Nokia offers sneak peek at improved 2010 Symbian user interface
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Dec 3rd 2009 6:51AM
posted Dec 3rd 2009 6:51AM
You know that new Symbian user experience promised by Nokia for next year? Want a sneak peak? Although Nokia's downloadable slide-deck from its Capital Market Day event leaves out all the new UI visuals, fortunately the webcast has 'em all. And if we're not mistaken then that's a wall-to-wall capacitive multitouch slate up there from Nokia's conceptual studios. As Nokia tells it, the Symbian OS is not the problem, the UI is -- and we agree. In 2010 new hardware and tweaked software will reduce Symbian's clutter, add multitouch input on "large capacitive displays," minimize steps to request functions (2-taps to get to favorite music or video instead of 8, create an email account in 2 steps, not 4), significantly improve the browser experience, and make the entire UI 3 times faster than current high-end Symbian products while taking scrolling to 60fps (up from 15fps used today). Notably, Nokia will remove more than 350 user prompts that make using Symbian so frustrating today. The user experience promises to be so good that Nokia CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, calls it "magical." Us? Sweet, but it's only slideware for now. Watch the rousing video after the break.
Update: We added a link to the 51MB PDF containing all the presentations. Bonus points for spotting our quote about the N900. [Thanks, Pasi]
Update: We added a link to the 51MB PDF containing all the presentations. Bonus points for spotting our quote about the N900. [Thanks, Pasi]
It's this crap that's keeping mobile computing behind.
Their kids are sitting
In front of machines
No more vibrating sounds
But hypnotizing lights
They're staring into monitors
Interesting.
Not doing anything revolutionary here...just playing catch-up...step in the right direction i guess
@Loick Are current UIs doing 60fps? (Honest question.)
@WickedEast i doubt it its on many phones...but still making something scroll smoother than something like a Droid or iphone is not that revolutionary just for the simple fact that 1. they already scroll pretty smooth and 2. its just scrolling (aka nothing revolutionary)
Looking good so far Nokia, but I think that focusing on Maemo 6 as well would be better for all the gadget nerds on here.
@MrHashbrown
This looks more like Maemo than any previous Symbian device like s60...
Maybe they're taking a cue from Maemo
@MrHashbrown That's true. But then what was the point of Maemo in the first place if they just want the two to look the same?
Impressive claims by Nokia, showcasing a device with the smallest bezel man has ever seen. But part of me still wishes they'd give up with Symbian and just join Android..
@DestrictoEnse
it's easy to make a small bezel in photoshop
@DestrictoEnse
Er... the device is just a frame for the UI.
in other words: not going to happen.
@DestrictoEnse
Why would you want less choice? Android isn't in itself perfect...neither is the iPhone Os or Palms WebOS. I can't see a benefit to having the same OS on only slightly varying hardware. It seems now all there is is touch screens...so a rectangular screen with almost no buttons. thers' really not much scope there for several companies to keep innovating apart from the OS...the more the better.
@DestrictoEnse OS wise Symbian is superior to Android. QT, Python C++... So much choices. It is very optimized for low power devices and its' very powerful operating system. Avkon/S60 is a relic from the first S60 device, though.
@DestrictoEnse, why would they use crippled Linux with crippled Java on top, that is Android, when they have a full-fledged Linux in their own R&D that is Maemo?
@incognito
Why don't you ask yourself the same question about Symbian?
@(Unverified)
Do we really want to be satisfied by devices that just "get by" on software that is optimized for underpowered hardware?
@Tes
I can see your logic, but I think it is actually better the other way around. WIth such a diversification of OSes, the manufacturers are too tied up trying to ensure that their own OS has every gimmicky feature that the current Flavour of the Month has and aren't focussed on moving _forward_.
@DestrictoEnse
Are you really arguing that less competition would help make the industry drive forward?
@DestrictoEnse
What should he ask about Symbian, is it Linux with Javan on top?
I don't think it is.
Poor guy is too stressed :P
"Pinzandzooom"
@(Unverified) Oh no, thats the finnish accent :)
Wery strrrrong.. :P
I live in Finland for 7 years already and still didnt get used to the accent. But their english skills here are the best. You can find even bus drivers speaking english (unlike in some parts o USA I suppose :P)
@(Unverified)
Try speaking Finnish first (and you'd better speak it good) before commenting about accents. This accent thing works vice versa, actually you wouldn't be making much sense at all. That's why we politely change to English when people speak Finnish badly.
