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Nokia rolling out Symbian Belle Refresh with new web browser, home screen widgets
Good news for Nokia owners, as the company has begun the phased rollout of Symbian Belle Refresh. First and foremost, the OS update brings a new web browser with support for HTML5 web apps. Users will also discover new home screen widgets, and for those who've yet to snag 'em, Microsoft Office and Nokia Maps Suite 2.0 are also made part of the update. Symbian Belle Refresh is supported by the Nokia N8, E7, C7, C6-01, X7 and Oro, and will also include new imaging apps that are specific to the N8. The vanilla version of the software is now available, and Nokia expects that operator and country specific updates will be up for grabs in the coming weeks.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 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, it was revealed that the HTC EVO 4G LTE likely supports simultaneous voice and data connections on Sprint's network, Samsung's Galaxy Ace 2 landed at Three in the UK and Vertu revealed a refresh to its Constellation series of luxury phones. 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 May 21st, 2012.
Nokia's latest EDoF camera demonstrates improvement with macro shots
Nokia's second generation Extended Depth of Field (EDoF) camera was recently put through the wringer by the folks at All About Symbian, and for a technology that traditionally fails at macro shots, we're happy to see that the engineers in Espoo have made dramatic advances with this second go-around. Using the same lens and sensor as before, we're told the improvements come from a refined image processor alone. In a side-by-side comparison, this business was card snapped from 12-inches (30cm) away, first with a C7 and then a 701. While the new setup isn't perfect, the difference is certainly appreciable. Of course, Nokia has all but ditched EDoF in its high end smartphones -- as evidenced by our reviews of the N9 and Lumia 800 -- but the technology remains very much alive within its lower-end affairs, and really, who doesn't like to see improvement? For a complete breakdown of the new technology, be sure to hit up the source link below.
British man's prosthetic arm doubles as Nokia C7 dock
Smartphones have changed our lives, sure, but for those with only one arm, the touchscreen-centric devices can be a downright nuisance. Trevor Prideaux of Somerset, England has worked out of a solution, with help from Nokia and some folks in the medical community. A prosthetist built the 50-year-old catering manager a limb with a cradle for his Nokia C7, allowing Prideaux to operate the phone with a single hand. Prideaux told The Telegraph that he'd initially approached Apple for assistance with the project, eventually settling on Nokia after the Finnish handset maker agreed to help out. [Image source: The Telegraph]
Symbian Anna now available for download on Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-01
Just a day after popping up on NaviFirm, Nokia's Symbian Anna has finally arrived for download, right on schedule. Available for N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 users, the new OS brings a fresh new UI and a virtual portrait QWERTY keypad to Symbian smartphones, along with split-screen messaging, richer maps and speedier browsing. The update also brings NFC capabilities to the C7, in particular, allowing users to share contacts, photos and other goodies by simply tapping their handsets together. If you're interested in upgrading, you can download Anna using the latest version of Ovi Suite (3.1.1), or with an OTA update, though availability and method of delivery vary from market to market. Find more information in the full PR, after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia's Live View AR app reveals what's nearby, how to socially ostracize yourself in public
Augmented reality junkie, Ovi Maps fan and S^3 fanboy? Nokia's got you covered with its Live View AR app. The most recent hatchling from Espoo's Beta Labs program brings selectable POI overlays to the camera inputs of a N8, C7 or E7. The Finnish firm also highlights the release's tight integration with Ovi Maps, with deep hooks for turn-by-turn navigation and sharing -- allowing you to spam friends as to your future whereabouts via SMS. Interest piqued? A video demoing the application and an interesting way to calibrate a compass awaits you beyond the fold.
Symbian Anna shipping on N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 in July, download set for August
We've already seen Symbian Anna begin shipping on the Nokia X7 and E6, but this little lady is about to become much more popular. Nokia has announced it will begin distributing its latest OS on the N8, E7, C7, and C6-01 -- all beginning next month. Unfortunately, if you're among the millions who already own one of these handsets, you'll have to wait until August for an OTA or PC-assisted update. Not like there's any rush, seeing that Symbian will be kicking until 2016 and all.
