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Symbian^3 reviewed in exquisite and ruthless detail by Eldar Murtazin
No folks, those mythical N8 review units still aren't on our doorsteps, but we can offer you the next best thing: a thorough (we mean thorough) overview of the Symbian^3 environment that will be front and center on Nokia's next great phone. Eldar Murtazin of mobile-review reports on everything from the sophisticated handling of contacts and caller ID pictures, through the noticeable speed improvements, past the limited utility of online widgets that display only two lines at a time, beyond the "weak spot" web browser, and all the way to Symbian's unhealthy habit of "clinging to continuity." It's an enlightening read, which pulls no punches with its conclusion: Symbian^3 is an evolutionary step up from S60 5th edition, which brings nothing new to the market and offers no comparative advantages. Strong words from Eldar, particularly when he doesn't disclose what build of the OS he's using; his rationale, however, is that his analysis relates to overarching design decisions and ignores software bugs and version-specific foibles. Make of that what you will. [Thanks, scotsboyuk]
Nokia N8 to be final Symbian N Series device, all MeeGo from here on out
Whoa. Nokia's premier range of devices, the N Series, will bid adieu to the Symbian operating environment and go MeeGo full time after the introduction of the N8. That's what we've just heard directly from the Finnish horse's mouth. Nokia will naturally keep Symbian around -- of course there's a whole Symbian^4 to come -- but will utilize it on more mass market devices as it seeks to push smartphones further down the product hierarchy. So it's not necessarily bad news, as such, it means we'll likely see Symbian trickle down to handsets priced more like featurephones and less like miniaturized laptops. What it does mean, however, is that Nokia is pushing forward with its modernization plans, and doing so more aggressively than previously thought. Which we consider to be a pretty awesome (and necessary) thing.
webOS 1.4.5 reportedly coming any day now... except for AT&T users
As friends very near and dear to us have confessed, "soon" is a relative term. If you'll recall, we heard from Palm (in)directly that the next webOS update was "coming soon" back in the early days of May, and here we are a fortnight from July without so much as an update regarding the update. Well, without an official update. A source over at Pre|Central has confirmed that a release of webOS 1.4.5 is "imminent," and while the primary purpose will be to get a better handle on PDK apps, it's also expected to finally bring 3D gaming to the oft-forgotten Pixi. Purportedly, carrier testing on the new OS is just about wrapped, with one unnamed operator waiting for a small bug to be squashed and AT&T simply waiting for waiting's sake. At any rate, we're still left twiddling our thumbs and hoping for the best, but at least we've a sliver of hope that our patience is about to pay off.
'iPhone vs Android' report finds Apple has three times Google's market share
It's oftentimes easy for us to get swept up in Android mania and forget that Google's mobile platform is still in its infancy. Then we get cold hard numbers like these -- showing iPhone OS owning 28 percent of the US smartphone market and closing in on RIM's leading 35 percent -- and we face up to the realization that Android handsets still account for less than one in every ten smartphones owned by Americans today. In spite of collecting 28 percent of all consumer smartphone purchases in the first quarter of 2010 (according to NPD), Google's OS was only able to climb up a couple of percentage points in terms of total market share, showing just how long a road lies ahead of its world-conquering plans. Guess that now explains why Apple's response to the earlier numbers was so nonchalant. Other intriguing figures include a high rate of loyalty among iPhone OS and Android users, with 80 percent of the former and 70 percent of the latter expressing a preference for the same OS in their next phone -- both rather shaming Microsoft and RIM's numbers, which were a mediocre 34 and 47 percent, respectively. Funnily enough, despite its inflammatory title, this report finds Android and iPhone users are more similar to each other than anyone else -- an uncomfortable fact for both parties to deal with, we're sure. The source link contains some more demographic comparisons, so why not go check them out and drop some sage analysis for us in the comments?
Motorola Droid gets early Android 2.2 ROM, ready to download... now!
What shall we call this, Frodroid or Droyo? Either way, an Android 2.2 update has been made available for Motorola's all-conquering slider, and it awaits eager firmware upgraders at the download link below. Produced by the good folks at My Droid World, this includes almost everything you'll need to get your Froyo on in style, though it excludes WiFi support at this stage. Such is the way with unofficial upgrades, but if you really need consolation, there's a whole set of superuser privileges to explore as this bad boy comes pre-rooted. You could of course skip this whole community business and wait for Moto's official update, but that company's idea of the "near future" is about as precise as the length of a piece of string.
Nokia N8 video overview: Symbian^3 homescreens, messaging, email, and Flash-capable browser on show
It seems like the only question really left about the Nokia N8, albeit the most important one, is just how it'll interface with the user and what the experience of living with it will be like. The Nokia Conversations team is now aiming to answer just that with the first of three video walkthroughs taking us on a tour of the new device and its Symbian^3 operating environment. We now know you can have up to three homescreens with six widgets apiece, and -- gasp -- wallpapers are available right off the bat. Threaded messaging is also implemented in the new OS, as well as a soft QWERTY keyboard and a set of emoticons... yes, emoticons. Notably, the entire demo is done with the phone held in landscape, suggesting that might be the preferred method of use, while transitions between menus look as quick and pleasurable as you might expect from a promo video. See the whole thing after the break.
