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ZTE 910 hands-on at MWC 2012
ZTE's LTE FDD, CDMA, EVDO-enabled N910 -- we've also seen it referred to as the N91 -- also popped up at Mobile World Congress, so we gave it a quick once over. The spec sheet isn't bursting with this set but it does pack an 800 x 480 display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, a 1080p capable front-facing lens, WiFi, Bluetooth, and of course its running Android 4. The N910 is a pretty thick handset as its posterior is a rounded affair, though, it feels hollow, and is impossibly light. Unfortunately for us -- and you -- it refused to power on during our brief visit, even after 10 minutes or so of charging. We will swing back around and see if we can't capture a bit of video, but until then the following gallery will have to do.
Can Nokia kill the iPod?
Conventional tech wisdom tells us that convergence will conquer all. People don't want to lug around multiple devices when they can have one device that does it well. Sadly, this isn't as easy as it sounds.Take, for example, two pieces of tech that seem pretty standard issue now a days: the cell phone and the iPod. Motorola tried to combine the two with the ROKR and it didn't work out all that well (they were even working with Apple). The trick is that you can't just combine a crappy phone and a crappy MP3 player and hope for the best. This is why the iPhone rumors are so persistent; Apple is known as a company that 'gets it' therefore, so goes the thinking, an über-phone from Apple will solve all of our problems.Alexander Dryer thinks that Nokia has beaten Apple to the punch with the N91, pictured to the right. It has a 4 gig harddrive, dedicated controls (which slide down to reveal a keypad), a remote, and it plays protected Windows Media files, and AAC's (though not music purchased at the iTunes Store). Alexander was impressed with the quality of the software on the phone and the ease with which he was able to transfer music from his MacBook Pro to his N91. You read that correctly, Nokia provides an OS X app called The Nokia Music Manager which allows you to transfer songs from iTunes to your phone.So, will customers clamor for all in ones and leave Apple behind? I can't predict the future, but at this point I wouldn't bet against Apple, though the N91 does look pretty slick.Thanks, Mikek.
Hands on with Nokia's "multimedia computer" behemoths
Sure, it wouldn't hurt if Nokia shaved a few grams and/or inches off a couple of these, but we got our hands on the new "Music Range" 8GB N91, the N75 which packs WCDMA and quite a bit of screen for a flip, and the utterly decked N95, and we can't say it was an unpleasant experience. Both the N75 and N95 were quite impressive in the LCD department, and the N95's sliding action couldn't be much smoother. Anyways, we know you're not here for our half-baked opinions, so go ahead and peep the pr0n after the break, we don't mind.
Nokia bumps the stakes to 8GB on their N91
The HDD-based, music playin' N91 might've been panned by the critics, but a 4GB musicphone still isn't nothing to scoff at, and now the phone is doubling up the memory with 8GB, for even less scoffing opportunity. It's also been spiffed up in a slimming black -- this phone needs all the slimming it can get -- and now features A2DP support for some much-needed stereo Bluetooth action, but otherwise remains the same old clunker with a heart of gold. We would think at least they could've added in some stereo Bluetooth support, but no dice there. The good news is that Nokia has beefed up the software support with their new "Music Range" phones, so things should be a bit more enjoyable on that front. As for price, you're looking at a hefty 550 euros ($700 US), the same as Nokia's new N95 awesomephone, and a release date sometime before the end of the year. Keep reading for a few more pics.
Nokia to open US retail stores, offer high-end phones
Taking a cue from other design-obsessed companies such as Apple and Sony, Nokia has announced plans to open a line of retail locations in the U.S. -- the first ones outside Russia and perhaps Finland that we're aware of -- and even better, will be offering models not available from carriers or traditional channels. The flagship store is set to open in Chicago on June 21, and will sell "virtually anything that could possibly be available in this market," according to a Nokia spokesperson, including such high-end handsets as the recently-launched N93 and N73 3.2 megapixel cameraphones, N91 4GB musicphone, and UMTS-enabled N80 smartphone (which happens to sport a three megapixel CCD as well). PC Mag's article on the upcoming stores, the second of which is scheduled to hit New York before the end of the year, also includes an update on the N91, which will apparently receive a key software upgrade sometime after launch that enables playback of DRM-protected content.Update: Several readers have very kindly pointed out that Nokia has stores in much of Europe and Asia.
Software bugs at fault for delays of Nokia's N91, E61 and four others
Nokia is blaming software problems for the delays in their N91, N71, N80, E60, E61, and E71 phones. No word on what exactly is at fault, but Nokia does claim they'll be shipping the N91 -- which was slated for a holiday release last year -- this week. The N71 and N80 are supposed to follow later this month. Nokia claims the business-centric E61, E61, and E71 -- which all missed their March launch target -- are still wrapping up in software testing, and that the E61 will get priority for release. In other news, Nokia managed to to get a class-action lawsuit by a New York judge dismissed last Friday. The 77-page opinion thoroughly trounced the opposition, which had filed suit in April 2004.
