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Nokia C6 firmware hacked with care onto 5800 and 5530
Considering the sheer volume of 5800 XpressMusics that Nokia has sold over the past year and a half, it's little wonder that they've got a few dedicated hackers out there working on keeping the company's first S60 Fifth Edition device up to date, isn't it? Sure enough, the C6's updated skin with legit home screen widgets has been shoehorned onto both the 5800 and its 5530 sibling -- and although the update process seems like a bit of a nightmare fraught with bricking dangers, a successful update means you might be able to go another year without shelling out for a new set. Cheers to that, we say. Follow the break for the firmware in action on a 5800 (Navigation Edition, we think). [Thanks, Kalle H.]
Nokia's all you can download Comes with Music service is finally DRM free... in China (updated)
We've been browbeating Nokia for using DRM to "protect" its Comes with Music offering ever since the service launched back in December of 2007 -- a time when the industry was just beginning to shed its DRM shackles. Now get this, the idle talk is over, Nokia just launched its all-you-can-eat (for 12, 18, or 24 months, typically) Comes with Music service in China without any DRM at all. India is on deck as Nokia looks to hook more emerging markets on the (kind of) free music drug. That means you no longer have to strip the DRM illegally to play your downloaded content on devices other than your main PC and Nokia Comes with Music handset. And yes, you can keep the tracks for life after your CWM subscription expires. At launch, Chinese consumers will have a choice of eight (ok, seven really) CWM handsets (X6 32GB and X6 16GB, 5230, 5330, 5800w, 6700s, E52 and E72i) with prices starting at a local equivalent of €140 (the CWM service fee is baked in to the cost, mind you) excluding taxes and subsidies. Suspiciously, Nokia's not making the usual boast about the millions of tracks available in the CWM catalog. It is, however, reassuringly supported by all the Big 4 music labels in addition to some Chinese indies, as you'd expect. Sorry, no word on when they'll strip the DRM from its European CWM stores and we're still not clear when CWM will finally see a US launch. Hopefully soon as a service like this could go over very, very well Stateside -- a market that Nokia is desperate to crack. Get on to the other side of the break for the full press release. Update: We met with Jyrki Rosenberg, Director of Music at Nokia, who shed a bit more light on the offering. Unfortunately, while DRM-free music aligns with Nokia's global vision, he had nothing to announce for the US or Europe today. And as you might expect, the onus to go DRM-free in China was in part driven by rampant, local piracy concerns -- recovery of any revenue was better than nothing at all in the eyes of the Big Four. Jyrki also told us that Chinese CWM subscriptions will be 1 year in length but the terms of renewal are still being hammered out. We also know that the music catalog numbers in the "hundreds of thousands" at launch (comparable to competing services in the region, according to Jyrki) and is growing every day. Privacy advocates will be happy to hear that the 256kbps MP3 files are "clean" -- in other words, no user data is embedded in the files unlike the practices of Apple and Walmart, among others.
Nokia 5800 firmware update adds kinetic scrolling, revised home screen
Nokia has started rolling out what appears to be a major new firmware build for the venerable 5800 XpressMusic, bringing a couple key features to the phone that inaugurated S60 5th Edition over a year ago. And seriously, by all accounts, this is a big one -- in addition to kinetic scrolling, the v40 release apparently brings the 5800's home screen up to spec with the 5530's and an automatic switch to QWERTY mode input when using the handset in landscape. This would certainly seem like the perfect time to put that new Windows 7-capable NSU client to the test, too, since it's apparently not yet available over the air -- and if we had to guess, not all product codes of the 5800 are seeing it yet either, so stay close and check often until you manage to grab it.
Nokia Messaging for social networks hits beta, brings Twitter, and leaves out the N900
See, this is what we were saying. It's not that we're not excited about Maemo, or that we hate S60, or even that we dislike it when a company like Nokia builds a free messaging app that integrates social networks like Facebook (and now Twitter) into the handset experience. It's just that Nokia has just built an app that only works on the N97, N97 Mini and the 5800, leaving the company's quasi-flagship handset the N900 out in the cold. The new app can upload pictures and videos, integrates with email and the dialer, and pushes Facebook and Twitter updates live to the homescreen. It also serves as a all-too-timely example of how hard it is to support two operating systems at once. Alright, we're done preaching, time to fire up the N97 and tell some people about our day. A video demo is after the break.