Samsung Behold II fails to fulfill Android 2.0 promise, jilted users contemplating lawsuit (video)
When Samsung launched its Behold II with Android 1.5 on board, it made something of a big deal about the fact the handset will be upgradeable to version 2.0 when that software became available. Such a big deal that it even put the promise of an OTA update into a promo video -- a video that subsequently got yanked as the company realized it wasn't going to be able to stick to its word. Well, that evidence has now been tracked down (see it after the break), and all those buyers who were left with a Cupcake in lieu of a promised Eclair have hardly forgotten about it either. Samsung's position varies between the boilerplate "we don't have a future release date," to a stone cold "the SGH-T939 will never qualify for the Android 2X update," depending on which rep you speak to. The disappointed users have therefore resorted to putting a petition together, which asks that either a refund, replacement Android 2.x handset, or a real update be provided to them, and concludes that "legal action will be taken" if Samsung fails them. That's not exactly unreasonable , given the unfulfilled expectation -- Samsung, what say you? [Thanks, Yitzhak]
Symbian^3 to launch on non-Nokia handset, courtesy of 'Asian vendor'
Well, here's a bit of thunder theft for you. Nokia's N8 launch is still firmly wedged in Q3 2010, but according to Symbian Foundation Executive Director Lee Williams, other handset makers are not going to hang around and wait for it to be the vanguard Symbian^3 device. Instead, says Lee, the first phone with the overhauled software will be provided by an unnamed Asian vendor -- we're thinking LG or Samsung, with the latter being more likely as it has more history with Symbian. This seems to be mostly on account of the new OS being pretty much ready for market right now, so whoever's bringing the goods should be doing so in the very near future.
MeeGo 1.0 for netbooks and N900 now available to download
You've seen it teased, and now it's time to shelve whatever you had planned for this evening (or morning, depending on your current coordinates) and slap the first bona fide 1.x MeeGo release onto whatever device you've got handy. As of right now, MeeGo v1.0 for Netbooks and v1.0 for Nokia N900 are available for download, with the former supporting Atom-based machines and the latter supporting... well, we'll let you take a stab there. The API that's being released includes Qt 4.6, and while the current SDK is tailored for netbooks, the next version -- slated to hit devs in June -- will support "touch-based devices, such as handsets and tablets." We're also told that v1.1 will be outed in October, with the development tree already being open. We're certainly digging the layout shown here at a glance, but why not give that source link a visit and find out how it suits you in real life? We heard Snooki totally digs it, too. [Thanks, Ernst]
Android 2.2 coming to Nexus One, open source community 'in the coming weeks'
Why, thanks Google! Just a day after wrapping up a rather monumental Google I/O event in Northern California, the company's official show Twitter account has belted out a tidbit that just about every attendee was wondering about. According to the outfit, Android 2.2 (yeah, that's Froyo for the inexperienced) will be "made available to OEMs and the open source community in the coming weeks," and it'll be hitting up the HTC-built Nexus One in the "next few weeks." That's music to our ears, and if you're unsure what kind of impact this will have on your own life, feel free to take a deep dive into this right here. [Thanks, Alex]
HTC: 'most phones' launched in 2010 will get Android 2.2
Now that Froyo has gone official, HTC has hurried to reassure customers that most of its 2010 phone catalog will indeed be riding Android 2.2 before the year is through. Prodded on the subject by Pocket-lint, the company has replied that it's starting out with the Desire and Incredible and working through other "hotly anticipated new phones," which should sound a reassuring note for prospective Evo 4G owners. A full list will be provided as we get closer to release, but don't wait with bated breath just yet, current indications are that the software upgrade will be coming in the second half of the year. By which time we'll all probably have a taste for Gingerbread.
iPhone 3G's Android port is ready to download
Had enough Android excitement yet? Of course not. Following up on the Froyo release yesterday, we've got the no less vital news that the iPhone 3G port of Android is now ready to download and install. Having shown off Google's OS running on a 3G two weeks ago, author David Wang has clearly had to iron out a few kinks before serving up the necessary binaries, but here they are now, replete with a handy install guide he's penned over at PC World. Time to get yourself on the dual-booting bandwagon, no?
Android Gingerbread is 'planned for Q4 2010'
While we're all busy laboring in the shadow of Android 2.2's impending release, here's Google's sneaky first indication of the next version's release. In the FAQ for its newly announced WebM format, the Mountain View team tells us that Android support will come in the Gingerbread iteration, which is "currently planned for Q4, 2010." We still don't know the particular point version of the latest tasty treat, but at least there's finally something to put on the feature list and a date (range) to look forward to.
