Ovi
Latest
Nokia Z500 MeeGo tablet leaked on Ovi Store?
A Nokia tablet running MeeGo has been churning through the rumor mills since early summer. Speculation, however, began as soon as Nokia and Intel joined forces on the open source OS back in February. Eldar Murtazin, the ultimate Nokia insider, was first to give the Nokia tablet a name: Z500. Fast forward to yesterday, when reports first surfaced of people successfully replacing valid handset names in the store's URL with "Z500." Instead of being rejected as an unsupported device, the store seemingly accepted the Z500 device name as you can see in the screenshot above (the Ovi store now rejects the modified terminal ID string). Eldar had this to say on Twitter in response: Rumour mill. As far as I know Nokia Z500 (Nokia Meego tablet) is under question. Nokia arent happy with price/features. So now we have a name and with any luck, we'll see a MeeGo-based Nokia tablet sometime in 2011 as followup to its Windows-based Booklet. If not, then we'll always have the WeTab.
Nokia N8 review
The first time Nokia's N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February of this year. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and -- most importantly -- ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It's been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia's touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break.%Gallery-103738%%Gallery-104212%
Nokia 5250 gets official: €115 for a 2.8-inch touchscreen with 16:9 display ratio (updated)
Nokia is being coy this morning by revealing a trio of pictures of what it only describes as its "new device." Of course, being a devoted Engadget reader, you'll instantly recognize the visage above as that of the Nokia 5250 -- the already leaked successor to the 5230 ( aka the Nuron). Specs are promised for later today, so contain your excitement until a more civilized hour. For now, you'll find one more pic -- of the bodacious, camera-adorned back -- after the break. [Thanks, Adam B.] Update: That wasn't a long wait. Nokia Conversations has the scoop on the 5250, including confirmation of the name. The real headline here is the eminently frugal price of €115 ($146) before taxes and subsidies. For that handful of change, you'll get your old favorite S60 5th OS with a mobile version of Guitar Hero 5 pre-installed, along with an FM radio and a media player slap bang in the middle of your 2.8-inch homescreen, all to underline this new phone's musical inclinations. The touchscreen panel fits 640 x 360 pixels (16:9 display ratio), and battery life is rated for 18 days of standby, seven hours of talktime, or 24 hours of music playback. Not bad at all. Shipping in Q4 [Thanks, Keith!].
Nokia now Comes With Music morphing into Ovi Music Unlimited everywhere
It already kicked off this process in India a while back, but it looks like Nokia is finally ready to bring its faltering Comes with Music brand and service under the reign of the Ovi mothership on a more global scale -- or in markets where Comes with Music has launched, anyhow -- now that UK customers have started getting the news. There doesn't seem to be word yet on exactly how this is going to work, but it would make sense to see Nokia structure this the same way Microsoft does with Zune -- Ovi Music for a la carte purchases, Ovi Music Unlimited if you want to pony up a monthly fee (or, if they keep the original Comes with Music model, you pay more for the phone upfront). Seeing how the service still hasn't launched in the US, this would be a good opportunity, it seems -- particularly with the N8 launch around the corner.
Nokia's app development strategy: Qt, Qt, Qt (video)
Been wondering about Nokia's strategy for conquering the rapidly expanding app space? Great! So were we, which is why we joined up with a recent dev event carried out by the Finnish company for an update on how and where things are going. It's a familiar narrative by this point: Qt is all set to become the way that Nokia-friendly apps are made -- whether it be for Symbian smartphones or MeeGo-powered mobile computers, coffee machines or infotainment consoles. Nokia did stress that its developer workflow has also been streamlined dramatically, and promised coders a better distilled experience that treats their time and money like the valuable commodities that they are. It's an encouragingly frank discussion of where things have gone wrong in the past and how Espoo intends to remedy them in the future, and we've got it all on video for you after the break -- no reading required!
