If this scoop by The Register is to be believed, Symbian is finally dead.

In brief, Nokia won’t push out 150 million Symbian devices again as previously announced, and are cancelling all future Symbian devices except one – an N8 successor.

If the N8 successor is a compelling upgrade, I’m game. And then, the curtain closes on Symbian. The register calls it pouring oil on burning Symbian. I call it The end.

Here are a few pictures that I took.

First Impressions

I have used two Windows Phone devices before now, and so I am already familiar with the OS and UI. It runs fluid on the Lumia 800. Very fluid.

In addition, Nokia’s homegrown services, Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Music are present.

Hardware-wise, the Lumia is almost a replica of the N9′s superb body. It is sleek in the hand and to the eyes. However, the display being 3.7 inches felt really cramped to me.

Personally, Windows Phone looks the most superb on displays of 4 inches and above. It works the same but larger displays certainly make it look better.

Nigeria Launch

We still do not have an official word on the launch date for Nokia’s Windows Phone devices here in Nigeria, so enthusiasts will have to wait a while.

Miss Onyinye Achigbi, a Customer Service Executive at Airtel Nigeria, who resides in Abuja; was the lucky winner of the grand prize of the two Hyundai Accent cars. She expressed her gratitude to Nokia for making an owner of two cars. ‘I did not believe it when I was called. I thought it was a fraud’.

Assistant Director, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Abuja, Mr Henry Uwadia; Grand Prize Winner of Two Cars, Onyinye Achigbi; General Manager, Nokia West Africa, Chris Brown and Lagos State Lottery Board Compliance Officer, Mrs Toyin Daramola at the Nokia SIM Promo Grand Prize Presentation held in Lagos yesterday.

Onyinye Achigbi, Grand Prize Winner of 2 cars of the Nokia Dual SIM Promo posing with her two cars at the Grand Prize Presentation held in Lagos yesterday.

Assistant Director, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Abuja, Mr Henry Uwadie; Mr Henry Uwadia; Grand Prize Winner of Two Cars, Onyinye Achigbi and General Manager, Nokia West Africa, Chris Brown at the Grand Prize Presentation held in Lagos yesterday.

The strategy is very simple,create a phone and then split it into different variants with certain features removes. A classic example of this is the Nokia 5800 split into two different phones namely the 5230 and the 5530.

The Nokia 5230 features the same screen size of 3.2 inches that is on the 5800 and has 3G connectivity while the Nokia 5530 features a 2.8 inches screen with XpressMusic branding and WiFi.

Even on lower end phones like the Nokia C1 and C2. The main difference between the two is that the C1 is a single SIM phone while  C2 is a dual SIM phone.

Samsung on the other hand seems to have widely fine-tuned and adopted the strategy across their whole mobile product line and across the different operating systems that they support.

A very good example of this is their Galaxy line of phone and tablets. Do you want a 4 inch mobile? Get a Galaxy S. Is it a 3.5 inch display that you fancy? Get a Galaxy Ace. For 3.2 inches, you can get the Galaxy Gio.

If you want to get a tablet, you are offered different choices too with Samsung making a tablet for practically anybody that wants to get a tablet.

You can either get a 10.1 inch version, a 8.9 inch version or a 7.7 or 7 inch version, should you want a tablet of more compact size.

Even when you look at lower end Samsung phones like the Chat series, there is the the Ch@t 222 and Ch@t 322 with one of the major differences been the optical trackpad.

Platforms

On the Operating System level, Samsung has various operating systems running on their wide array of phones. These include: Android, Windows Phone 7, Bada and TiZen.

Last year, Samsung shipped a total of 300 Million devices which goes to prove that they may finally overtake Nokia this year as the number one handset maker in the world, thanks to their versatility in production and distribution.

Looking at the older Nokia C7 and the Nokia 701, there is no difference on the outside. They share the same sleek, well-built hardware that gets your attention from the word go.

In this review, I won’t be doing a full, detailed review. Rather, i will be focusing on what stands the 701 out in the market today.

Of all the recent Symbian devices that Nokia has released, the 701 is the sleekest, well-built bloke on the block. It has a very solid feel to it too – like it was made of some premium materials. It is not N9-sleek, but it sure looks and feels good.

The ClearBlack display rocks – and at 3.5-inch, the device is compact.

The Belle User Interface

The Nokia Belle user interface on the 701 is a breath of fresh air and a departure from the traditional Symbian user experience.