Sprint's Hero finally gets official Android 2.1 upgrade
Assuming you resisted the temptation to either root your Hero or update it with the recently leaked 2.1 firmware, this is your very first chance to finally slap a dash of Android future on your senescent device. Sprint has at long last made the update available, though it isn't quite yet ready to download from its site. Fear not, the good folks behind the yellow network have put together a guide on upgrading through your phone and we'll link up the download as soon as it's ready for consumption. Time to start enjoying that Google Maps Navigation magic and all the other goodies constituting Eclair's delectable filling. Update: It's now available direct from HTC's website, as well as Sprint's own site. Thanks, all! [Thanks, Jonathan]
Android 2.1 becomes most used version, just in time to be obviated by Froyo
Rejoice, oh Android lovers. Thy OS of choice has finally graduated to the point where its latest variant is also the most used -- a statistic that is likely to last for only a day given Google's intent to reveal Android 2.2, or Froyo, at its I/O conference tomorrow. For the first time since El Goog's been keeping these platform version stats, 2.1 has risen above 1.5, the previous incumbent, having grown from 32.4 percent on May 3 (chart after the break) to 37.2 percent on May 17. This rapid ascension can only be expected to accelerate with more devices getting their Eclair permissions slips, and let's not forget that Google will be trying its hardest with 2.2 to make upgrades easier for phone makers to implement. Onwards and upwards we go. [Thanks, Chris D]
Boxee for iPhone, iPad and Android all but confirmed in Vindicia payment processing deal
Oh sure, having Boxee nailed down to the desktop of your PC is fine and dandy, and that Boxee Box will ensure that the same experience is enjoyed by all who plant their fundament in front of your HDTV. But we all know what you're after -- lemon drops. And a mobile version of Boxee. In a post today by the company, it expressed outright joy in inking a deal with Vindicia in order to bring a payment processing solution to the platform; slated for implementation "by the end of the summer," this CashBox add-in would enable users to purchase "premium content" from Boxee's programming partners via credit card, gift card or PayPal. It's a vital step in Boxee finally finding a revenue stream (something it confessed to needing on a previous episode of The Engadget Show), and better still, "Vindicia's flexibility makes it possible for [Boxee] to enable payments on its website and across mobile platforms like the iPhone, Android and iPad." Yeah, those are the company's own words right there, and in case you still aren't believing your eyes, chew on one final quote: "Boxee's eventual expansion to these platforms will pave the way for universally accessible content no matter where a user is (we love this idea!)." Huzzah!
iPhone 3G gets an Android port to call its own (video)
You'll recall, studious little gremlins that you are, that we recently saw the venerable first-gen iPhone prancing about with an unusual little green droid providing it with operational commands. Well, the coder behind that project, David Wang, has now stepped his game up to the iPhone 3G, which has been outfitted with an almost complete implementation of Android. Audio support is the last missing piece of the puzzle, but the groundwork has been laid and it too should be ready for some unholy Apple plus Google action within the next few days. Downloadable binaries are currently being prepared, so we thought we'd help you fill the time with a video demo of the port, which may be found just past the break. [Thanks, Andrew]
Motorola rumored to have acquired Azingo, part of some grander OS plans?
This one isn't official just yet, but if some changes in employment status on LinkedIn is any indication, it looks like Motorola may have recently acquired mobile Linux OS company Azingo. It may not exactly be a major player in the mobile OS field, but its Linux-based Azingo Mobile OS does look to be capable enough (complete with a Webkit-based browser and Flash runtime), and the acquisition is especially interesting in light of some recent comments made by Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha. Back during Moto's Q1 earnings call, he said that he has "always felt that owning your OS is important, provided you have an ecosystem, you have all the services and you have an ability and the scale to execute on keeping that OS at the leading edge," adding that he continues to believe "that at some point, if we have all of those attributes, that owning our own OS will be a very important thing." Is Azingo Mobile that OS? Probably not, but it'll certainly be interesting to see where this leads -- as long as it doesn't lead to something called MOTOZINGO.
webOS update coming soon, PDK apps likely to land
Well, what have we here? A friendly tipster, who just so happens to be a registered Palm developer, has sent us the latest informational email from the recently-swallowed outfit, and while the tone here may be gentle, the implications are certainly serious. According to the memo, a new webOS update is "coming soon," and developers are being alerted that they'll need to be prepared to test their apps when it hits. Sometime early this month, devs will receive a specific launch date for the SDK release candidate, and while we're told that the "scope of the changes in this [forthcoming] update is limited," it'll be particularly important for coders to "test PDK apps against this release candidate." Seems like that promise of seeing PDK apps hitting the Catalog by mid-year is on track, acquisition be darned.
Symbian^3 web app development tools come out of beta, aim for standardized simplicity
Has the Nokia N8 made a Symbian^3 believer out of you? If so, you'll be glad to know the beta tag has been peeled off the web application development tools for the platform, which -- according to Executive Director Lee Williams -- provide "an ideal entry point" for coders of all skill levels. This is because the primary languages spoken are HTML, CSS and JavaScript, familiar to almost anyone who's tried to create for the web, and with just a little extra JavaScript exercise, you're promised access to the phone's contacts, camera, accelerometer, and location. It sounds all kinds of refreshing, but the usefulness of this tool set and the entire environment will be determined by what people produce with it -- and to that end we've provided you with a link to the downloads page (Windows, Mac and Linux users are all being served) where you can get your Symbian dev career started in earnest.