@(Unverified)
Dude, who crapped on your advent calendar?
the guy just made a comment!
Oh by the way, "speak it good"? Really?
You speak about "bad english"?
have a good day, sir. :P
@(Unverified) My finnish sucks :) And I am proud of my accent.
Chill out man, usually finns are very calm and nice people but you must be one of "the other ones" or then you didnt have your koskenkorva shot today.
Peace bro, weekend is coming...
Welcome to 2007, Nokia.
@(Unverified)
Care to Explain ?
@(Unverified) iPhone?
Symbian is better, IMO. Upgradeable, imperfect but I like it more :P
By the way, IMO, horizontal mode is used more frequently than vertical, and during those rare times its cold outside you wear gloves, making it very very hard to work with capacitive screen, I'm all resistant xD
Nokia just does not want to get rid of symbian. To bad for them. Expect them to continue to rule the low margin dumb phone market while loosing more of the high margin smart phone market.
@(Unverified) Hey psst... get out of the woods and search for Maemo.
Or in other words, stick the head out of jobs buttocks..
@(Unverified)
Symbian has around 50% of the smartphone OS homie, they're not losing anything right now but at most a few points that may had went to RIM or Apple.
That isn't even playing catchup. It looks almost identical to current Symbian Touch in terms of usage experience. Maybe they will at least follow common sense and lessen the need for double clicks and make the application menu more intuitive and less maze-like. Oh, and completely overhaul the development experience so you can just jump right in like you can with the iPhone.
@(Unverified) Yeah, after buying a Mac that is.
I think the old republic is ready to strike back
@Bjay
PFFT
@Bjay
Empire always striking back
5800 vs iphone
E71 vs BB bold
N900 vs Droid
@Bjay Best part of this video: when he said: "We WILL execute". Glad to hear that they know what they must focus on.
@(Unverified)
yeah two thumbs up to borat
I am sceptic.
Only NOW they admit that S605th is/has a problem?
Now they promise us improvements in 7 months and some more in 12 months.
By then Android will have gotten a whole lot better and many N97 or S60 3rd users like myself will have long ago turned elsewhere. There are many choices and I don't know if I can wait for something that is announced now and delivered (maybe) in 6 months.
But maybe the most important question is: will app developpers wait that long? Can Nokia catch up once it has its new OS?
@Geozec They have been doing this (at least) for over year now.
I would bet on Symbian ^3 and ^4 not WinMo 7.
I like where this is going
@(Unverified)
I couldn't agree with you more. Looking forward to seeing the first product fron this plan.
giggity giggity gig-gi-ty.
i like the screen but think that instead of having buttons on the very bottom, just PUT THEM ON THE SIDE so they are flush. that way the front panel can be ONLY SCREEN :)
hope your reading SE & HTC!!!
@liquidmonkey
sorry but you are weird.
@Satz
think about how you hold a phone with one hand dude. its waaaaaaaaay easier to get at buttons if they are on the side as opposed to at the bottom, especially with these larger 4 inch + mobiles.
weird is a bit harsh especially since u don't back it up.
@liquidmonkey
well, that maybe but you are commenting on a phone and that is not the point here. They are showcasing software...
That said you may be right. Or not.
:P
The images are very similar to the UI on the N900, somewhere between current S60 5th and somewhat Androidish / HTC Sense like.
@Guybrush Threepwood
Well, that's Godwin's law covered.
You can go an troll another website now, your services are no longer needed.
Nothing wrong with Symbian, all wrong with the way we interact with it. Agreed!
Symbian actually provides very very good battery life, e72 I just charge once per week in comparison of 2 days with iphone and still doing the same stuff... Even in the same series, E-series, there is a huge advance in terms of usability. Problem with Symbian Nokia phones, as said here, is that it lacks the bling necessary to catch the eye of the North Americans (hope that by adding the bling it wont marginalize the bigger market that is Asia-South America)
If all of these promises come true, and there is no reason to believe that they wont, we will see Symbian competing with iPhone OS directly.
I dont even mention Maemo because it is far superior than any kind of OS we have in the market right now. The only credible competitor to Maemo is a rooted Android. And still is not even close to it.