Nokia updates N900 to version 1.2 in UK, closes door on MeeGo
You've overclocked it and hacked it to run OS X and Android, now you can return your N900 to its native Maemo 5 OS with the launch of a version 1.2 software update. The V10.2010.19-1 bump now available in the UK (global on Wednesday) packs several enhancements including face-to-face video calling, improved Ovi Maps, and a better email experience with bundled Facebook IM Chat and the ability to accept or decline event invitations from the inbox. You'll also see a number of new games when the Ovi Store switches over on Thursday. And after much speculation, Nokia's also admitting that MeeGo will not be officially supported on the N900 once the Intel / Nokia OS is device ready. Nokia will continue to support the core Maemo OS, however, as demonstrated by today's update. Regardless, we're sure that the N900's active fan-base will deliver a MeeGo update outside of official channels, especially since the N900 is already being used as a platform for ARM-based MeeGo development. [Thanks, Pasu]
Nokia and Yahoo announce 'worldwide strategic alliance' on email, IM, maps, and more
Carol Bartz and Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEOs of Yahoo! and Nokia, respectively, are on stage right now announcing a "strategic relationship" between the two companies on some of their core services. Nokia will be using Yahoo to power its Ovi email and IM services, while Yahoo will be using Nokia / NAVTEQ's competencies for its mapping and navigation services. Both companies see it as a way to grow their respective userbases, with Yahoo hoping to grab onto the 9 million Ovi users out there, while Nokia hopes that Yahoo could provide it a bit of a USA mojo. Interestingly, Olli-Pekka confronted the US problem head on: "We are an unusual global company in the sense that we are clearly a global leader in our industry, and yet we do not lead in the US." Carol was similarly forthcoming, saying that Yahoo had "lost its focus on maps a couple years ago," then correcting herself, saying that they "chose to focus on other areas." The first merged services should launch in the second half of this year. During Q&A the big answer to everything seemed to be "scale," but we also heard Carol toss in "downstream" at an opportune moment. When asked how this relates to Android, iPhone and so forth, Carol clarified that this doesn't change anything they're doing on those fronts. "It's not exclusive from that point." Each service will be branded as "powered by Yahoo" or "powered by Ovi." Yahoo will be announcing some "social-like" services for its mail and IM soon, but it's unclear if that's specifically related to this announcement. Neither company is talking financial specifics, but Olli-Pekka did make it very clear that a Yahoo-branded device wasn't forthcoming.
Nokia partners with Harman to 'standardize' cellular infotainment
Though Microsoft, RIM and possibly Google are already vying to be the center of the automotive infotainment push, a certain Finnish phone manufacturer says it wants to take charge -- in what seems to be the latest phase of its Terminal Mode initiative, Nokia's tapped infotainment provider Harman to "standardize" the interface between phone and car. Like Harman's last in-dash venture, a touchscreen and physical controls will be the focus, while your handset (rather than an Intel Atom) does the heavy lifting. Connected via Bluetooth or USB, your Nokia will play music, deliver Ovi Maps, respond to voice control and more, with the entire phone display duplicated onto the car's larger touchscreen for easy access and a set of auto-specific apps planned for Nokia's Ovi Store. It all sounds pretty swell, but it's still not clear how the companies intend to standardize anything beyond their balance sheets; we're not sure how much Nokia will appreciate you connecting a Droid to their Ovi-powered car. PR after the break. Update: It appears that this is part of Nokia's Terminal Mode initiative, which -- as some have noted in comments -- we've actually told you about before. Whoops!
Nokia reshuffles management looking for gold
We're not alone in grumbling about Nokia. Investors are miffed -- to put it gently -- over Nokia's inability to ignite the industry (and profits) with innovative, high-margin handset sales since the launch of Apple's iPhone some three years ago. And let's not forget about that feisty upstart Google, Microsoft's revamped Windows Phone OS, or HP's new-found love for mobile devices. Investor unrest was made clear last week as Nokia shareholders gave CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo an earful. But as slow moving as Nokia can be, it's not immune to the situation by any stretch. Following up on its announcement to combine services and devices, we now have details about Nokia's planned re-org, the second in seven months. The goal, as described by OPK, is as follows: "Nokia's new organizational structure is designed to speed up execution and accelerate innovation, both short-term and longer-term." The heat will be on Anssi Vanjoki (pictured) to deliver as he'll be assuming responsibility for the Mobile Solutions group on July 1st. That gives him direct control of Nokia's MeeGo Computers (led by Alberto Torres), Symbian Smartphones (headed by Jo Harlow), and Ovi Services (led by Tero Ojanpera) -- the holy trifecta that interests us the most. Mary McDowell will head the Mobile Phones unit while Niklas Savander will head up the Markets unit. The loser in all of this appears to be Richard Simonson, the former CFO currently leading the Mobile Phones unit, but soon to be retired. Full press release after the break.