NFC-enabled Angry Birds Magic gets demoed, dares you to find another C7 owner
Okay, so maybe it's not that hard to find another Earthling with a C7, but let's be honest -- finding someone with a Nexus S is entirely more likely. For now, however, it seems as if Angry Birds Magic will be reserved for the aforementioned Nokia handset, and while we already heard of its NFC-enabled tricks, seeing it in action is another thing entirely. Our pals over at Netbook News were able to snag a quick demonstration at the MeeGo Conference, and it seemed to work exactly as advertised: tap two phones together, and five new levels are gained. Do it with another C7, and you'll score another batch of never-before-seen trials and tribulations. Have a look for yourself above, won't you?
Nokia Oro passes FCC, cleared for a gaudy stateside landing
The odds that you'll have a North American spotting of Nokia's audacious 18-karat gold Oro just became more likely. That's because the handset recently appeared before the FCC and was certified for frequencies utilized by AT&T, Bell, Telus, Rogers, T-Mobile, Wind and Mobilicity. That's not to suggest any of the carriers are taking a bet with this one, but it leaves a good opportunity for someone to flaunt their excess while using their network of choice. The stark photography certainly doesn't embellish the bling that we'd seen in earlier press shots, but don't kid yourself -- anything lavished with gold is likely to scream "Mug me" on busy street corners. Lest we reiterate, the phone is nothing more than a gilded C7 and it's selling for under a Benjamin on contract as the Nokia Astound. If you're genuinely wanting to attract attention in the US, running Symbian is thoroughly sufficient.
MeeGo Conference 2011 sights and sounds (video)
So the MeeGo Conference is winding down here in San Francisco and we have prowled the exhibitor area over the past couple of days to bring you a taste of what's stimulated our eyes and ears at the event so far. We got to play with the Indamixx 2 music tablet -- basically an iiView M1Touch Pine Trail tablet running an audio-optimized build of MeeGoo 1.2 Tablet UX, which features a customized kernel for more real-time control and better audio scheduling. It's expected to ship for $700 in "June or July" complete with DAW and DJ apps. Next we came across a MeeGo-based in-vehicle entertainment system that's currently available in cars from Chinese manufacturer Hawtai Motor. The device is Atom-powered, includes 3G connectivity, and provides navigation, communication, audio / video playback (for both stored and streamed content), along with Internet access. We saw a MeeGo app that gathers contact information on a form, sends it to an NFC-equipped Nokia C7, and writes it to a blank RFID tag. The tag can then be read by any NFC-capable phone, such as Google's Nexus S. A fun conference isn't complete without some games, and we were treated to a homebrew, QML-based Dance Dance Revolution clone running on MeeGo, written using just a few hundred lines of code. Speaking of QML, we got a demo of another in-vehicle entertainment system with built-in instrumentation. This MeeGo app was designed to interface with a MegaSquirt open source ECU and display engine and other car data on a set of virtual gauges -- this in addition to performing the usual audio and navigation tasks. Check out our gallery below, then grab a snack and hit the break for our 15-minute hands-on video. %Gallery-124363%
NFC version of Angry Birds coming to the Nokia C7 as part of the Symbian Anna update
Those angry birds just keep on coming. Weeks after announcing a spin-off exclusive to Amazon's App Store, Rovio is previewing a version indigenous to Nokia handsets -- specifically, those with Near Field Communication chips. Angry Birds Free with Magic (how's that for a mouthful?) includes five "normal" levels, along with 15 others that players unlock by tapping their phones together. In total, you'll need three friends with cutting-edge phones, as each one helps unlock five levels. Oddly, though, Angry Birds continues to be a single-player game, even after you've joined forces with your buddies to help each other advance. For now, it'll be available to C7 owners as part of the upcoming Symbian Anna update, though other Nokia handsets with NFC chips will get the game this year. Rovio also says it's working on a full version, which will be available in the Ovi store. For now, you can head on past the break to see a short video of some cartoon phones and cell-shaded piggies.
