After the spec rundown this morning of the long-rumored
Maemo 5 tablet from Nokia, we've now got ourselves a potential name and image to pair with the wonderful promise of 3G and OMAP3. According to this shot obtained by
Cellpassion, the next-generation Internet Tablet device is taking quite a bit of an N-series turn, with that 3.5-inch WVGA screen (instead of the 4-inch display on the N810), three-row QWERTY keyboard and other refinements making this look to be much more a smartphone than a tablet -- which is presumably exactly what Nokia is going for. Naturally, we can't vouch for the source, and there are enough oddities to the image -- which seems to be gleaned from a presentation slide of some sort -- to voice caution, but if this is truly the marriage of Maemo with handset we've always dreamed of, it's going to be a little difficult to rein in our enthusiasm.
posted May 25th 2009 6:05PM
3-row = fail, especially when my Kaiser has a 4 row and the touch Pro/Pro2 have 5 row...
"3-row=fail"! Agreed! I don't get the trend toward keyboard and screen size shrinkage at all. My N810 even fits in my shirt pocket, which is the smallest pocket I wear, so I don't see any need to go below 4" WVGA screen size. Even though the buttons are smaller, the Touch Pro 5-row is the most comfortable slider keyboard I've ever used -- too bad it's saddled with slow and crashy WinMo.
Anyway, I'm not too worried, as this has got to be a photochop mix of N810 and N97 product shots. The speaker grill / lock switch / headphone jacks all look familiar yet badly placed. I also don't see any reason for Nokia to be stupid enough to keep those useless bezel face buttons on the left side under the camera. If this is real, I will be sorely disappointed in Nokia's designers.
who keeps their phone in their shirt pocket????
Fred does.
Agreed. 3 row keyboard == fail. I want to see a 5 row keyboard, or at worst a 4-row that's like the HTC Fortress (still has dedicated number keys, off to the side). But 3 rows? No way. As much as I love Maemo, and am ecstatic to see them finally do a Maemo phone, I wont buy it if it really ends up having just a 3 row keyboard.
Instead, they should put Maemo on the Mako.
^^^ A complete dork obviously..
Oh god name it after a failed car manufacturer, nice job.
Land Rover failed? Are you joking or talking about a different "Rover" manufacturer I apparently didn't know existed?
Yeah, MG-Rover (British manufacturer) failed a few years ago. Nothing to do with Land Rover...well, at least...not for a long time? Not sure.
Rover?
Why not MG?
Are you sure this isn't photoshopped because that sure as hell is maemo 4 on the screen rather than maemo 5?
*Sigh* The keyboard layout looks the same as the N97, except no D-pad, bad!. 3.5" display?!! That's even worse. I thought internet tablets were supposed to have a big display?! But I do have to admit that the device looks pretty cool, and well done :). Does anyone know if the Maemo community has some nice software for the OS?
Not yet i assume, but it wouldn't take them long to compile useful ones. The main question is going to come with PIM suite that synchronizes with a PC/MAC?
Great a smaller screen :D thats exactly what everyone wanted. FAIL.
This + a bluetooth headset = a smartphone.
no ?
Whats with all this phone news on engadget???? Shouldn't half this stuff be only on engadget mobile?
Its not a phone.
just about to post the same thing... no news can a good thing! wtf
and while we're ranting of the same old news stories: enough of the usb hub/usb devices/usb transformers/etc... you're beating the usb horse dead, engadget
@Neil
yeah, ok, but just as boring
Well. As a proud owner of a N800, I'd never buy something with a smaller screen. And the supposed 3G integration does _not_ make me happy - if I need a phone I'll buy a phone, thank you very much.
But as always the Experts decide to enhance a series into oblivion.
It is a phone, and a Linux (not Android) smart phone is exactly what I want
The Nxxx series (N770, N800, N810) are NOT phones - they have no cellular radio. You can use 'em as IP phones, but then anything with an audio codec and network card can be coaxed into being an IP phone.