Nokia ships E72 and 5800 Navigation Edition to the US of A
We know it's the N900 you're jonesing for, but if you're looking to let those "other guys" put Maemo 5 through the ringer while you continue to use an OS that's been around the block, Nokia's got two more for you to choose from starting today. Both the QWERTY-packin' E72 ($407) and eager-to-route 5800 Navigation Edition have started to ship to America (according to the company, anyway), with the former listed as "coming soon" on Nokia's webstore and as "in stock on December 10th" over at Amazon. The latter is available to order now for $299 sans contract, so good luck holding off for Google Maps Navigation to make this thing look dated. Update: Seems this is the second time Nokia has stated that its E72 was available in the US, so we'd probably wait for at least another notification or two before pulling the trigger. Can't ever be too careful! %Gallery-79844%
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic bumped to firmware 31.2.008
Those drool-worthy changes in store for the N97's next firmware are nowhere to be found here, but 5800 XpressMusic owners are probably still well-advised to update to the latest release that's just hit most product codes around the globe -- including the NAM version in the States -- build 31.2.008. The two big changes here appear to be "several performance improvements" and the inclusion of Ovi Maps 3.0 with better pedestrian and in-car navigation, so if you mount up your phone as a GPS the second you set foot in your car, you've probably already started the update process before you even bothered finishing this article. It's okay, we understand. [Via Symbian-Guru]
Nokia X6 video hands-on: proof that capacitive touchscreens are better
While Nokia wouldn't invite us to Nokia World this year, we were fortunate enough to discover a pair of its new X6 handsets on the IFA floor here in Berlin. On hand were two engineering prototypes, one of which was peeling away from its plastic shell while the other seemed less responsive to our finger-taps. Still, it's clear that the capacitive touchscreen is far more responsive to human touch than the resistive screens found on its N97, or the 5800 XpressMusic especially. This was made abundantly clear when using the on-screen keyboard although some of our swiping gestures were inexplicably ignored in other elements of the interface. But given the choice of the screen being awesome or super-awesome (remember, we're comparing it to Nokia's resistive touchscreen legacy), we'll have to settle on the former for now. Of course, underneath you've still got S60 5th, for better or worse, pumping away inside a chubby little candybar -- no screen tech can change that. See the action in the video after the break then jump into the gallery to see it sized up with a few of its S60 cousins five times removed.
Nokia's 5800 Navigation Edition announced, finding its way to stores soon
The Garmin-Asus nuvifone is finally inbound to domestic retailers, but it's taken so many wrong turns on the way that it's given the competition plenty of time to catch up and prepare their own nav-enabled mobile offerings. TomTom's iPhone kit is due any minute, and now Nokia is getting into the game, announcing the 5800 Navigation Edition. Instead of coming with music it comes with a pre-loaded copy of Ovi Maps and lifetime licenses for voice-guided driving and walking directions. It also includes a car charger and a handy-dandy auto mounting kit, all swingingly demonstrated in a video below, and is set to ship sometime in the third quarter of this year (i.e. soon) at an expected retail of €285 (about $410).
Nokia 5800i XpressMusic hits the FCC: it's like the 5800, only less so
Over the years we've found that usually, when a company takes a model number and slaps an extra letter on the end of it, there's some sort of feature or update they're highlighting. iPhone 3GS? That one's easy: "speed." But if we're reading this FCC business correctly, Nokia's new 5800i XpressMusic handset apparently differs little from its older sibling -- save for the fact that they've removed that pesky WiFi antenna from the thing. Because, really, what would you do with all that connectivity, anyways? Also, while still sporting a 3 megapixel camera, those specs are listed as a 4.6mm on the new handset (the original is 3.7mm). As GSM Arena has pointed out, this could be due to either a narrower field of view or a larger sensor -- probably the latter. Not too much more info here, but if you're morbidly curious, please feel free to check out the gallery below. It's a blast.Read - Nokia 5800i XM shows up. Loses Wi-Fi connectivityRead - FCC teases with Nokia 5800i XM - better camera, but no Wi-Fi?