Nokia's Astound debuts at T-Mobile, lazily announced on Twitter
T-Mobile has followed through on a promised April 6th release of its Astound -- a Symbian^3 device from Nokia -- adding yet another option to the carrier's venerable lineup of smartphones. We've already broken this one down in recent months, but in case you've been forced under a rock here lately, a recap awaits: the device features a 3.5-inch AMOLED display, an impressive 8 megapixel shooter with dual-LED flash, and a front-facing camera for Qik video chatting. The re-branded C7 also serves up your data connection by way of USB tethering and WiFi (though sadly, not at 4G speed). It's altogether likely to be one of Nokia's last homegrown creations to grace the 'polka dot' network, and at $79.99 after rebate, the Astound appears to be a fitting swan song, indeed.
Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video)
Want to know where those next 150 million Symbian devices that Nokia wants to sell are going to come from? Well, here's a little sliver of your answer. We've just swung by Nokia's swank dinner event well outside CTIA's convention center grounds in Orlando tonight to check out the official introduction of the rumored Astound for T-Mobile. Make no mistake -- this is a straight-up C7 in every sense of the word, featuring the same 3.5-inch AMOLED display, 8 megapixel camera, and 720p capture as the original announced last year atop Symbian^3 -- so the only real differences are the T-Mobile branding (or should that be AT&T branding?) tastefully featured along the bottom chin and a slight platform bump to Symbian^3.1, which we're told features "some, but not all" of the PR2.0 update's features like portrait QWERTY support and a refreshed browser. Interestingly, the carrier will be offering WiFi calling on this one -- just as it did on the E73 Mode -- and you'll be able to do unrestricted video calling over Qik thanks to the front-facing cam. Look for it to launch on April 6th for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate on contract (and pre-orders start tomorrow). Follow the break for our hands-on video and Nokia's press release.%Gallery-119426%%Gallery-119427%
Nokia C7 rumored for T-Mobile launch under Astound moniker, to cost $80 on April 6th
If you've been listening to the Engadget Mobile podcast lately, you'll know that we don't much like this trend of using verbs as phone names, but T-Mobile clearly hasn't gotten the message, as one of its upcoming handsets is rumored to be called the Astound. What exactly this rebadged Nokia C7 is supposed to astound us with, we're not really sure. We've seen its Clear Black Display already, which is very nice, but we've also seen the dead OS walking that is its Symbian installation. Still, for $80 on contract, it doesn't necessarily have to compete with the crème de la Gingerbread to be an appealing option. Look out for it early next month, waving the Magenta flag with pride.
Nokia releases Symbian update for N8, C7 and C6-01, it's not the one you've been waiting for
What we once knew as Symbian^3 was simplified into "just Symbian" a few months back, ostensibly to make updates faster and easier for Nokia to execute. Well, huzzah huzzah, here's your first update. Version 1.1 of the new Symbian enhances communications by allowing you to accept meeting requests straight from an email and also integrating maps so that you may view the location as well. Besides that, N8 users get killer new features in Quick Office 6.4 like zooming in and out of Word documents along with three "high quality" games preloaded on new devices (which were already freely available in the Ovi Store). Excuse our overwhelming sense of disenfranchisement, but where the hell is our portrait QWERTY keyboard, split-screen text input, or those much-needed browser improvements? In the rubbish bin next to Symbian^4?
Nokia announces new C6 and C7 Symbian^3 handsets with 8 megapixel cameras, 720p video
Nokia's just rolled a couple of candybar handsets out of its bakery, aiming to seduce new users to its next big platform, Symbian^3. The Nokia C6-01 features an 8 megapixel camera and a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen with all-new ClearBlack Display (CBD) technology from the Finnish company -- touted to deliver better outdoor visibility. The 3.5-inch (also AMOLED) C7 gets more memory than its family mate and a stainless steel body, which Anssi Vanjoki thinks makes it the sleekest device in the world, "no doubt about it." Both handsets can record pixel-heavy 720p video and both will ship some time later this year, with estimated pre-tax prices of €260 ($334) and €335 ($430), respectively. Full PR after the break.%Gallery-102112%%Gallery-102114%