If Nokia wants a smartphone with sabotaged form factor, why don't they just release that instead of trying to squeeze it into the tablet line? *rolls eyes*
I'll buy it with the 3.5" screen if it can make regular cell calls on a 3G network. I'd prefer a 4" or larger screen, but if I can have a smaller N800 combined with a phone, I'll take it.
Ok. I own a 770, N800 and an N810.. Missing keys from the N810.. Delete key, Tab key, back quote (`) and pipe (|) Making another crappy three line keyboard isn't helping.. Nokia qwerty keypads have always been terrible (in my experience) the E90 keyboard, 9500 keboard, N810 keyboard seem to give me instant RSI. the keys are always too hard to press..
However, 3G is a slight plus.. smaller screen is a bit of a pisser (though well done for not reducing the res) The lack of navi joystick thing is a pain (going to ruin terminal applications)
Oh nokia, why will ye not "sort it out".. I'll wait for expansys to have it on offer..
It's going to be a phone pretty soon, remember http://ofono.org/ ?
Engadget misreported it as a completely new OS; but it's a telephony stack that's probably going to be included in the final Maemo 5 release
Can we buy it without a service? I've been looking for a good gps/wifi browser device for a year or so, but have yet to find a really good one. Archos 5 with gps dock, Clarion Mind, and viliv s5 came very close to meeting my criteria but all have drawbacks that drive me away.
The n810 also came close but required a pricey subscription $80/year and takes a long time to acquire a signal.
If the rover is locked into a cell provider or has pricey gps option it kills it for me. Who are they targeting? Since owners will be locked into a pricey service they might as well get a smartphone with voice. *facepalm*
The iPod touch is excellent as a pocket-friendly WiFi browser/email machine...
Why dont you just buy an N810 from Nokia or ebay. Its not rocket science.
I have a feeling that the N810 was the last of its kind. :
What it needs:
1) 5 row keyboard
2) dpad
3) SyncML (for contacts and calendar)
4) USB client for sync and charge
What I'd also like:
5) look more like the Mako
6) tilt screen
7) enlarged to a 4.1" screen
8) USB host+otg for peripherals
9) micro-DVI-I
10) (least likely, but would truly win me over) Dalvik (android runtime)
Oh, and, it needs to not only support T-Mo 3G (as it is rumored to do), but also AT&T. Preferably in one model, but 2 models, both available with or without carrier locking, would be fine too.
You see, before the N series was too divergent from the smartphone market to be of use to anyone with no less than +.13% to innate technical ability. This is before adding worn bonuses from cargo pants or wristwatches.
Even armed with cargo pants, a wristwatch, and the internet, most users couldn't figure out how to get their internet tablets to easily do what they wanted them to do.
Now with more features and more same as everyone elseness, Nokia will succesfully have offerings in the smartphone market AND the not-a-smartphone smartphone market. Who needs an internet tablet when you've got a not-a-smartphone smartphone?
Shrinking the screen real estate and lessening the keyboard functionality just adds more win.
It's running Maemo 4 OS so I'm guessing it's a photoshop job. The new devices are using Maemo 5 and they'd show OS in the slides too. There wouldn't be any point in showing pictures of the device with the wrong os. Might as well be WinMO or S60.
I have considered getting one of the previous models in the past, but it they never seemed to win me completely over. Between owning a netbook and maybe getting the N97, I don't really see it happening this time around either
Small screen aside, looks great. A Nokia tablet with HSPA at last.
This is what i love about Nokia, you can just walk into a store and buy their products unlocked, without carrier junk and most devices have all the bands you need to travel the world, all at a good price.
Cant wait to pick one up at my local Nokia store.
Small screen aside, looks great. A Nokia tablet with HSPA at last.
This is what i love about Nokia, you can just walk into a store and buy their products unlocked, without carrier junk and most devices have all the bands you need to travel the world, all at a good price.
Cant wait to pick one up at my local Nokia store.