Nokia: the fight begins now, Symbian^4 N-Series device later

Nokia's newly appointed Mobile Solutions chief, Anssi Vanjoki, has penned an impassioned post over at Nokia Conversations today where he sets out his perspective on the company's current position and future challenges. Describing the Finnish phone maker as "a challenger now," rather than an incumbent, Vanjoki wants to introduce a "laser focus on quality," with his two central aims being to reclaim Nokia's reputation for high-end devices and to re-energize a flagging fan base. He specifically namedrops Ricky Cadden -- who yesterday shut down Symbian-Guru because he'd lost faith with the company -- and clearly considers grassroots support like that an important aspect of how Nokia's success will be judged.

As to the actual software front, Anssi confirms that the N8 will be the final Symbian^3 handset in the N-Series, but describes a Symbian^4 device in that family as a "strong possibility," a note which he follows up with a wink (seriously). Symbian is apparently still Nokia's smartphone OS of choice -- no Androids shall be found inside Nokia's hardware under Anssi's watch -- though MeeGo also earns a mention as the "awesome" platform for delivering "market-changing mobile computers." Just in case you were wondering, Anssi finishes off by telling us that these wondrous computers will be small enough to fit into your pocket -- though, sadly, he fails to specify exactly what sort of pocket that might be.

[Thanks, Peter]

[metalgrx Posted Jul 2nd 2010 8:39PM]

I want to believe that nokia can strike back. I hope to see medical applications running on Symbian.

[muciumbe Posted Jul 3rd 2010 3:56AM]

Symbian 3, 4, 5 U named it, is dead. Is too late to do the Heimlich maneuver on symbian. Several years Nokia R&D dep. was in a permanent holiday. Now is payback time. And also throw the CEO to the pitbulls. At least Jon R did managed to find a buyer for Palm, but Nokia...

[spartandre217 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:27AM]

@muciumbe
As a company, in terms of employees, reach, engineering, their miles ahead of anyone else in the mobile industry.
They employ more people in R&D than apple does, period.
Not one of the companies out now could afford Nokia LOL. That includes apple and google btw.

[Spasser Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:48PM]

@muciumbe

LOL selling Nokia ...

You have no clue how big Nokia is - but lets put in terms you understand - Nokia own Finland... If Nokia went bankrupt Finland would go bankrupt which in turm would cause the world economy to collapse.

Nokia is so big they could buy Google AND Apple - now chew on that for a while :)

[rockingtushar Posted Jul 4th 2010 2:23PM]

@Spasser
Nokia could buy google and apple in your dreams. Look at the market capitalisation of google-180+ billion dollars.... apple250+ billion dollars. Nokia 60+ billion dollars. Nokia is a dwarf compared to these companies. The days of market domination by nokia are long gone.

[rafaelroque Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:03AM]

I don't know if anyone has made the connection yet, I didn't bother reading all the post, lol... But sure hope this statement clarifies where Nokia stands with Symbian and now Meego. As far as I can understand by research done on my own; Symbian is still going to be Nokia's primary smartphone OS while Meego will power their mobile computers(Eg. like MID, Netbooks and tablets). Symbian may be old, but it was made to be adaptable; thus the Symbian Foundation was formed to shape the new Symbian. Meego is new, and it is being developed for the purpose of complementing Nokia's entry into Computers and Software(anyone remember the Booklet 3G?). And in order for these platforms to co-exist and compliment each other; QT was aquired from Trolltech. The new QT Developing Environment is the bridge that ties Symbian Smartphones to their Meego Mobile Computers.

[YorchArturo Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:32AM]

I like nokia phones, the only problem is that after the N95 instead of putting the best on them they are giving just enough to work, not the best processor, not the best ram, not the best software, just enought to work, so nokia phones are slow, full of bugs.

I own an N97, is a good looking phone, but it takes like 20 seconds to open a single mp3 file, I have 4800 song on it, I think the processor and ram of the phone can't handle more than 800 songs, so why putting so much memory in that.

Also the interanl phone memory, the one used for messages, contacts, and mails is like 50mb, but due to updates of Ovi Maps, and other apps it leaves 20mb free to the user.

They just need to add RAM, Processing power and stable software, like they did with the N95

[techinsane Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:43AM]

@YorchArturo

Glad you still have the patience, I had to dump my N97, just too many issues all this after all the stupid updates.

[CARL75014 Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:23AM]

Nokia should just stop ignoring its customers. I'm a VERY disappointed N95-8G customer, like thousands I met. I bought the BEST SMARTPHONE HARDWARE of its time (> 2Y after many new Smartphones are still not better than mine, on pure HW), but bundled with the most worstly implemented OS (Symbian. But my problems are not the OS it self, but its setting on this HW). NOKIA never solved the key SW issues they had in all that time. I did 3 x OS up-grades for NOTHING, having to loose all my music DRM and files as their PC backup SW NEVER worked. They solved NOTHING important. Ex : Handsfree voice recognition never worked. I lost 4 x points of my driving licence because of that hell ! Will never buy Nokia again till they SOLVE that issue. Previous SonyEricson w Symbian had that perfect, so not an OS issue, just a damm Nokia issue. Also when my company moved to IBM/Lotus Notes 8 I could not replicate my calendar any more on this Smartphone, while Nokia had marketted Notes support big times before, but they did not feel responsible to followup with new versions ! They understand NOTHING ON SW. Hence why I won't re-buy any new Nokia genius HW before they admit it and implement (correectly) ANDROÏD OS, whose developpers will take care of the features I need secured. If they want the money and the control from their own SW, they need to WORK the SW better.

[TalentSupporter Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:36AM]

@CARL75014
Agree with you

[techinsane Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:49AM]

@CARL75014

You hit the nail right on it's head, Nokia, just do not care about their customers, they are to busy living in la la la land. Pan -Am, once ruled the skies but no longer, I guess Nokia is next in line.

[TalentSupporter Posted Jul 3rd 2010 6:35AM]

In past I had bought 2 hideous phone with worst symbian OS
from Nokia and I regret for that.
Every aspect of Nokia 5800 was worst, worst camera, worst OS , worst hardware.
Is Nokia still making mobile phones, I have not seen any Nokia's hideous phone in office any anywhere near I live.
And results are showing Nokia Stock is now in single digit.

[Spasser Posted Jul 3rd 2010 5:55PM]

@TalentSupporter

Actually since firmware 40.X the 5800 is stable, quick and way better than anything in the same pricerange in terms of touchphones.

[sighclops Posted Jul 3rd 2010 9:30AM]

title pic wins!

[TalentSupporter Posted Jul 3rd 2010 11:28AM]

Nokia just make dumphones , there the number one maker of hideous phones. example 5800, N97 (it broke all the records all worst phones out) , there phones are thickest phones always more than double the thickness of Iphone/Nexus

And you dont see developers making apps for Nokia ? and why should they make for such a hideous phones as most of the apps on symbian are unusable , take simple example unit converter .

[JFH Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:33PM]

@TalentSupporter

Can you do all of us a favor and just stop spreading this mind numbing FUD of yours. Go help your mom do the dishes.

[MilX Pro Posted Jul 3rd 2010 4:35PM]

Nokia commit suicide with their behavior, copycat what Motorola did years ago.

[kaliq17 Posted Jul 4th 2010 4:19PM]

nokia should hire palm's ex staff members, who've been reportedly laid off!