You can add up to six (6) home screens. Scrolling between them is smooth and instantanous too. A different wallpaper can be applied to each of the home screens and widgets of different sizes are now available.

Nokia Belle drop-down Notification menu

There is a system-wide notification menu that can be pulled down to reveal controls to turn on/off Mobile Data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Silent mode.

New messages notifications, quick access to Music player controls (when playing music) and access to mobile data usage details are also available from the pull-down menu.

In any menu, at the bottom of the display is a persistent back key, a search button and menu button. The main menu is flat, but the option to create folders or re-arrange icons can be accessed via the menu button. Icons can also be moved about by holding down and dragging. Nice to give users multiple options of customizing the interface to their taste.

Audio Quality

I love my music. Scratch that. I mean, I have an ear for audio, so when I listen to music, i want to hear every beat, jingle and reed in the best quality possible. This means that I love the Nokia 701, because its audio reproduction quality is one of the best I have seen yet. It beats the E7, the N9, and the Samsung Galaxy S II hands down.

The speakers on this baby are really good. I wish I had an N8 around to compare with.

Speaking of the N8, the Nokia 701 is the phone to get if you want a Nokia smartphone but can’t be bothered about a 12 megapixel camera. You see, its got everything the N8 has – and more:

- a better processor (1GHz, as against the N8′s 680 MHz)
- same 3.5″ display size, but ClearBlack added
- Nokia Belle
- 512 MB RAM (against the N8′s 256MB)
- FM transmitter (same as on the N8)
- bigger, removable battery (yaaaay!)
- microSD card slot (same as on the N8)
- NFC
- its got TV-out and USB On-the-go support too

However, its got only 8GB mass storage, compared to the N8′s 16GB. Then there’s that 8 megapixel full-focus camera.

Camera

Left: 701. Right: N9

The full-focus camera means that you can forget about close-up shots, but it really is good for regular shots. Colour rendering is good, but details are terrible for close-ups.

Dual-LED flash means that you can manage some dark and night scenes. Certainly not all.

However, the 701 is superb for video recording.

Conclusions

The Nokia 701 is what the N8 should have been, minus the camera. It is sleek, functional and modern in every way. If this had hit the market a year ago, things would have been different today.

But all that is history. Still, if you love the functionality of the old Symbian and want it with a nice user interface, you cannot go wrong with the Nokia 701. And costing only N53,000, it is a steal.

The app ecosystem is not as robust as what obtains on Android or iOS, but most of the apps that you need are available anyway. At the end of the day, its your decision.

Ladies and gentlemen, the phone that the N8 could have been?

Recently, Nokia’s new version of Symbian has been re-branded as Belle.

Now, news has it that Nokia has acquired SmarterPhone, a small Norwegian company that has an operating system designed for more basic cell phones.

From the press release of the acquisition:

Smarterphone is based in Oslo, Norway and delivers an operating system for the feature phone segment of mobile handsets. The software makes it possible to deliver a user experience similar to smart phones on affordable hardware, and allows unique flexibility for tailoring handset software to different markets.

The sale/acquisition was completed in November 2011.

No-one seems to be sure how things will play out from here. There has been no official statement from Nokia either.

So, is this another game-changer, or another doubtful venture? comments!

Source

StatCounter is a global web monitoring service which tracks the browsers and OS used to access those websites on which its codes/scripts are embedded.

The statistics from StatCounter show that Symbian is still top dog in mobile web browsing, with a comfortable lead over others.

Yes; this is only StatCounter statistics. Still, note that StatCounter are not small players in this field. As at 1 June 2010, StatCounter tracking code was installed on more than 3 million sites globally.

It is interesting to see that inspite of the claims by many that the Symbian browser is “crappy” and that Symbian is either “dead” or “dying”, this old dog still holds its own.

Of course, partly responsible for this is Symbian’s huge installed base.

In response to this news, someone said, “Symbian is a beast. It just will not die!” Perhaps. Perhaps not. But the message is clear: this dude is no pushover.

Pronounced burning by its own CEO. Maligned on all sides by bloggers. Ignored by carriers/network operators. Outsourced to foster parents.

Still, Symbian has refused to die. The plucky devil’s still got some spunk!

At the moment, we have a Nokia Belle smartphone in the house here for review at Mobility Towers. So far, I have been impressed. I actually prefer a number of things about it to my N9.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Belle may still have a future if Nokia so chooses to reverse its position on this “burning platform”.

