Nokia has finally rolled out the long awaited firmware update sequel to Symbian Anna. Dubbed “Nokia Belle”, the new firmware has been made available for the Symbian^3 range of smartphones, including the E6, N8, E7, X7, C6-01, and now 500.

I had been using an unofficial version of Belle on my E7 for sometime before the update. As such, I could not update via the standard process. It had to be done manually. After a couple of failed attempts, I finally got it done and my E7 was smart bang up to date.

We have already seen Belle on both the N8 and the Nokia 701, so we don’t need to go through all the details again.

It is sufficient to say that Belle transforms the user interface of your Symbian^3 smartphone into something similar to what obtains on the N9. You can check out the two referenced links for more about Nokia Belle.

In summary, Belle brings the following: free-form, resizable, live widgets; more homescreens (now 6); improved status bar; modernised navigation; informative lock screen; Visual multitasking; and an improved web browser, amongst other benefits.

Bugs Ahoy!

Unfortunately, this official update also comes with some bugs, including the following:

• When typing SMS, the character counter is missing
• No visual email notifications
• Wi-fi disconnects or goes dormant occassionally
• Upload/sharing of photos/videos from Galleria is no longer available

I am not sure how all these were left out of the new firmware, but there you are. In addition, there were a few times that tapping shortcuts on the homescreen didn’t yield a response – all shortcuts.

App Updates

After the update to Belle, certain apps have updates waiting in the Nokia store. Be careful how you update.

For example, I had an issue with the IM for nokia (Chat) app. This app lets me use Yahoo Messenger on my Symbian^3 devices.

An update was available for this app, and I simply hit the update button. On restarting the phone after the update, I found that the chat app simply didn’t load any more.

Eventually, I decided to uninstall it. However, instead of uninstalling from inside the Settings menu, I simply tapped and held the app icon and selected “Delete” to uninstall. Wrong move.

To cut a long story short, I eventually had to go to the Settings menu to uninstall – and guess what, found two Chat apps under installed files. Apparently, the update had been installed side-by-side the older app, instead as a replacement.

Anyway, I uninstalled both, then went back to Nokia Store to re-install the IM For Nokia (Chat) app. After that, it worked smoothly and with a new sleeker widget too.

Conclusions

Nokia Belle is an excellent upgrade to Anna. It transforms any Symbian^3 smartphone into a totally different device. If you haven’t upgraded your device, I recommend that you do in the shortest possible time. In spite of the bugs I mentioned, it is a worthy upgrade.

I had been curious to see how Wi-Fi hotspot on BlackBerry OS 7.1 would work. Would it share a user’s BIS subscription or would it utilise a generic internet connection?

I finally got to find out today.

Using a BlackBerry Torch 9810 running OS 7.1, I went to the Wireless Options menu, where the “Mobile Hotspot” option is displayed. Ticking that option to activate the feature threw up a warning that additional charges might apply, and then a setup menu, with options to enter network APN settings.

At that point, I was pretty much sure of the result of my quest. I entered the network internet settings and the service got running. Blackberry Mobile hotspot supports connecting a maximum of five (5) devices. It is WPA2 secured, mening you can encrypt your hotspot with an eight digit passphrase. There is also an autotimer, allowing you to set a time after which the hotspot is disabled.

The hotspot feature also has the option to allow connected devices to exchange information between one another. Interesting, and a good feature too. Once connected, you are able to monitor activity on your wireless network.

So, how does the hotspot work? It uses a generic data plan. That means it either eats your airtime (if you are on pat-as-you-use data), or you subscribe for a data plan in addition to your running BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service).

Connecting to the BlackBerry mobile hotspot with a Nokia E7 was a breeze. Within a few moments, the device was connected and using internet services from Etisalat. Without an active bundle plan, the connection used some of the available airtime on the line.

That’s it folks, BlackBerry mobile hotspot, available on OS7.1 devices and above.

