By definition, the Nokia Communicator is a brand name for a range of business-centric mobile phones. Traditionally, they wore a clamshell form factor, allowing them to be used as ordinary phones in closed mode and as palmtop computers when opened up. The earliest of Nokia’s Communicators were the fore-runners of today’s smartphones.

I wasn’t available when Nokia launched the first Communicator, the 9000, way back in 1996. That was because GSM mobile technology did not arrive on our shores till 2001. But I can tell you that it was a case of love at first sight. That clamshell form factor simply had me hooked from the word Go.

Nokia 9210i Communicator

My very first Communicator was the 9210i. It was a big guy (fondly referred to as a brick), but beautiful-looking in its day. It ran Symbian OS v6.0 (Series 80), an ARM processor clocked at 66 MHz, 8MB RAM, and 40MB internal memory. It also had an external memory slot, a 4096-colour 640×200 LCD internal screen, and mobile data was via CSD (Circuit Switched Data = GSM DialUp internet).

Those specs look lean; right? Yes; but the 9210i was far ahead of most devices of the day. It had no competitor.

Oh, and believe it or not, the 9210i had Flash 5 support for the web browser.

Nokia 9500 Communicator

The 9500 ran Symbian OS v7.0 (also Series 80 like all previous Communicators), an ARM processor clocked at 150 MHz, and 64MB RAM. It also had an external memory slot, a 4.5-inch, 640×200 pixel, 65,536-colour TFT internal screen, and mobile data was via CSD, GPRS, and EDGE.

I remember also that it had fax facilities built-in. I subscribed to a fax service that Glo was offering back then and was able to send and receive fax directly on my 9500.

The built-in Web browser was a Nokia-branded version of Opera and was one of the very first mobile web browsers to render HTML Web pages.

Nokia E90 Communicator

The E90 was the first communicator to run Symbian Series 60 (and many of us who enjoyed the greater depth of Series80 were totally disappointed), an ARM processor clocked at 330 MHz, and 128MB RAM. It also had an external memory slot, a 4-inch, 800×352 pixel, 16 million-colour TFT internal screen, and UMTS and HSDPA were onboard for mobile data this time.

The Nokia E90 was the first Communicator to spot a top-range camera. The camera performance was very close to that of the top cameraphone of the day, the Nokia N95.

Like lots of other Series 60 devices of the time, the E90 also had BlackBerry support via BlackBerry Connect (now discontinued).

Nokia E75

After the E90 Communicator, Nokia made the first move to transition the Communicator range from clamshell to QWERTY slider with the E75. Honestly, I did not buy the idea. The E75 simply did not fit the mold – and in my opinion, it did not deliver.

The E75 ran Symbian OS 9.3, S60 3rd Edition (Feature Pack 2) with a 396 MHz processor, a 240×320 pixel, 2.4-inch display (excuse me?) and a 3 MP camera with LED flash. If I accept the E75 as a Communicator, I must state here boldly that it was the most frustrating one that I ever used till date.

It just felt under-powered and under-whelming all the way. A Communicator? I think not.

Nokia E7 – the New Age Communicator

With the E7, we are looking at Symbian^3, a 680 MHz ARM 11 processor and graphics processor. There’s a superb 4-inch CBD AMOLED capacitive touch display with multitouch, and every modern connectivity option in the book. Nokia claims that the E7 has the best QWERTY keyboard they have ever put on a Communicator. So far, I haven’t had a reason to argue that point, though that claim needs investigating.

The Nokia E7 is here now and I have found it to be a very sexy device. Without doubt, it is the smallest and sleekest, yet the most powerful Communicator ever.

Similar to Matthew Miller (an avid WinMo fan) giving up on Windows mobile, Ricky Cadden and Rita El Khoury of Symbian-Guru.com have resigned from being advocates of Symbian. The popular Symbian-Guru.com site will also no longer be updated.

To them, I say, Welcome to the club. If you have been following Mobility Nigeria for at least a year, it should be no news to you that I gave up on Symbian waaaay back in July 2009 after I got the Nokia E75. Note that until then I was arguably Symbian’s Number one advocate in Nigeria. Until my abandoning the ship, I had branded myself “Symbian Inside“.

