MeegoHarmattan
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Unreleased Nokia Lauta QWERTY slider emerges, shows where MeeGo might have tread
Those of us who remember Nokia's late-stage MeeGo phone development will recall how the dreams fell apart: we got the N9 and the developer-tuned N950, but the future grew dark almost immediately as Nokia swung its attention further towards Windows Phone. If MyNokiaBlog's prototype leak is accurate, however, the engineers in Espoo had planned at least one more MeeGo phone for the general public: meet the Lauta, or RM-742. It would have been an "immediate" follow-up to the N9 that brought a tilting, sliding QWERTY keyboard to the party, with performance identical to its touch-only sibling. Nokia was reportedly committed enough that it had fully functional prototypes and had penciled in a fall 2011 release to give the N9 some company. We don't really know why Nokia scrapped the Lauta, although it's not difficult to surmise that the company wanted to simplify its lineup at a time when profits were falling fast. The real tragedy may not be so much the decision to axe the Lauta as the absence of a true heir to what it represented -- between Nokia's public silence and recent departures from the relevant software team, MeeGo's future is more in doubt than ever.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 18th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned of the first market outside of China for ZTE's new Grand X smartphone, and received news that both the Sony Xperia U and Xperia P will arrive in Australia. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 18th, 2012.
Leaked screenshots reveal new details on Nokia N9 MeeGo update
New details on the forthcoming MeeGo update for Nokia N9 users have just emerged this morning, courtesy of a batch of leaked screenshots and firmware information. Originally posted by a user on talk.maemo.org, the shots point to many upcoming functions with which Android and iOS users are already familiar, including copy-paste browser support and a notably iOS-like folder layout. Also included in the screenshots are support for video calls and tweaks to the OS' camera and gallery apps, though details remain unclear. Equally unclear is the release date for PR1.2, though the screenshots cite a build date of January 30th, so it may very well be nearing.
Crickey! Nokia's N9 goes up for preorder in Australia
Looks like Espoo's making good on its earlier promise: Nokia's elusive N9 is now up for preorder on Australia's Harvey Norman. Offered in 16GB and 64GB variants, all that stands between you and your future Harmattan totin' self is $829 AUD (around $865). Those who pre-order from the retailer before September 12th will also receive Nokia's BH-505 NFC Bluetooth headset gratis. No word on when the duo will ship from the nation's "leading retail chain," but you'll know more when we do... [Thanks, Louis]
Nokia's N950 demos MeeGo Harmattan in marathon video
Still obsessing about Nokia's N950 -- you know, the sexy developer-only MeeGo device you can't have? Before you let Elop rain on your parade, indulge yourself with an exhaustive 17 minute video from Thailand, dutifully documenting every nook and cranny of Espoo's ill-fated OS. The long-winded film tours the dialer, browser, and gives a peek at a plethora of camera settings -- like ISO, aspect ratio, and timers -- that we didn't get to see on the N9. Also making an appearance are maps with turn-by-turn navigation, what appears to be a document viewer, and a Facebook app. Go on, have a gander, and dream about a luscious MeeGo future that might have been.
Is this Nokia's Lankku?
Well, hello there... beautiful? It's a bit hard to tell, you know, given that shroud of mystery that's veiling what appears to be Nokia's heretofore elusive Lankku. If you'll recall, the outfit's first consumer MeeGo handset (N9-00) was purportedly axed back in February, and now it seems that the successor is finally getting its time in the sun. We're told by an insider that the object shown here may or may not keep the N9-01 moniker when it ships to consumers. Moreover, it'll run MeeGo Harmattan, ship in Q3 to folks in Europe, boast a 960 x 540 screen resolution, include an 8 megapixel AF (read: not EDoF) shooter and sport a frame that's just marginally thicker than the iPhone 4 -- reportedly, anyway. We'd obviously take all of this with a grain of salt for now, but with Elop himself set to speak this week in Singapore at CommuicAsia, hopefully the outfit's CEO will be the one shedding more light on the situation. Needless to say, we'll keep you abreast of any related developments. Update: Oh, and these certainly look an awful lot like the first leaked press shots of this thing. Update 2: Looks like she was it! This, folks, did indeed turn out to be the N9! %Gallery-126746%