People hack into their phone for varied reasons. For me, my earliest attempt at such “hackscapade” was when I ported “Cooked” ROMS on to my HTC Universal about 7 years ago. Over time, I have lost count on the number of devices that I have tried to extend their limits. My list includes:

• Ported Debian Linux to Palm Treo 650
• Cooked WM6 and Android ROMS on HTC TyTn II
• Cooked ROMS onto a couple of other HTC phones that I cannot recollect their models
• Jailbreaked iPod Touch, iPad, and lately
• Rooted my dear Toshiba Thrive

Anyone who owns a device based on the Android OS may already know that the Google operating system provides a tremendous amount of freedom right out of the box. Notwithstanding this, people still have the urge to hack their devices to extend its limits.

Why?
The question now is, Why do people hack their mobiles? What is the cause of this insatiable urge and addiction to push your mobile computers to their limits? What are the benefits of gaining root access to your device?

People say there are always two classes of technology users; those who take and use technology the way it is brought to them, no questions or complaints, and those who want to indulge deep into the very essence of what’s being offered, and want to empower themselves with everything to take the maximum out of that technology. This rule of thumb holds true for mobile phones as well. The poweruser crowd has always been different from the average user.

Rooting Your Android Mobile

Rooting your Android device gives you unparalleled access to every aspect of the device. It allows you to download tons of root-only applications, push your hardware to new heights, and on some devices even flash different, customized versions of Android.

Android OS is based on Linux. Someone described Linux as a big, bad, scary computer operating system known only by people with neck beards. While this is no longer true, people like “maddog” probably still fit this picture perfectly. Android apps need permission to access certain parts of Linux, and not all apps have this special “root” access. The parts having restricted access include the camera flash and the ability to take screen shots. There are a bunch of other apps that need root access for other reasons, too, but the basic premise is the same.

How Does Jailbreaking Your iOS Devices Compare?

The concept itself is identical to what obtains with rooting on Android.  Jailbreaking an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch opens up things like using applications that are not manufacturer-approved or changing the look and feel of the device UI. Android already allows this to a very large extent by default. The changes behind the scenes are the same way. A lot of what you can do with a jail broken Apple device, you can already do with your Android device, but to really unlock everything you’ll need to root it. You’re allowing things that usually wouldn’t have root permission to have them.

Why Root?
Searching the web, I came across some other reasons why people root their Android devices and I have taken time to compile them here:

• Overclocking a device’s CPU is fairly simple and rather safe thanks to many third-party apps, yet the Android OS does not allow it natively.
• Removal of manufacturer installed bloatware
• Performance improvement via kernel tweaks
• Ability to take screenshots (Now native in Android 4.0 ICS)
• Use of root only apps
• Lastly, you root your device because you can!

Word Of Caution

By not allowing access to the superuser account, the manufacturer and your carrier have basically protected you from doing things that can change the system and make it unusable.  All it takes is one wrong keystroke to turn your shiny new Android device into a plastic and metal brick with no connection.  Most times this is recoverable, but not always.

Rooting your mobile can open up a world of liberty and fun, but note that you root at your own risk.

It is no mistake that for years, Symbian became the dominant smartphone OS here in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. The peculiar conditions of this environment ensured that. Despite all the razmattaz of iOS and Android, Symbian kept its strong hold on the African continent – and for good reasons too. Here are a few:

1. Good power management. Most Symbian phones have good battery life
2. Data management. With some of the most basic bundle internet plans, you could run the average Symbian smartphone conveniently for a month. This means huge cost savings.

My 60+ father recently replaced his Symbian smartphone, a Nokia 6760 Slide (yes; dad uses smartphones too) with the new Blackberry Curve 9360. He had used his 6760 Slide for business purposes for over a year now. Of course, he got tired of Symbian S60 3rd Edition eventually. Who wouldn’t (remember my position that Nokia needs to stop producing those older versions of Symbian)? This is 2012, please.

What were dad’s motivating factors in his choice of a Blackberry? The two items that I listed above were key, of course!

BlackBerry devices are legendary for good battery life and data management. Dad is extremely delighted to have access to a full smartphone and internet service at only N1,500 per month.

Special Data Bundles For Android?

I have heard some Android users gripe and demand that network operators are biased and should also provide special bundles for Android phones. This is mostly based on ignorance (or just arrogance, of course). Network operators provide special Blackberry bundles because of the benefits that their networks derive from BlackBerry’s server compression service.