Basically, Ricky and Rita have expressed the same issues and frustrations that I have had with the Symbian platform, and boy, have they expressed it well. Here are a few excerpts.

From Ricky:

If you recall, when the Nokia N97 was announced, we all drooled over it endlessly. We marveled at its features, its monstrous internal storage, sliding hinge assembly, 1500mAh battery, and more. We waited a disturbing 6 months for it to actually be available…only to actually get it. The launch firmware on the Nokia N97 was so bad, I sincerely hope that whoever gave it the A-OK to be released has been fired from Nokia. It took them another 6 months just to release a firmware that wasn’t rubbish, and now, the ‘flagship’ languishes behind other devices, frustrating owners like myself more and more each day.

Despite getting one that was manufactured much later than the initial batch, my Nokia N97 had the famed camera slider issue, where the ‘protective’ lens cover was actually damaging the lens it was designed to protect, flooding photos with the dual-LED flash and making them useless. The GPS, once strong, now loses signal every 10-15 seconds, making the free voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation offered by Ovi Maps a complete waste (not to mention the POI database in my area is abysmal). Don’t bother filling that 32GB of internal storage with music – it’ll bog the phone down so much you won’t be able to use it for a thing.

The pissant processor in the N97 is another aspect that completely kills the device. The phone is hardly able to keep up with the operating system’s multitasking capabilities, frequently running out of RAM and slowing to a crawl. Worse, the C: storage – where you install 3rd party applications and where the majority of Nokia’s own products install themselves – is so small it’s ridiculous. After installing Nokia Messaging for Email (which should have been pre-installed in such a flagship device), Ovi Maps’ latest update, and Ovi Contacts, I’m left with less than 10MB free. To add insult to injury, this 10MB tends to disappear on its own – I’m down to 2MB after being at 10MB a week or two ago. The only way to recover it is to hard-reset the phone, which I’ve done several times, and then painstakingly re-installing all your stuff. It still takes me close to an hour, and I would consider myself a pro.

And if you are thinking about how glorious the N8 looks, Ricky has this to say:

You may be saying, ‘well, sure, but the N8 is set to come out any month now, shouldn’t you give it a fighting chance?’ Yes, of course I *should*, but I won’t. When the Nokia N8 was first announced, I was dead convinced I would purchase one out of my own pocket. I started putting money aside, ready to even pre-order the N8 as soon as I could. However, the more I use the Nokia N97 as my primary device, the less I’ve been convinced that the N8 is going to be better. Time and time again, Nokia’s high-end smartphones have arrived with pathetic processors, stingy amounts of RAM, and small batteries – why should I put up another $500 of my own money ‘just to see’?

I’m afraid, I agree with his sentiments here. Nokia has a track record of throwing out great specs in recent times but letting users down with performance on their high-end devices. Personally, I have chosen not to argue with that track record.

PS: Read about fears concerning “Out of memory” error on the N8.

From Rita:

When I think back to 3 or 4 years ago, when the iPhone and Android were first launched, I remember how they were a joke for many Symbian users. But look at them now! Look how much has evolved and grown in those two, software and feature-wise as well as ecosystem-wise. Four years ago, I had a long list of arguments to use when friends told me they’re getting an iPhone. But year after year, that list grew smaller. Now I just stand there and nod, knowing that there’s nothing I can argue with. The mobile space has seen a mind-blowing acceleration, hugely thanks to the iPhone, and meanwhile, Symbian and Nokia have stayed the same. I have now come to expect that whatever feature is still missing from Android/iOS will probably be added soon in a future firmware update. I wish I could have the same faith and certainty about Symbian.

Symbian rules the Nigerian mobile space at the moment, but I find using Symbian devices a pain. The lower end devices fare much better, but once you cross the line to high-end, it is a mess.

So far, so good, my experience with Maemo has been beautiful. But I am not sure that I love MeeGo‘s childlike icons (even the name sounds like something for kids). I won’t mind an Android device either, and should the gods at Cuppertino choose to smile on me with a QWERTY iOS device… Yes; a guy can dream. BlackBerry is addictive and easy to use, but let down by the built-in browser. If only RIM can get that new super-browser on to their devices early enough. Bada – we wait. Windowsphone 7 – still vapourware.

