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Say goodbye to Symbian, say hello to Nokia Belle
Symbian is already on its last legs as a mobile OS, now Nokia is giving it a bit of a kick while its down by ditching the name it grew up with and rebranding the latest version simply Nokia Belle. That's right, the Symbian title we've all come to know and love is being retired by Nokia, and with very little fanfare. In fact, the switch is relegated to a parenthetical aside in an update on the status of Belle at the official blog of the Finnish manufacturer. Here's the announcement in its entirety: "The all new Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle)..." That's it! Of course, functionally, swapping Symbian for Nokia makes little difference, but its still sad to see one of the last vestiges of this long lived platform disappear. We'd say to check out the source for more details, but that's all she wrote.
Belle to make a pass at Symbian handsets early in 2012, Anna pretends to look the other way
We already know Donna and Carla are waiting in the wings, but you're likely wondering what's the deal with Belle. And no, that Symbian update isn't being held captive by a Beast in a lonely French castle, thank you very much. According to a report on All About Symbian, Espoo's OS refresh -- currently shipping on the trio of handsets pictured above -- is slated to roll out worldwide for a "range of smartphones such as [the] N8, E7, X7, C6-01, C7, Oro, E6, and Nokia 500" sometime early next year. Nokia's confirmed to us that this Q1 2012 timetable is, indeed, very much true. So while many of you are just now getting comfy with Anna, it'll soon be time to find comfort in the mobile arms of another.
Donna and Carla plan to kick Belle out of the Nokia ball, promise not to be Symbian's last dance
Nokia may have signed a pledge of mobile allegiance to Windows Phone, but that doesn't mean its Symbian faithful have to play the part of the spurned lover. Espoo still sees a future for users of its other OS and plans to dish out the upgrades in two future steps, bearing such '70s disco queen-from-BK names like Carla and Donna. Details of these purported updates leaked out at the company's Developer's Day in Mexico where a blurrycam slide outed the planned progression for Belle-operating handsets. So, what's on deck? Well, Carla'll be the first to hit, bringing an updated Browser (8.0 here), Dolby Surround Sound, NFC functionality and improved widgets, while Donna's party plans were less than forthcoming, indicating that it'd be an exclusively dual-core phone affair. So, clear out some space on that Symbian dance card, these solid gold gals are looking for one last spin on the mobile dance floor.
Goodbye Nokia 600, we hardly knew ye
Symbian just scored another blow. The Belle-installed Nokia 600 was announced in late August, destined to be a great music-centric phone for anyone trying to stay on a budget. Sadly, it appears its fate has been sealed before its release, as the company's taken down any pages on its websites that are related to the product. Then, if that weren't enough confirmation, it also broke the news of the handset's demise to a disappointed Facebook fan. We haven't been given a reason for the sudden decision to cease and desist, but we're not discounting the coincidence of this happening so shortly after the Lumia series was revealed.
Facelock app hits the Ovi Store, Symbian handsets frame your face for security
Unlocking your phone doesn't get any easier than a simple patterned swipe or pre-set pin. But for the fussy amongst you, there's an alternative solution to make you feel both confidently futuristic, and downright ridiculous. Facelock, the facial recognition security app announced back at Nokia World 2010, has finally mosied on over to the Ovi Store, beta tag in tow. The screen lock tech functions pretty much as you'd expect: once you've set a static image of your face as a code, the front-facing camera will then match it up to your mug and, presto magico, you'll have access to your device. The free app is apparently compatible only with Symbian 3 handsets, although those rocking Anna and Belle shouldn't encounter any difficulties. Ready to face / off with your phone? Then hit up the source link below to download the gratis goods. [Thanks, Jerry]
Nokia passes off Symbian and 2,300 employees to Accenture
After placing all bets on Windows Phone, Stephen Elop announced that Nokia would slowly phase out its OG operating system, Symbian. Today, it's officially passed the torch, handing over all Symbian-related duties to Accenture, a consulting and outsourcing firm. 2,300 former Nokia employees will also be repurposed, getting a new name on their paycheck as they tend to the ill-fated OS. The Finnish mainstay says the arrangement will last until at least 2016, and plans to continually roll out updates during this time. Not everyone is hanging on another five years though, as it seems that at least 500 employees have jumped ship or found new gigs within the company since the original announcement predicting 2,800 reassignments. Head past the break to find the full (and very terse) press release.