Nokia Ovi Maps let you do navigation instructions with your Own Voice
Yo TomTom, wake up and smell the competition. While the original gangster of navigation devices is still mulling over an app store, Nokia has raised the smartphone pathfinding bar a little higher by letting people record (and share) their own voice instructions. It's not the most complex process in the world, you just get the extra Own Voice app to go with the latest version of Ovi Maps and set your vocal talents free. At the end you'll get a neat little voice pack to utilize on your handset or to share with the world, which is surely just dying to hear your Mr. T impressions. Let the silliness commence! [Thanks, Brent R.]
Nokia launches Ovi App Wizard, will probably lead to Ovi-population problems
Nokia's Ovi Store may still be seriously losing in the app war to Apple and Google, but something tells us Espoo's betting on its new Ovi App Wizard to help it gain some ground. Putting mobile software creation in the hands of the code-illiterate, the auto-generated application wizard lets anyone -- and we mean anyone -- turn any RSS or Atom feed out there into an app, and publish it to the Ovi Store. Surprisingly, it really is that simple. While we could have made a personal app with our Twitter and Facebook feed, we went ahead and finally made an Ovi Engadget app by simply going to oviappwizard.com and going through the four step process -- we put in all three RSS feeds, uploaded our logos, tweaked the colors and hit publish. According to Nokia it should only take 24 hours for the app to be approved -- yes, there's some sort of approval process -- but we're still waiting for our app to show up in the storefront so we can download it on our N97. There's the ability to serve up third party ads, but you'll have to prove that you own the content you've placed in your app. Again, super simple, but we're a bit wary of the sorts of apps that will start to pop up, and not sure we need everyone's own personal feeds/sites overtaking the store. But we'll let you be the judge of that -- go on, hit the read link, create an app, and Ovi-populate. %Gallery-92180%
Nokia E71 and E66 owners get free Ovi Maps navigation
Nokia's new Ovi Maps software just made its way to the venerable E71 and E66 business handsets. While Nokia was constrained from offering its premium nav services like Guide Michelin and Lonely Planet on these legacy S60 3.1 handsets, owners are nevertheless being treated to free walk and drive navigation with turn-by-turn guidance. So really, you can't complain... unless of course you picked up a US-flavored E71x which isn't eligible for the free update. Check the full press release after the break for download instructions and a list of compatible devices.
Ovi Store warmed over with fresh look, new features
Nokia's Ovi Store got a little more awesome this week thanks to a makeover that brought a handful of minor changes -- nothing Earth-shattering by any stretch, but in this app-centric mobile world we're now an inseparable part of, we figure that every little bit helps. Actually, they've made changes both to the mobile and desktop clients, with the mobile side focusing on better and easier access to details about apps that you're looking at buying; they've also switched from a three-star rating system to five stars based on user feedback. On the desktop side, you've now got a list-based view of search results, and you're more aggressively asked to select your device to make sure you're not seeing any content that your particular device can't use. The updated Store is available immediately, so enjoy -- and go buy a few bubble level apps, why don't you?
Nokia phones will still Come with Music, only stores see rebranding
If you live in India, our story was correct -- your mobile subscription music service will be called "Ovi," and no longer carry the weight of the cumbersome Comes with Music branding -- but we're hearing that in other Nokia territories, including the UK, that's not quite the case. Nokia UK told Pocket-lint that while the company's online music store will indeed be renamed "Ovi Music" across all 22 territories this year, the Comes with Music service is here (and there) to stay. To tell you the truth, though, we're not that interested in the fate of a brand name. We'd prefer if Nokia made a more ballsy move -- like discontinuing their service's most controversial feature, Comes with DRM.
Ovi Music Unlimited replacing Nokia Comes with Music branding
We can't say that we'll miss the awkwardly named Comes with Music service branding from Nokia. Of course, we're making the assumption that India's recently christened Ovi Music Unlimited store will be making its way global as Nokia continues to tighten up its service offerings in the race to compete in the era of modern smartphones. It's certainly consistent with the new Ovi Music naming convention so why not. Otherwise, it looks like nothing else about the all you can eat (for a year) music offering has changed -- particularly the DRM that locks "your" music to your PC or CWM OMU handsets for life-ish.
Qik Premium: video downloads, higher quality, Nokia only for now
Qik has finally gotten around to charging its customers this week with the announcement of Qik Premium, a new service that employs both a new phone client and some tweaked back-end stuff to offer users a handful of new features. The biggies appear to be MPEG-4 video downloads straight from the uploaded segments on Qik's site and some sort of higher-quality transcoding algorithm with faster playback that won't be available to standard, non-paying folks. That's not all, though -- Qik Premium is the gift that keeps on giving, because they're working on the ability to upload videos from your phone's in-built camera app next. To kick off Premium on the right foot, Qik's going back to the platform where it started -- Symbian -- for a new release for S60 that's available now in the Ovi Store; long-term pricing is an open question, but for the month of March, they're running a $4.99-a-year special.