Anyway, this is all interesting. The mobile OS fight is on (actually, it has been on for years now). May the best platform win!

I thought it would be both fun and informative to do an article on my smartphone of the year 2009. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get good participation for the MobilityNigeria 2009 Phone Awards. Thanks to all those who did drop their nominations.

Anyway, in this article, I will list all the smartphones I used in 2009 and do a sort of countdown to my top smartphone for the year just gone by. Here goes!

The contenders, in the order that I came in touch with them:

1. Nokia E90 communicator (October 2008) **
2. T-mobile G1 (May 2009)
3. Nokia E75 (June 2009)
4. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 (August 2009)
5. Samsung B7320 (December 2009)

While I got the E90 in 2008, I did use it for several months in 2009, so it qualifies.

Number 5

At number 5 is the Android-powered G1.

I loved the keyboard on this device, being one of the most functional I have used, but the choice of colour of the keyboard area made reading in daylight difficult.

The Android user interface got me hooked too. Download, installing and updating applications from the Android Market was a joy. But while the G1 had USB charging, its battery life was one of the most appalling I had experienced on a smartphone. With the G1, my eye was constantly on the battery indicator. On an average day, I had it plugged to the mains more than not.

Email management was flawless on the G1, and web browsing was good, though the browser wasn’t as capable as Opera Mobile or S60 Web.

Again, the G1 could not be tethered without the use of a 3rd party app (or having to root the phone), had no Bluetooth file transfer, and – the straw that finally broke the camel’s back – no built-in office viewer/editor. The available 3rd party viewers were plainly underwhelming.

I love Android and look forward to its maturing. Then, you can be sure that I am game.

Number 4

At number 4 is the Symbian-powered Nokia E75.

The E75 was a good piece of hardware and felt solid to hold and to look at. The keyboard was good, but in my experience did not match those of the G1 or the E90.

While it had a 3.2 megapixel camera specified same as that on the E90, the camera did not perform as good. Whenever I needed good pictures or video recording, I kept going back to the E90.

Web browsing was standard S60 Web, but for some reason, Nokia had still not sorted out the issues with its messaging/email client. The E75 let me down at critical times in the area of email management. In my line of work, that is unforgivable.

Number 3

The Windowsphone X1 from Sony Ericsson is my Number 3.

The X1 had a good camera. Being Sony Ericsson, I wasn’t expecting less. The keyboard was not as tactile as on the E90, E75 and G1, but it worked.

Email management on the X1 was flawless and I had no issues with web browsing. As a matter of fact, there was little to dislike about the X1. But those few include a not-so-loud loudspeaker and the lack of a built-in task manager,which was annoying.

Being Windows Mobile powered, the X1 allowed for customisation by way of custom ROMs from XDA Developers.

Number 2

By now, many of you are guessing that the number one spot is surely going to the Nokia E90. Unfortunately, if that was your thought, you thought wrong.

At number 2 is the venerable Nokia E90.

Ah! A 3-year old smartphone that still rocks. Excellent 5-row keyboard with several shortcuts, glamorous huge display, very loud speaker, and a really good camera, it is hard not to like the E90.

With a keyboard like that, a huge screen and oodles of RAM, web browsing was a joy on the E90.

Also, the E90 feels as sturdy as a tank. Holding one in a corporate setting is good massage for the ego. It simply feels good in the hand.

Unfortunately, the email client was again plagued with issues. For some reason, setting up Gmail on the E90 simply brought the mail client into a comatose state.

To compensate (and because the E90 was really hard for me to part with), I used Gmail’s mobile app to handle my personal mails and notifications. Of course, having to do that was a kludge. I had to manually check for mails at intervals.

Note that I also tried out Nokia Messaging, and it worked well for a while before the same issues popped up.

I love the E90, but I found a new love.

Number 1

My smartphone of the year 2009 is nothing short of a miracle. It is testimony that good things are not necesarilly big or expensive.