RIM’s compression technology means that BlackBerry devices eat up less data and put less pressure on mobile networks than devices from other platforms. Get it? As such, if Google would implement a data compression service for Android devices, then the networks would gladly provide special low-cost bundles for droids too.

BlackBerry And Good Battery Life?

Some of you are probably screaming blue murder about Blackberry battery life. Hold your horses while I burst your bubble.

Nigerian network providers have been notorious for epileptic Blackberry services. That’s what’s eating your BlackBerry’s battery for the most part. Get on a more stable network and see how much better your Blackberry’s battery performs.

BlackBerry, The Best Alternative To Symbian

As people flock away from Symbian, they are looking for an alternative smartphone platform that provides similar benefits to what they have been used to – multi-tasking, Mass storage, Bluetooth file transfer, and good resource (data and power) management.

With N28,000 or less, a brand new Blackberry 8520 can be picked up at most mobile retail outlets. That is not nearly as cheap as the cheapest Android and Symbian devices, but it is not a bad price either.

The Blackberry platform is the logical way to go for the most part. Even a non-geek like my dad can tell. He has never heard of Android. He knows iPhone, but won’t buy that. But he knows Blackberry, recognises it, likes the hardware QWERTY (he finds touchscreens unintuitive, but that’s an article for another day), and thinks it is both functional and cool. So does his business partner, who also uses a BlackBerry.

Last year, I wrote an article titled Will BlackBerry become the Number One Smartphone OS in 2012?. I still do not believe that it will happen in 2012, but it is certain that with the recent news of Nokia’s change in plans for Symbian, Blackberry now stands a good chance of indeed becoming number one smartphone OS in Nigeria. Perhaps in 2013. Perhaps beyond that.

Perhaps I will be getting a Blackberry as my primary smartphone too.

Here is a sneak preview of the upcoming Mobility blog app for Android.

We have a talented Port Harcourt based app developer who we are working with to bring you a user-friendly solution for Android users.

The Mobility blog app for Android will incorporate the following core features:

1. Viewing of latest articles and comments
2. Posting of comments
3. Searching of the Mobility blog archives

We are quite excited about this, as we have a fast-growing community of Android OS smartphone users here on Mobility.

More features may be added and the layout as shown above may change.

We will be following up with a BlackBerry app as soon as possible. Already, our Symbian/MeeGo/Java app has clocked over 6,000 downloads.

Whatever happens, exciting times are ahead here. Brace up!

Canalys have released their Q4 2011 and full 2011 estimates, and the above and below tables give the summaries.

Notable Highlights

Besides the obvious, here are some other notable points from the Canalys report:

1. Total annual global shipments of smartphones exceeded those of client PCs (including pads) for the first time
2. Samsung shipped 3.8 million Bada OS smartphones
3. Nokia shipped 1.2 million Windows Phone smartphones
4. Nokia shipped only 0.6 million MeeGo smartphones, so the N9 didn’t sell as much as some hoped

Nobody is paying Bada OS much attention, but Samsung is making great progress with it. 3.8 million Bada OS smartphones is no joke. It is doing significantly better than Windows Phone at the moment, though that may change as Nokia increases Windows Phone shipments this year.

Most importantly is the fact that smartphones have finally overtaken the PC. Do click the source link below to access the full report.

Source

In December 2011, in publishing the news of Sony taking over Sony Ericsson, I made a brief mention of the Ericsson R380 as the very first Symbian smartphone.

In this feature article, I am going down memory lane to talk about that elegant device. Being my very first smartphone, the Ericsson R380 holds a special place in my mind.

The very first time that I saw it, it was love at first sight. Gadget lust waxed strong within me and I told myself that I was getting one.

But it wasn’t just my first smartphone, it was the first smartphone ever!

Meet The Great Grandfather Smartphone

Released in 2000AD, two years after Psion became Symbian, I didn’t get my hands on one until December 2002.

The R380 was the first device to be marketed as a smartphone – PDA and phone wrapped into one, and in a nice form. As such, sentiments aside, this guy is the grand-daddy of every smartphone circulating around today. Even the first of my beloved Communicators didn’t show up until 2001 in the form of the Nokia 9210.

The R380 looked and worked like any other mobile phone of its day when closed up. But you can open the front flip to reveal the large landscape display. It weighed only 164g.