Nokia now shipping 700 and 701 to retailers, all our Symbian Belle are belong to us
The above tweet says it all, folks -- the Nokia 700 and 701, two of the three Symbian Belle devices promised for a Q3 release last month, are shipping out to various retailers in just enough time to hit the deadline. As with many 140-character messages, it leaves us in wont for more information; we suppose, though, that most of the finer details were already given to us at the devices' unveiling, and now it's just up to the individual retailers to provide any missing pieces (if any) that remain. All that's left to do is decide on a suitable outlet, right?
Engadget Mobile Podcast 101 - 08.27.2011
After the two most craziest weeks ever in the history of the mobile technology news universe, it's important to step back and just take stock of everything: a survey course, if you will. That's why we've created Engadget Mobile Podcast 101, your first stop on the road to an otherworldly state we call CMA: Complete Mobile Awareness. Come along, won't you?Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad MolenProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)00:02:23 - Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple00:10:00 - Tim Cook: Who is Apple's new CEO?00:25:27 - iPhone 5 coming to Sprint, other carriers in mid-October?00:27:27 - App logs reportedly confirm dual mode CDMA / GSM iPhone 5 in testing00:41:15 - Apple to release cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4 within weeks?00:49:58 - Samsung Galaxy S II not coming to Verizon after all? (update: confirmed)00:53:25 - Sprint's Epic Touch 4G may be first US-bound Galaxy S II, arriving September 9th?00:55:39 - Trio of US Samsung Galaxy S II models get together for a group photo?01:04:05 - Samsung debuts new Galaxy lineup, refines naming strategy along the way01:11:46 - Nokia announces Symbian Belle alongside three new devices01:21:28 - Microsoft: Windows Phone Tango will be minor update, is meant for low-end handsets01:25:35 - Microsoft: front facing cameras, Skype integration coming with Mango update (video)01:26:05 - HTC Omega blessed with renders, revealing its front-facing camera01:31:15 - Blackberry Curve 9360 hands-onHear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastpodcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.Follow us on Twitter@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile
Nokia 701, 700 and 600 get hands-on treatment with Symbian Belle, Nokia proposes NFC love in China (video)
Nokia may be over Symbian in the United States, but the Finnish company is certainly pursuing the Chinese market with ferocity. Engadget China recently sat down with the three new devices from Espoo -- the 600, 700 and 701 -- along with its new operating system, Symbian Belle, and has a number of hands-on photos and videos for your perusal. We've got plenty more after the break. Join us, will ya? %Gallery-131830%
Nokia announces Symbian Belle alongside three new devices
True to Monday's teaser, Nokia unveiled its latest update to the Symbian OS as well as a few new devices. Belle is indeed coming, and it's heading to the Nokia 700, 701 and 600 in the third quarter of this year. The successor to Anna brings NFC sharing and pairing functionality to the table, along with three additional home screens (bumped up to six), a dynamic lock screen, live widgets in five different sizes, and a pull-down taskbar and notification menu. Fortunately, the new handsets announced today aren't the only beneficiaries of the upgrade: the N8, E6, E7, X7, C7, C6-01 and Oro will all get Belle at a yet-unknown later date. Join us after the break as we go more into detail on the three phones announced today, along with a video and press release. %Gallery-131567%
Nokia to announce Symbian Belle update on Wednesday, crafts a countdown timer
Well, that must be embarrassing: Nokia gets a fancy countdown clock set up on its Facebook page as a teaser for something new on Symbian, and the file it set up still says "belle_fb_TeaserMain" in it. It doesn't anymore, but the cat's already out of the bag; on Wednesday morning Espoo will most likely unveil Belle, its forthcoming bump up from Symbian Anna. We're unsure of the exact details that'll be shared, though we've already seen enough of the new update to know what to expect: with a couple lengthy videos, multitudes of screenshots and a leaked version of Belle floating around somewhere, there isn't much of a mystery left to shed light on. That said, we're still hoping we'll see some device announcements as well as dates and device compatibility. Perhaps Mr. Elop just wants us to think it's Belle, in which case this would be the best teaser of all. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Engadget Mobile Podcast 100 - 08.21.2011