Source

That OS has been branded MeeGo. However, the N9 does not really run MeeGo, because MeeGo wasn’t quite ready.

The N9 Is Not MeeGo

The Nokia N9 runs Maemo/Harmattan. Maemo was Nokia’s purpose built OS for tablets. It has powered a number of iterations of Nokia touchscreen tablets for years, the last being the N900, which I also reviewed here some time ago.

The N9 does not run MeeGo.

So, note: MeeGo wasn’t ready. On that, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop was right. Let us settle that once and for all. I have used the N9 till today, and I am convinced of that.

Even Maemo/Harmattan Isn’t Quite Ready

So, Nokia came up with an amazing device that runs Maemo/Harmattan branded as MeeGo. Problem solved. Who cares; right?

If you have been reading Mobility blog for a few months, you will have read my raving reviews and commentaries on the N9. All those positives remain valid. But here are the kind of issues that suggest to me that Maemo/Harmattan is not quite ready for mainstream consumers.

Take a look at these instructions:

Activate “Developer mode” by going to: Settings > Security > Developer mode. It’s OFF by default. Turn it ON.

After having it activated, you will find a “Terminal” app button under application menu.

Open it and you need to execute these commands (one command per line):

gconftool –recursive-unset /system/http_proxy
gconftool –recursive-unset /system/proxy
gconftool –recursive-unset /system/osso

I am betting my salary that if you are not a computer gizmo, you have no clue what those instructions are. I am betting that you have no interest in typing those Linux commands on your phone, except you live on command line instructions.

Well, those instructions are the only known way to solve a problem with the built-in Twitter app not working on the N9. Go figure.

For a long time, everything worked fine on my N9, then suddenly Twitter stopped connecting. Nothing I did worked. I restarted the device, checked my connections and even spoke to it (who knows?). Nada.

Finally, I got on the internet, and found that the only solution was the above steps. Now, I am more computer and mobile savvy than most people, but I can assure you that I didn’t feel any happier that I had found a solution. This solution sucks for the average consumer. It sucks for me too. Honest.

There are users with similar issues with the built-in Facebook app as well. There are some indications that adding multiple Google accounts on the N9 seems to corrupt the something somewhere (I’m deliberately avoiding geek-speak here).

Maemo, MeeGo, Mini, Mo

I love the Swipe UI of the Nokia N9, and thankfully Nokia say that they are implementing that on other devices. The N9 works well in almost every other way. But do ask yourself, “Do I want to become a Linux enthusiast in order to troubleshoot my smartphone?”

I’m betting that your answer is a big No – at least for most of you.

Troubleshooting Maemo/MeeGo devices will thrill geeks and nerds. But not the mainstream consumer. I am finally believing that Nokia made a good call dumping this platform.

Windows Phone, Anyone?

Windows Phone has a sleek, elegant user interface, but lacks too many functionality that Nokia fans have been used to. Too many.

as such, Nokia fans are caught in a tough place – Maemo/MeeGo not quite ready, Symbian has been pronounced dead (though it has stubbornly refused to die, the developer apathy to the platform is serious), and Windows Phone is so, so different.

Get Over It

Let’s get over it, guys: while the Nokia N9 is an amazing device and gets the job done, if and when you have issues, you know you don’t want to do the gobbledegook that is required to solve those problems.

Oh, plus, there are just too few apps available for the platform. It simply would be an uphill task getting apps to flood the market for it.

Running with Maemo/MeeGo simply would have been a strenous, uphill task for Nokia.

Still, I must commend the great job done by the small team that came up with the N9. Pulling this off in a matter of months, even after your CEO had declared your work as destined for the labs was amazing. Hat tip, guys.

But truth be told, this baby is not ready for mainstream consumerism yet.

Should You Get The N9?

Sure; it just depends on who you are. If you are a hardcore mobile enthusiast; yes do get it. If you love to use an exclusive device and stand out like I do, yes; do get one.

If you are also not an app junkie, by all means do get one.

Fortunately, I am both a hardcore mobile person and a lover of the finest in exclusivity. Plus, I use the barest minimum of 3rd party apps on my mobiles. As such, I am covered on all ends.

Now, do excuse me while I [grudgingly] go do the gobbledegook instructions required to get my Twitter account working on my N9 again. Don’t beef.

Comments please!