The R380′s main specs:

• WAP 1.1 browser (an improved version later shipped with WAP 1.2.1)
• Large 3.5-inch backlit monochrome STN touchscreen display (120 x 360 pixels)
• Flip cover with regular alpha-numeric keyboard for use as a regular phone
• Stylus for use with the resistive touchscreen
• POP3/IMAP Email
• Calendar & notes
• Synchronization with Microsoft® Outlook and Lotus® Notes and Organizer
• Symbian OS version 5
• Infrared port
• GSM 900/1800 dual band phone
• 2MB RAM
• 1.2 MB user-accessible storage
• Handwriting recognition
• Voice notes
• Speakerphone functionality
• Dial-up (CSD) internet connectivity
• 1 -chord (monophonic) ringtones
• Built-in Games:
• Built-in modem
• RS-232 cable for PC connectivity

Though running Symbian, the OS was “closed” at the time, as no 3rd party apps could be installed on it. But it came with pretty much what everyone used then.

Here are some screenshots:

The R380 was a delight to use back then. I subscribed to CSD (circuit Switched Data AKA dial-up internet) with MTN back then, with which I browsed and managed my emails. At that time, this was magic to almost everyone I met here in Nigeria then. Very few of us used mobile internet on mobile back then.

There were no expansion slots yet, and Bluetooth wasn’t on the table either. But infrared was king of the day for wireless connectivity.

I wish I had details of the processor (if someone can help me out with that, I’d be delighted), but the R380 performed admirably. It wasn’t a perfect smartphone. I also remember some occasional freezing up, especially when using internet connectivity (which in retrospect may have been network issues).

It is such a privilege to have been around early enough to use the very first smartphone on the planet as my first smartphone. Ladies and gentlemen, a hat tip to the stately Ericsson R380.

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.

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

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?

The last time I was this excited about Facebook on Symbian was when fMobi was launched. Like fMobi, Facinate is a Qt-based Facebook app for Symbian smartphones.

I downloaded and installed it on my Nokia E7 this morning, and it instantly wowed me. It has got everything built in, and best of all, the developers say that it is free for life.

The UI is sweet and fluid, and you can scroll vertically or swipe horizontally. Yes; you heard me right. Swipe has come to Symbian via Qt! Now, you can now try out some of those fancy N9 moves that I make on your Symbian smartphone.

The first thing I did was look for the settings, because that’s where I was likely to get a clear picture of how functional the app was. In the settings, you can:

• pick between two theme options: light or dark
• enable tips
• enable PUSH notifications, including for birthdays, new messages, so you don’t miss anything
• select what time of the day you want to receive notifications (cool!)
• select the intervals for the checking of notifications
• enable either or both of audio and light notifications

Here is a comprehensive list of features and functionality:

• News feed
• Friends
• Messages
• Chat
• Birthdays
• Notifications
• My Wall
• Photos
• Events
• Info – this displays your profile info, wall and photo albums (swipe horizontally to navigate through)
• Settings
• About
• Logout
• Exit

PUSH notifications are delivered via both a homescreen pop-up and audio alert (depending on your settings). Tap on a notification and the appropriate menu is launched in the app.

Probably the best news here is that Facinate supports both S60 5th Edition devices and SymbianNext devices.

Facinate Download Link

We already covered the launch event of the Huawei U8180, and Yomi has a review of the Gaga phone here on the blog already too. So, you might be asking, What’s the point of a second review?

What you are to expect from this review is a narrative from someone who is having his first ever experience with Android OS. Yes; that’s me. It is also the first time I am spending a great deal of time with a full touchscreen device. I once bought the Nokia N8, but sold it shortly after.

The Gaga phone is a small, dainty device with Android 2.2 and a 2.8-inch screen. The full specs were already published in the previous review here.

Setting up the phone up was simple. Power on the phone and enter your Google email and password. If you do not have one, you’d do well to create one. Without it, you will not be able to access some basic features of the phone like the Android market.

Take note, the Huawei u8180 that I am reviewing is a loaned device from Etisalat. It is available for offer at N18,999. Bear in mind also that it is locked to the Etisalat network, so forget about trying to slot in a SIM from another network. That won’t work.

