrolling bar and the lack of scrolling arrows. On the 5800 XpressMusic, the scrolling bar is this thin bar placed at the edge of the screen: perfect for the included Plectrum or Stylus, but sadly isn’t as finger friendly.

Just as the on-screen keyboard can be switched to accommodate the input method, so should their be an option to change the scrolling bar to accommodate the good ol’ fingers. A wider scroll bar would not only help making scrolling a lot easier, but also alleviate the feeling of having to touch a very thin bar placed close to the screen’s edge. Another thing missing  are scrolling arrows. Let’s take the Music Player as an example. Here, I sometimes like to use the scrolling bar to scroll through the various artist or songs, but with a library that consists of thousands of songs, a slight movement on the scrolling bar will have you flying through your list.  Sure, you could always use the search function, but that beats the purpose of being able quickly browsing through your songs and finding something that you like. The scrolling bar is handy to quickly go through songs at speed, while arrows keys make it more easy narrow down your choice.

Would a wider scrolling bar and scrolling arrows make navigating the 5800’s menu much easier?

Remember the Nseries website (www.nseries.com)? I was surprised to find out that the site is now gone and has now been integrated into the more general Nokia.com site. A not so good move perhaps, especially since the section now dedicated to the Nseries certainly lacks the appeal of a dedicated site. Considering the “special’ status of the Nseries in Nokia’s arsenal of phones, having a separate site is ideal.

Gone is also the Nseries Sports Tracker widget, which allowed you to place a widget on your blog or site showcasing your Sports Tracker adventures, including pictures and video. The feature, officially called Maps + Photography widget was tightly integrated into the Nseries.com website, but seems to have disappeared along with Nseries.com. On many blogs and sites (including here at The Nokia Guide) where the widget was prominently displayed, we are only left with an empty space or or a message to install the latest version of Adobe Flash.

Nokia Sports Tracker is still VERY popular and definitely one of the coolest Nokia exclusive apps, so why remove the ability to share your trips with the world? I for one, would love the ability to share this not only on The Nokia Guide, but also on social sites like Facebook and MySpace. What do you think?

Is a separate site more suitable for the Nseries? And, should the Maps + Photography widget return?

Image: Allaboutsymbian.com

Feature wise, all of Nokia’s most advanced devices are in the Nseries/Eseries range, save for a few S60 non-Nseries/Eseries devices like 6220. The S40 line seem to be lacking in features when it comes to other devices like the Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-Shot or soon-to be released models like the LG Renoir which is set to be released mid October. Why is it, that if I want a more features do I need to have get a smartphone. For many of us having a smartphone means flexibility to add the features that we want, but what about the consumer that wants a top-notch camera device without the need for the extra functionality and flexibility and in return gets simplicity? Devices like the LG Renoir sport impressive cameras. Is Nokia playing catch-up when it comes to S40 devices?