Nokia's Ovi Maps headed to Windows Mobile and Android? (update: no way)
Put your skeptic hats on kids 'cause we've got a juicy one for you. When Greig Williams, Nokia's General Manager for South East Europe, was asked by the German language Die Presse whether Ovi Maps would be coming to Android and Windows Mobile he responded very simply, "That will be the next step." Well then, that's pretty clear... but as much as we'd like to believe it, we simply can't pin our hopes to this statement alone. Remember, Nokia's motivation for making its Ovi Maps service free was to sell more handsets; not handsets from its competitors but high-margin smartphones from Nokia in an effort to boost its profits. And unless it can pump out the Android version before Google Navigation goes global, there won't be much motivation to download a presumably fee-based (it certainly won't be free) Ovi Maps on the platform unless Android users are willing to pay to have Nokia's localized maps on the device instead of downloading them over the air as the Google offering requires. Besides, is Nokia really going to dedicate staff to Android development when its more advanced Ovi Maps still aren't available on its much touted Maemo MeeGo mobile computing platform? Not likely. Regarding "Windows Mobile," well, 6.x's days are numbered and getting Ovi Maps approved on Windows Phone 7 might not ever happen in light of Microsoft's own efforts with Bing navigation. Of course, Greig offers no dates, and on a long enough time line anything is possible. We've already contacted Nokia for clarification and will update you just as soon as we hear back. Update: Nokia just got back to us with an unsurprising response: "have spoken to Greig and he absolutely didn't make that statement. As I understand it, this has now been, or in the process of being, taken down by the Die Presse journalist at their site." So much for that.
Garmin and TomTom cling to profits, hope
As everyone knows, Garmin and TomTom have their backs against the ropes in a fight to remain relevant in an age of free GPS turn-by-turn navigation on smartphones (thanks Google and Nokia). While dedicated personal navigators are almost always superior to their converged competition, the gap has certainly narrowed such that it's become difficult to justify another device when an increasing number of people already carry a fine navigation device in their pockets. But that's just gut instinct talking, where's the hard evidence? Certainly not speculative stock prices. A good place to start is in forward-looking financial statements like the one Garmin, the leading navigation device maker in the US, just issued. Gamin says that it expects competition to cause prices to decline by about 10% in the personal navigation device (PND) industry putting pressure on margins, and thus profits, in 2010. It also sees flat or slightly declining revenue over the same period. Fortunately for Garmin, it has a diversified product offering that includes the Nuvifone. However, Garmin admits to being disappointed by sales of the handset that "won" our Editor's Choice award for Worst Gadget of the Year. Things aren't all doom and gloom, though. Garmin has a pair of Nuvifones in the chute including the Android-powered A50. And its Q4 results of $1.43 per share easily beat analyst expectations of 95 cents a share. Even TomTom surprised many last week with a 1% increase in Q4 revenue and net profit of €75 million compared to a €989 million loss a year ago. So there's some hope left for the dedicated PND market... but not much.
Nokia mounts huge Ovi Maps signpost on a crane in London (video)
We're generally reluctant to cover purely promotional stunts like these, but when you decide to jack up a house-sized arrow on a crane and hang it next to London's Thames river, well, exceptions can be made. Nokia's big push to inform the world that Ovi Maps is free -- now and forever -- has culminated in the above sign, whose most appealing feature must be that it allows commoners like you and us to control it. People can send in a missive and coordinates via text or email, and then watch as the giant pointer rotates to the given direction and displays their wisdom to the world. See it in action after the break.
Ovi Maps downloaded 1.4 million times in first week since going free
People sure do like getting something for nothing. Since Nokia made the big move to stop charging for its walk and drive navigation last week, 1.4 million of us have downloaded the Ovi Maps software -- on average, that's a download a second since launch. The response has been so good that it's exceeded Nokia's expectations according to Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia Executive Vice President, with China, Italy, UK, Germany and Spain representing the top 5 downloaders. Hardly a surprise to see consumers responding so favorably to a free offering that makes a device you already have (your smartphone) that much smarter even if it does make your dedicated satnav somewhat mostly redundant. Full press release after the break.
