Mysterious new Nokia touchscreen interface and handset unveiled (sort of)

In a presentation given at Nokia's Capital Markets Day 2008 last week the company quietly displayed a previously unseen handset, complete with an edge-to-edge touchscreen and subtle, attractive stylings. Perhaps even more interesting is that the screen is sporting an all-new heretofore unseen S60 touchscreen interface, giving hope to folks let down by S60 5th Edition's minor changes to the formula. Unfortunately, Nokia hasn't made any other reference to this phone or the revised OS, and could have very well trotted them out as a proof of concept of the company's direction -- particularly likely due to the fact that they were trying hard to butter up investors at the meeting. Still, the "Tube" started off as little more than a presentation (complete with hints at interface improvements that have yet to emerge), and look how that ended up.

[Warning: PDF link; via Boy Genius Report]

Nokia Capital Markets Day Presentation highlights

[CJ Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:01PM]

This looks a lot like what might be the next N8x tablet.

The S60 stylings are exactly what I thought they might be; Considering that Nokia has recently aquired Symbian, it's possible that eventually they are going to merge S60 (a more-or-less non-touchscreen OS) with Maemo (an otensibly touchscreen OS). Given that S60 is both more easily recognised, and better looking when it comes to asthetics, but Maemo is a much more versatile OS, I wouldn't be suprised if Maemo started taking design cues from S60 (albiet better implemented than V5's touchscreen design).

And, let's face it, I'm pretty sure nobody is going to complain when a Linux-based, touchscreen-focused version of S60 becomes the standard of Nokia's smartphone lineup.

[Pdexter Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:15PM]

Nokia buying Trolltec is good indicator about the cross platform that Nokia might be planning. When N810 was released they talked about tablets being testing ground for them so i'd think that the N900 will be the last tablet with the OMAP3 from Nokia and they unite them in some way. Screen play got some role in it too because it's been heavily advertised for coming v9.5

Thought decissions must have been done and the UI done to some level on it because Mobile-Reviews Eldar have hinted that SE will have Symbian Foundation device in the end of next year and of course Nokia have had major head start as owning whole Symbian now days.

[Justin Ried Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:54PM]

Nokia's well aware of the risk in having all of your smartphone eggs in one basket. Maemo was an ace up their sleeve just in case things went south with Symbian's cooperative. Now that they own Symbian outright, the platforms can compete on technical merit alone.

I very much doubt that these screens are related to S60. The N97 shows us that S60 5.0 doesn't look like the above, and major changes to the platform are unlikely until the open source transition is complete.

I'm guessing that the images we see in this article are Maemo 5 design concepts. Pretty.

[Hydra Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:02PM]

Nice, i hope they make it soon

[DirtyVegas Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:08PM]

Whether or not this will make it to reality, one thing's for sure - the engadget staff will hate it...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:12PM]

You speak the truth, brother.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 8th 2008 8:41PM]

Amazingly true!

[Zizou Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:20PM]

Where are the hot Finnish models?

[Flix C Posted Dec 9th 2008 4:38AM]

This is the proof that Nokia could definitely learn something from LG ;)
(and no I'm not talking about making a large touch screen-based smartphone)
Boobs ftw !

[dcoaster Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:20PM]

Now THIS is something I can actually be excited for.

[Hotrod Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:53PM]

I agree, this phone looks incredible. Hopefully it's a capacitive touch screen.

[fabarati Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:23PM]

I like that. I want my phone to look like that.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 8th 2008 5:49PM]

just outstanding design.. i know its iphone mania... but the thing is... iphone looks great... so the business decision is.. try do do something completely new or do a bit more of the "same" and get some dime???
the decision is easy specially for the financial situation that nokia is in now..

BTW.. i would definitely buy it... its sexy.. i just hope its not an prototype

[PEZ Posted Dec 8th 2008 6:02PM]

That is a total rip-off of the Flexperia G2 Caramel Phone from iPear.

[fernando Posted Dec 8th 2008 6:58PM]

I... it actually took me a while to get your joke.

Wow, engadget left me jaded :(

[Ed T Posted Dec 8th 2008 6:01PM]

Multiple home screens??? Danger Will Robinson - bad GUI alert!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 8th 2008 7:14PM]

So original

[retarded commenter Posted Dec 8th 2008 7:14PM]

Why does this stupid picture keep making the rounds?

There's no story here. Its just symbian freak making a mountain out of a molehill and now the rest of the internet is just piling on dirt.

[Lman Posted Dec 8th 2008 10:20PM]

I see, you are the new guy. Welcome to the internet, where someone post photoshopped picture in one blog, and everyone takes it for granted.

[ed Posted Dec 8th 2008 7:32PM]

HEY! I have that wallpaper!!

http://-kol.deviantart.com/art/Stream-of-Light-91150693

[ed Posted Dec 8th 2008 7:39PM]

damn this comment system. This was meant to be a reply to Chase on the previous page.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 8th 2008 7:41PM]

Well this looks better than the crap they have rolled out so far to try and compete with Apple. I would really like to see a company actually compete with Apple rather than be steamrolled by them. I have always thought of Nokia as a company that has the potential, but lately they have gone down hill.

[demonicpascal Posted Dec 8th 2008 8:17PM]

This + N97 = Purchase

Plz Nokia?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 9th 2008 12:28AM]

Hmm a cellphone topic... how can we turn this comment section into an Apple / iPhone bash fest? Oh good, its already been taken care of.

[Flix C Posted Dec 9th 2008 5:20AM]

On one side I hate that these topics all turn into an pro/anti iPhone trolling contests, but on the other side my life on non-Apple Fanboy is really bad right now cause I've not yet had the luck to understand how great steve's products are and therefore, being all bored and frustrated, full of hate actually, envying every Apple fanboy I see on the street, seing how there so much happier than those around them, carrying this anger inside my body, ....
really the most fun I can have right now is Bash those morons on engadget xD
(morons = apple fanboys not the customer ofc)

[NEUR0M4NCER Posted Dec 9th 2008 8:18AM]

To all the goons who yap on about Apple vs Nokia, who was the first to produce touchscreens, UI rip-offs, etc: HTC kicks every company's ass at smartphones. They've been making large touch phones for eight years, and have pretty much got the hardware down pat. The only thing holding them back is WinMo...

I'll take the weakest of HTC's handsets over the best Apple/Nokia has to offer any day.

[NEUR0M4NCER Posted Dec 9th 2008 8:20AM]

... including the shitty Startrek and Lobster.

[NEUR0M4NCER Posted Dec 9th 2008 8:24AM]

Oh yeah - one other thing. This is ANOTHER one that looks like the gPhone photoshop from a couple years back. It's taken companies this long to realise that, useable or not, we want a wall-to-wall rectangle of touch??? Given the number of wet panties on the arrival of said 'gPhone', you'd think they would have cottoned on sooner.

[NEUR0M4NCER Posted Dec 9th 2008 3:55PM]

And to prove it: http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/12/09/the-man-cant-hold-htc-down-as-it-sees-highest-revenues-ever/

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 13th 2009 8:37PM]

Samsung Omnia for me!!