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic sees v30 firmware update
Don't get too excited -- this isn't bringing the 5530's revamped home screen or anything awesome like that -- but Nokia has now started releasing v30-level firmware updates for its various 5800 XpressMusic product codes around the world. Despite the seemingly significant boost in version number (the last big one to go around was v21), this appears to be mainly a maintenance release focused on bugs and such -- the headlining feature so far seems to be the addition of email notifications on the home screen for Nokia Messaging, so yeah, don't expect the world from this one. [Via All About Symbian]
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic gets America-flavored firmware update
It's not going to turn as many heads as the recently-launched N97 update, but Nokia's other S60 5th Edition handset got its own firmware boost earlier this week. Version 21.2.025 for the NAM 5800 XpressMusic doesn't seem to do much in the way of new features, so odds are this is going out strictly as a stability release -- which, in itself, is a testament to the fact that Nokia seems to care more about the North American market right now than it ever has before. Keep it coming, guys.[Via Symbian-Guru]
Zeemote's JS1 adds support for N97, 5800 XpressMusic, others
If you've been desperately searching for a way to motion-control your brand new N97, look no further -- Zeemote's got your back. The company's JS1 controller has just added drivers for every S60 3rd and 5th Edition device on the market -- N97 and 5800 XpressMusic included -- plus a whole host of S60-based LGs and Samsungs like the INNOV8 and the KT770. Of course, that doesn't solve the whole issue of N-Gage incompatibility with many of these, but the JS1 can also be used for nifty parlor tricks like web browsing; combine that with the 5800's included desk stand and you've got the couch potato's ultimate mobile setup. [Warning: PDF link]
Flash Lite 3.1 update comes to Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
Typically, you expect Flash Lite updates (or updates to pretty much any module that comes bundled with the phone, for that matter) to be delivered via firmware bump -- a long, slow, frustrating process that can take weeks or months across all regions and product codes for a given Nokia model -- but refreshingly, a new version of Flash Lite is now available to 5800 XpressMusic owners by a very different method. The rarely-used App Update mechanism in newer versions of S60 is being used to push out Flash Lite 3.1, which is said to "improve web browsing, " add Flash 9 support, MP3 streaming, and add a host of other goodies -- and perhaps most importantly, YouTube's now more usable. Let's hope the N97 has this out of the gate, eh?
Orange bringing Comes With Music-equipped Nokia 5800 XpressMusic to UK
What a difference a year and a half makes, eh? It was August of 2007 when Orange first got all weird on Nokia over the then-wild concept of a manufacturer-owned and operated music store -- bear in mind the iPhone hadn't launched very widely at that time -- and look how far we've come. The two companies have just announced that the venerable Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be available starting May 29 loaded up with Comes With Music, Nokia's all-you-can-eat service that brings endless downloadable tracks through its Music Store. In Orange's case, Comes With Music will be available on any of five special plans starting at £25 a month (about $38), meaning that you'll be able to nab music for the duration of your two-year contract. As long as DRM's in the mix, you're basically locked into your contract for as long as you want the definitive Bryan Adams collection that you've downloaded -- so we're hoping Nokia nixes that nightmare sooner rather than later. And hey, congrats, Orange customers -- you're the first Brits to officially be offered this through a carrier, and you'll be getting it in an "exclusive" black / silver color combo.