The Samsung B7320 OmniaPro is a Windowsphone. it runs version 6.1 and is upgradeable to 6.5. So far, I have found only two major things to complain about:

1. Older version of pocket internet explorer
2. No flash with the 3.2 mega-pixel camera

Just two, and those two are not quite earth-shattering problems. There are other smaller niggles, of course, but certainly nothing that 3rd party apps didn’t fix. The B7320′s key strengths are:

1. Very good battery life
2. Very good loudspeaker
3. One-handed use and interface
4. Highly functional QWERTY keyboard with preset & customisable shortcuts

Before you go on about Windows Mobile not being user-friendly, note that there are two versions of Windows Mobile – Standard (non-touchscreen devices) and Professional (touchscreen devices). The B7320 runs Windows Mobile Standard and has no touchscreen. I found it surprisingly intuitive to use, different from the Professional edition that.

The screen is large, though much smaller than the E90′s, and the keyboard packs a wallop – very tactile and usable, and with several preset shortcuts. You can also set your own extra shortcuts for your favourite applications.

On the negative side, I am disappointed at Pocket Internet Explorer. No multiple tabs here and rendering is not as good as what obtains on Opera Mobile or S60 web. But it gets the job done for most of what I need to do. Where it is restrictive, I use a 3rd party browser.

Email management is flawless. Both my corporate mail and Gmail work flawlessly, with audio notifications as mails arrive.

The camera is good, but performs badly in low-light situations because of the absence of a flash. Forgivable. The speaker is also quite loud.

Oh, and since there is an ongoing discussion about one other particular manufacturer skimping on RAM, the OmniaPro comes with 256mb RAM in all, and has about 175mb RAM free after booting. I run between 7 and 10 apps on the OmniaPro at a time and still have about 120mb free.

I’ve never gotten one of those out-of-memory messages yet. I’ll try running 30 apps and see

Lastly, and very important, this is one smartphone that I have not had to worry one bit about the battery life. The battery simply goes on for days, even with an always-on 3G connection for email and web browsing. Even the E90′s battery life pales in significance.

The B7320 has 90-95% of the E90′s functionality packed into a small, handy and lightweight device – and at less than half the price. That’s a pretty good deal. Guess who’s happy?

Moving On…

I am looking forward to trying out a couple of new devices this year. Hopefully, Palm will release the GSM versions of their Pre and Pixi this year. I really want to try out the Pixi. Perhaps also the Motorola Milestone. 2010 is promising to be a year of the Droid, so maybe other manufacturers will give us a candybar Android with QWERTY?

I am waiting for Windows Mobile 7 and trying not to fret while at it. The guys at Redmond need to hurry! As for Symbian, perhaps we will see something really good from the old guard too, though I am not so excited at prospects from that direction (for reasons I have already stated on this site). Some announcements have been made at CES 2010 already, and I expect more when Mobile World Congress 2010 holds.

What is your smartphone of the year 2009? And which smartphones do you have your eyes set on this year?

The guys at All About Symbian went all out to pitch the browsers on a number of competing mobile phone platforms represented by the following devices:

1. N86
2. N97
3. iPhone 3G
4. T-Mobile G1

AAS concludes:

In general the Nokia devices with version 7.1 of the S60 browser out-performed the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1. The iPhone and G1 had similar results (with the exception of guardian.co.uk), although the iPhone 3G just edges it.

Unbelievable? Certainly interesting. Nokia seems to have done a good job optimising the latest version of their browser. Shame the E75 missed it!

Head over to AAS for graphs, charts, and the whole report: Browser speed comparison – N86, N97, iPhone 3G, T-Mobile G1 and more.

Comments!

I just got my hands on the Nokia E75 slider QWERTY smartphone. The E75 runs on Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS and is being marketed by Nokia as a descendant of the Communicator dynasty (I’m not convinced yet).

Here are my first impressions:

• Very good hardware build; feels solid in the hand
• QWERTY keyboard is good; though quite different from the E90, last of the communicators
• Nokia has made efforts to touch up the interface, and it is beautiful in some places, but still relatively sluggish and of course comes nowhere close to what you find on the iPhone or an Android device
• Email interface is better
• Firmware update OTA is sweet; updated to the latest firmware in 3 minutes right on the phone
• The E75 auto-detects your SIM network, configures and uses the corresponding internet connection
• Good battery life

Those are my first impressions for now. I am playing around with customisation and will have more detailed reviews available ASAP. If you have questions about things you’d like for me to test out on the phone, post them below.