We're 100. 100! If you're like us, you totally can't believe it's been more than two years since we first started Mobile Podcasting but you totally can believe it at the same time because that's just how we roll: dedicated. To celebrate we've brought along Engadget Chinese editor Richard Lai and Noah Kravitz of TechnoBuffalo to weigh in on stuff like the Xiaomi phone and Symbian Belle leaking its way into the world. And...a couple of other things. We're old. It's a mobile party. You just got your pentaband invite to click on the play or download links below. Don't sleep on it: before you know it we'll be 200.Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad MolenGuests: Richard Lai, Noah KravitzProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)00:02:45 - HP will 'discontinue operations for webOS devices', may spin off Personal Systems Group00:21:55 - Google acquiring Motorola Mobility00:42:45 - Motorola's new Droid HD makes cameo alongside Droid Bionic01:04:30 - BlackBerry Bold 9930 review01:05:43 - AT&T streamlining individual messaging plans August 21st, leaving unlimited as the sole survivor01:15:00 - Xiaomi Phone hands-on (updated with video)01:25:40 - Symbian Anna now available for download on Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-0101:26:30 - Symbian Belle download leaked to N8 community, quickly pulled from site (update: Anna available on NaviFirm)01:30:57 - CNET: RIM in talks to squeeze out BlackBerry music service01:32:50 - Motorola Photon 4G review01:36:53 - Samsung Hercules, HTC Ruby available from T-Mobile on October 26th?01:38:56 - Samsung Hercules gets its Telus on in leaked glamour shots01:39:38 - HTC Holiday prototype shows up on Craigslist, gives us reason to celebrate (update: AT&T-bound)01:45:55 - Why is LTE equipment being installed in an Apple Store?Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastpodcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.Follow us on Twitter@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile
Symbian Belle download leaked to N8 community, quickly pulled from site (update: Anna available on NaviFirm)
For a very short period of time there was pure bliss for Nokia N8 users with a knack for tinkering around; Symbian Belle, a coveted update to the still-unreleased Anna, was spotted in a user forum, leaked and available for download. Alas, it was not meant to be, as enough users experienced issues installing the new firmware that the files had to be pulled until it can be resolved. According to DailyMobile, the folks behind the update will try again tomorrow, so anyone interested may want to keep a close eye on it just in case it goes live again. As any other unofficial firmware install, it's not for the faint of heart; you'll want to be confident in what you're doing before you get started. Head below for another eight-minute video. Update: It looks like Symbian Anna is now available for N8 users, with early variants of the firmware showing up on NaviFirm. No word yet on when V22 will be available via Ovi Suite or as an OTA update, but if you've already upgraded, let us know how you're finding it in the comments. [Thanks, Daniel]
Symbian Belle gets eight minutes of hands-on fame (video)
Screen grabs ain't got nuthin' on this one. Just as we savor a full set of screenshots showing off Symbian Belle in all its glory, a YouTube video of the unannounced OS strolls onto the scene with eight minutes of footage. The successor to Anna is seen here on a Nokia N8, which could be a sign that at least some existing Symbian^3 devices will receive the update when it becomes available. The video exhibits several aspects of the new UI, such as the Android-style pull-down bar for notifications, a back button-based interface, a new virtual keyboard, and a new camera UI -- all of which appear to be significant improvements over the platform's predecessors. If you have a few minutes to spare, dive past the break to get the full tour. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 11, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of July 11, 2011: Samsung launched an ad campaign for the Infuse 4G which claims its colors are "so good, they fool Mother Nature." Each ad features a different animal that mistakes the Infuse's Super AMOLED Plus screen for real nature. [via Gottabemobile] T-Mobile's MyTouch 4G is now available on Cincinnati Bell as the HTC Panache 4G for $200 with two-year agreement. [via MobileBurn] We got a sneak peek at some of Symbian Belle's UI changes, thanks to the refreshed Design Guideline docs on Nokia's developer website. [via All About Symbian] Inductive charging battery covers are now available for the HTC Thunderbolt and Incredible 2, Motorola Droid 3, and the LG Revolution. [via Droid-Life] Motorola officially announced the Fire, aka XT316. It's a portrait QWERTY handset with Gingerbread and is currently available in China. In the coming months it should work its way to Taiwan, Latin America, and Europe. The XT316 is going for $230. [via Unwired View] The popular GroupMe messaging app is now available for Windows Phone and can be downloaded for free in the Marketplace. [via MobileBurn and Gizmodo] Romanian carrier Cosmote has launched a 21.6 Mbps HSPA+ broadband service. (thx lonel) [via ZF Business Hi-Tech]
Nokia RM-670 swans through the FCC, gives us another 'Zeta' portrait to admire
We first saw the Nokia RM-670 (aka the N7 or 700 Zeta) in a batch of unflattering spy-shots, then in some leaked publicity poses, and now we also have an exquisite line drawing courtesy of the FCC. Sure, it's not the most detailed of portraits, but it's the first absolutely concrete evidence we have that the RM-670 exists and may be headed to the New World. The FCC paperwork lists 1700MHz AWS and 850/1900Mhz 3G bands, suggesting that the handset could potentially work on T-Mobile or AT&T. Other rumored specs doing the rounds include the new Symbian Belle OS, a 1GHz processor, NFC and a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen -- as if those rounded contours weren't pleasing enough. [Thanks, Glenn]
Nokia 700 'Zeta' gets classy, dresses in white for leaked press shots
Representing a letter of the Greek alphabet can be a daunting task. The Nokia 700 "Zeta," however, is busy getting primed for the massive duty on hand, indicated by a pair of possible press shots that surfaced from Indian site KnowYourMobile. A comparison of these new pics with the spyshots grabbed last week show very little difference besides the obvious color change, with the 1GHz, Symbian Belle-powered Zeta opting for a white front and chrome back instead of the black and candy-apple combo we saw previously. This could mean that, like many Nokia handsets before it, a rainbow of various hues will be available to choose from the moment the device launches. We sure hope that's soon, because nobody wears white after Labor Day. [Thanks, Mark]
Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers
While we're busy recovering from a recent overdose of Nokia eye candy, secret agents are hard at work hunting down more visual goodness for us to ogle at. These shots above are of the Nokia 700 "Zeta," which appears to be a replacement to the C6-01. The photos show it running on Symbian Belle -- Anna's successor -- and packed with a 5 megapixel camera, LED flash, and NFC support. The source indicates the Zeta will house a 1 GHz CPU and 3.2-inch nHD AMOLED display, weighs a smidge over 80g, and measures out at 10mm thick. Oddly enough, we dug up a leaked snapshot of the Zeta's spec sheet claiming it'll be the "thinnest smartphone ever," which at 10mm isn't anywhere close to earning that title. Though no other phones were pictured, the spec sheet (shown below) brought attention to three other Symbian offerings on the roadmap: the Nokia 701 Helen has the best specs of the bunch with 8 megapixel camera and 3.5-inch ClearBlack display; there's the Nokia 600 Cindy with NFC, 5 megapixel shooter, and 3.2-inch AMOLED; also, we've likely seen the Nokia 500 Fate already leaked as the N5. There's no indication on when (or if) we can expect any of these phones to hit the market, but it looks like Mr. Elop is intent on keeping his promise. More photos after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung SGH-G600 Belle comes in burgundy, includes matching nail polish
Oh wow, what a way to accessorize, a lovely burgundy handset complete with matching nail polish, way to go Samsung. The G600 isn't a new brand handset, we saw it some months ago in both the FCC archives and via the Anycall G608 version. A quick jaunt through the specs shows quad-band GPRS / EDGE, a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and image stabilization, 7 hour talk time and about 15 days of stand by, and did we mention it now includes nail polish? No word on what it'll set you back or who plans on carrying it, but guys, no need to shy away, there are likely plenty of things you can use that paint for apart from polishing up your piggies.