Cincinnati Bell lands Nokia's XpressMusic 5800: $149.99
Good one, Cincinnati Bell -- you totally got us. Oh, wait. This isn't a joke? For the second time in as many months, the aforesaid carrier has somehow managed to land a white-hot Nokia handset before any other operator in America. This go 'round, the company is becoming the first in the US to offer a subsidized version of Nokia's polarizing XpressMusic 5800, bringing it to customers in the Ohio region for $149.99. Those looking to do without any strings can procure one for $349.99 (which is still $50 less than what Nokia's asking), but it's the bragging rights here that make it all worthwhile. So, how long before a real carrier follows suit?Update: And here's the press release.[Thanks, Adam]
Nokia Music veep addresses slow Comes with Music sales in the UK
After some rather disheartening (albeit unconfirmed) estimates last week that Nokia's Comes with Music service had snagged only 23,000 subscribers in the United Kingdom, Rob Taylor, vice president of Nokia Music says that the company is pretty "happy" with what its learned there so far. He admitted that the UK launch (the service's first) devices -- the 5310 Xpress Music and the 8GB N95 -- were "slightly out of date" at the time pointing out that the service was doing much better in subsequent markets, which all boast the 5800 as their hero device. Taylor said he also recognized that Nokia needed more retail partners to help move units, and that the company is not "giving up" on the UK as a market for CwM, adding that they'll be bringing the 5800 there in the future. No word on when that might happen yet -- but we're going to keep out eyes peeled for you.
Star Trek edition Nokia 5800 announced: officially awesome
We knew that endless product tie-ins would come along with the new Star Trek film, so this isn't too big of a surprise (though it is rather a welcome one). A new Star Trek special edition of the 5800 has been announced to coincide with the release of the new J.J. Abrams epic, and while it doesn't appear to be an official Nokia release, it does appear to be pretty rad. The handset is going to boast four animated screensavers, three wallpapers, and eight exclusive ringtones, including ones named "Phazer Shot," "Red Alert" and "Kelvin Communicator." We've also heard tell of a special "Phazer application," and though we don't yet know what that entails, we have really high hopes. The stellar 5800 will be available starting May 1st exclusively at Phones 4 U in the UK in blue, red, and black/silver on Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2. Make it so.
How would you change Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic?
Nokia's first ever full touchscreen S60 phone has had quite the bumpy ride into reality. After launching here in North America, it was on the receiving end of heavy pounding from early adopters who couldn't adequately take advantage of 3G services. Now that those issues are ironed out (and you've had five minutes to cool your jets), we're wondering how you'd tweak / change / overhaul the 5800 XpressMusic. Needless to say, our own personal list would likely span a few pages (collated, double-spaced, 1-inch margins), but this post isn't for us. In fact, it has been specially crafted just for you, so feel free to let off some steam in comments below. Just keep it constructive, okay?
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic firmware v21 starting to circulate?
Through the magic of modern technology, a phone that begins life as a fancy paperweight stands at least a fighting chance of improving to the point of being very usable, if not downright good -- it all depends on the manufacturer's desire and willingness to see things through, and generally speaking, Nokia has been better than most about getting firmware right over time. It looks like the hotly-anticipated v21 update for the 5800 is starting to light up on various product codes around the world, with Hong Kong (and possibly Pakistan) the first to ring it in with a warm welcome. Major improvements are said to be found in the camera and in the device's overall performance -- so, early updaters, how's it treating you?
Nokia prepping updated 5800 XpressMusic with capacitive screen?
It's certainly not unheard of for Nokia to take existing models in its lineup, tweak 'em with slightly improved hardware and software, and re-release them -- see the N85 / N86, N93 / N93i, N95 / N96, and so on -- so we can totally buy that the company's hard at work at updating its 5800 for a future revision. DigiTimes (which admittedly doesn't have a pristine record for nailing these sorts of rumors) cites "sources" with Taiwanese component suppliers as saying that Nokia wants to replace the 5800's resistive touchscreen with a capacitive one -- the S60-based Samsung i8910 does that, by the by -- in an effort to better compete with its rivals. That would certainly make the device more usable and responsive, but in all likelihood, this isn't a simple matter of swapping out a component (how would you use that totally awesome plectrum, after all?) so we'd expect this to be more of an indication that Espoo's looking to move to capacitive going forward, particularly as it transitions over to the Symbian Foundation's builds.