Our own regular here, Lord Banks, has put up a rejoinder to Ibukun Olaoya’s recent article, Why I Have Refused To Jump Off Symbian. The rejoinder, titled Symbian Will Die – Long Live The User Experience, is a well written piece that addresses issues I also had with a number of EyeBeeKay’s reasons.

Here are the key points:

1. The quality of the user experience should never be dependent on the user’s willingness to customise it
2. Normal people generally don’t enjoy spending lots of time under the hood of their cars (or in this case, smartphones), messing around with the innards
3. Symbian has AIDS – Apps Incentive Deficiency Syndrome

I pointed out some of these issues in response to EyeBeeKay earlier. For example, the need to customise the user experience in order for it to be acceptable has been taken care of in Nokia Belle. Belle is a complete transformation into a modern user experience.

If you have used a Symbian device in the last three years, I recommend that you pick up and use a Nokia Belle device for a few weeks to see how good it really is. If you haven’t used Belle, any comments that you make about the Symbian user experience are likely to be 99.9% outdated and no more valid.

This is part of why it is my position that Nokia needs to stop putting outdated Symbian software in new devices. If users keep running into older, less-supported software (S60 3rd Edition & S60 5th Edition) on their smartphones, it is counter-productive to the experience of the different beast that Belle is.

Like I said to Ibukun, he needs to throw away that S60 5th Edition Nokia 5800 and get himself one of the new Belle devices.

However, I am not sure that much can be done about the Apps Incentive Deficiency Syndrome at this point. Belle seems to be coming after many developers had decided that it wasn’t worth the trouble anymore.

New apps are showing up for Belle on a regular basis, but not at a fantastic rate or anything comparable to what obtains on iOS and Android. If Nokia are able to somehow turn the tides on developer churn, then there is a fighting chance for Belle.

In the meantime, you will want to read Lord Bank’s complete article: Symbian Will Die – Long Live The User Experience

The Nokia E5 runs S60 3rd Edition

By outdated software, I mean Symbian S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition. Is it that those versions of Symbian are non-functional? No; they are.

But they are outdated in the sense that something much better is already out there – SymbianNext (that’s my generic term for Symbian^3, Anna and Belle).

When most people complain of Symbian, they are mostly doing that from the standpoint of Symbian S60. Take a look at this recent complaint springing from my review of the Facinate app for Facebook on Symbian phones:

This is what i hate about nokia, so my E5 can not get this… Oh yes i paid 43,000 and i cant get a single decent facebook app, anytime i hear them better the new symbian while leaving the other ones outside makes me doubt if i would ever get a nokia device again. When did this phone come out that its nw dead, make no mistake it has a 600mhz process and 256 mb ram so am pretty sure it can run better apss…..

As a nokia fan i tell you that they abandon their phones like too early, remember that symbian carla will nt come to n8, e7,e6… E6 when did that come out that its called nt eligible.

Nokia is highly confused…… And this should def be my last with them i have had it. Ps i bought E5 january this year and by march it was already outdated……… Talk of trash

Note that a valid complaint has been made. But note how that valid complaint has been easilly mixed with invalid thoughts.

It is not true that Nokia abandons their phones early. Till today, Nokia is still supporting S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition with upgrades.

Also, note that the app he is complaining of was not made by Nokia. An independent developer was responsible for that app – and chose to ignore 3rd Edition (and we can’t blame him for that; who wants to keep supporting old software when the new is here and much better?).

But here is the point – Nokia is responsible for this mess. So valid or invalid, Nokia continues to generate complaints from users. Read: public relations issues.

How is Nokia responsible?

I said earlier when Symbian^3 was launched that Nokia should simply stop rolling out phones with older versions of Symbian. That way, the issues of apps incompatibility and fragmentation can be put aside in the shortest possible time.

Also, everyone who went to the market for a Nokia would be getting the newest version of their Symbian OS. The benefits are all too clear. Whatever other business considerations informed continuing to push out older software, the demerits are grievous and costly in the open market.

But, No. We have a mishmash of 3rd Edition, 5th Edition and SymbianNext devices. Unfortunately, the average user cannot tell the difference. He buys a phone running 3-year old software, gets burnt using it and simply screams blue murder! Rightly so, too.

All the best apps are on the most up-to-date versions of Symbian. Devices running older firmware will get ignored one way or the other by developers. As long as Nokia keeps pushing those older firmware, users will keep screaming, whether or not all of the noise is valid.

Your comments and thoughts!