What I adore about the device
As someone who is coming from a Symbian environment, there are certain things I immediately loved about the phone.

Integration of third party apps with the Phone – This is a feature that can be found in other Android phones too, not just the Gaga phone. I use Opera Mini browser much, as it helps to conserve amount of data consumed. As soon as you click the option icon on the Opera Mini browser and click on Share, you will be presented with different options depending on the messaging apps you have installed on the device.

In my own case, I had installed Facebook, Twitter for Android, Twitterific, Buffer App, Google+ and Gmail that came with it. The browser gives you option to share whatever you are reading to these locations with ease.

Android Market
In the Android market you can search between paid and free apps. There are lots of free apps in the Android Market. In my case, I was keen to download, Twitter for Android, Twitterefic, Angry bird. Facebook app, Whatsapp, Google plus and some other apps I was playing with. You have to be signed in to your Gmail account before you can access the Android market. After you do that, the rest is easy.

Software
Gaga runs Android 2.2 Froyo. Given the screen estate, there is not so much opportunity for you to enjoy its features to the maximum. But I tell you after spending a few days with the phone, you will be forced to like it and want to take it with you any where you go. It is not as smooth and fast when switching from one operation to the order. For its price range, however, I will say that it is okay.

Entertainment
YouTube is there for you. There is an app that comes pre-installed with the phone. With ease you can search among the numerous videos that are on YouTube.

I was able to stream some videos over Etisalat’s 3.75G network.

Music playback has some nice quality too on the device.

Social Networking
The major social networks have apps that are free for Android, and so available for the Gaga phone. There is Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google plus, Facebook, and Skype. They all integrate effectively with your contacts. When downloading the different apps, the phone will prompt you and ask if you will like your Facebook contacts to be synchronised with your contacts on the phone.

I particularly like the way the contacts can synchronise with the other apps. It would sync your Google contacts with your mobile phone for you. While working with Twitter of Facebook, it’ll allow you to decide what browser you want to use to open the link.

Typing on The Touchscreen
Typing on the touchscreen will be a chore for starters. However, as soon as you get more comfortable with it and use the auto-correct feature, you’d be comfortable. I spoke with a few people who are hard core physical QWERTY fans and who say they will not go for any touchscreen phone. I think that’s a sentiment that will last only for a while. Soon touchscreen will become ubiquitous.

I was not happy about a few things
I could not get an app to take screen snaps. After a few inquiries, I was told I would have to root the device to make the screenshot apps that are available work with it. It is most likely that those who will pick interest in the Gaga phone are not geeks. So, they will not be ready to root or hack their phone to perform such a function.

The battery does not last long enough. I do not get a full day use from it. I am a heavy user.

The Gaga phone comes with 50MB monthly free data from Etisalat. I exhausted the 50MB in less than 4 hours. If you do decide to get the phone and will like to know how to manage it to minimise data consumption, be sure to check this piece we did here – Managing mobile internet consumption on Android smartphones.

Here’s a simple poll for our readers to participate in. The question:

If you got the chance to replace your current primary smartphone i.e. the one you use on a day-to-day basis, What mobile platform would you pick your new smartphone from?

This poll will run till 9pm Friday 25th of November when the poll will be taken down and the results published.

Poll results: Results have been published here.

In my opinion, Nokia has done a smashing job bringing Symbian up to Belle. Belle is a smashing OS version and brings the UI aspect of Symbian up to date.

However, it is looking like there is life after Belle.

According to supposedly leaked documents, Symbian may be getting two more updates after Belle, as follows:

Symbian Carla

• 8.0 Browser
• Dolby soundround
• NFC
• Best Widgets

Symbian Donna

• Exclusive Dual core Equipment

Dual core CPUs on Symbian? I guess with all the fancy UI implementations, Symbian finally needs to go that route.

Anyway, whether this is true or not, Nokia’s legendary history of supporting their products long after competitors have stopped supporting their own products of the same age is commendable.

If Symbian will still be getting more update love after Belle, it is even more commendable. Like I keep saying, no OS ever went out with a bang like Symbian.

This info hasn’t been confirmed via any official channel, but it sure makes for interesting discussion; doesn’t it?

If you want the full details, do head over to MyNokiaBlog for the juicy bits.