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How would you change Nokia's N8?
There's no need to tell you that a lot was (and still is, in a way) riding on Nokia's N8. It was said to be the outfit's first dead-serious smartphone to rival the giants of today, and it was also Nokia's first chance to truly reveal Symbian^3 to the world. We've already churned out our two pennies on the matter, but for those of you who bought in, now's the time to get really real. Are you satisfied with where Nokia's going with the N8? Do you seriously see a long and lively future when looking at Symbian^3? If someone (read: UPS) accidentally delivered the keys to the Finnish kingdom to you, how would you go about tweaking and / or reshaping the N8? Would you have selected a different operating system? Added a few more hardware buttons? Thrown in a different processor? Made it available on your carrier of choice? Let us know down in comments below, and keep it sensible -- it's Christmas Eve and all.
Skype gets upgraded for Symbian, includes N8 support
You know what's awesome? Versions of Skype's mobile app that don't arbitrarily restrict you to WiFi networks. If you're in the US, you won't find such an app on Android devices -- but you will find it on Symbian, where the company has just released a re-upped build with new features and support for more phones. Specifically, the N8, C7, and E5 are all in the mix now, along with access to Skype's new SILK codec that offers a potent combo higher voice quality and improved bandwidth efficiency. It's also got a tweaked UI along with better contact and profile management -- so yeah, if you're a Symbian user, odds are very good you're going to want to grab this.
Nokia says 'very small' number of N8s aren't turning on, warranty will cover it
We've been getting a few tips this week -- and seeing a few things on Twitter -- saying that N8s are failing in noticeable quantities, but we wanted to hold off until we'd figured out what was really going on. Well, Nokia's own Niklas Savander is commenting on the situation now -- so we'd say it's definitely real -- though he's insisting the number of affected units is "very small" and that the company's normal warranty rules apply, so owners of dead units should contact their local support number. That's all well and good, but getting service on a paperweight is still a bummer, especially when said phone is your primary means of communication -- so let's hope these guys turn around serviced devices in a hurry. What do you call a dead N8, by the way? N8 owner: A tragedy iPhone owner: DOA Android owner: About as useful as any other N8 N900 owner: A missed opportunity Store sales rep: Dummy unit Symbian Foundation employee: Justice Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo: Karma A goat: Dinner [Thanks, John]
Windows Phone 7's microSD mess: the full story (and how Nokia can help you out of it)
There are many reasons to be excited about Windows Phone 7, but a bleak spot has been Microsoft's message -- or lack thereof -- on user-expandable storage, and the situation finally came to a head last week when AT&T told Samsung Focus owners to hold off on buying microSD cards altogether until Microsoft had a chance to certify some for use with the platform. How did it get to this point? Why wasn't it communicated to users that this was such a problem before the phones ever went on sale? And if it really is such a problem, why did Samsung dare to make the microSD slot user-accessible in the Focus the first place? All good questions -- and in talking with a number of sources the past few days, we've pieced together some of the answers. Read on.
Nokia N8 nearing release on Rogers, rumored to be $80 on three-year term, $449 off-contract (update: official!)
Rogers still hasn't officially confirmed that it will be carrying it, but all signs are pointing to the Nokia N8 launching on the carrier, and soon. According to MobileSyrup, the phones are now already arriving at Rogers stores across Canada, and it will apparently run just $80 on a three-year term or $449 off-contract (one and two-year plans are decidedly less attractive). Those numbers are further backed up by a leaked Rogers roadmap recently turned up by BGR, although it doesn't get any more specific than Q4 when it comes to a launch date. Update: And just like that, it's official. You can pick the N8 up at Rogers.com and Rogers stores starting today.
Nokia N8 review
The first time Nokia's N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February of this year. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and -- most importantly -- ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It's been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia's touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break.%Gallery-103738%%Gallery-104212%
Nokia N8 teardown reveals easily replaceable battery, 'beefy' construction
Surprise, surprise. The iFixit team have cornered themselves a dark grey Nokia N8 and have proceeded to do the one thing that comes naturally to them: disassembled it. It's mostly good news all around with this teardown, which found the BL-4D battery cell was only two Torx screws away from being user-replaceable, while the overall N8 construction was praised as being the "beefiest" of any phone this year. There are plenty of bodacious highlights within, including the massive Xenon flash and the pair of camera modules -- which are regrettably not removable from the main board. The touchscreen controller in the N8 is the same as has previously been used on the Kin Two and BlackBerry Torch. Perhaps that's not the best pedigree in the world, but the (complete in one case, and relative in the other) lack of success of those phones was never really about the screen's responsiveness. Hit the source link for a full gallery of images and the complete deconstruction guide.
Hack improves Nokia N8's image and video quality, puts a hurting on your memory card (video)
Clearly a lot of folks out there are pretty passionate about the quality of their cameraphone pics. So too is cellphone modder hyperX, who is developing some custom tweaks to improve the quality of the stills and vids coming out of Nokia's latest darling. First is a hack to enable 720p30 video, a slight improvement over the 720p25 default. That's demonstrated after the break, along with a continuous autofocus mod. More notable, however, is a tweak to enable nearly uncompressed images. Stock JPEGs coming from the camera clock in around 2MB, but the example image he's provided (on the other end of that source link) is a rather heftier 11MB -- truly a hack that won't do your memory card any favors, but it'll sure make those pixels shine. Sadly without back-to-back before and after images we can't say for sure what kind of tangible improvement this makes, but we hear if you ask nicely he'll let you try it out for yourself.
Nokia N8 going on general sale in Europe October 22nd, available online October 15th
Been waiting for the N8 but weren't sure enough about buying it to get into the pre-order queue? Well, Nokia must have found your lack of faith disturbing as it's now stiffing those who didn't pre-order its all-new handset with another couple of weeks of waiting. Those without Nokia logos tattooed on their lower backs will finally be able to purchase the N8 on October 15th -- but only via Nokia's own web store -- before a general release hits the UK and presumably most of the rest of Europe on October 22nd (slightly later than the promised October 1 landing date). The distribution is indeed wide, however, with all the major UK carriers, plus Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile, joining the Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U in offering the phone that has "a black belt in entertainment." Yeah, Nokia, we're finding this wait really entertaining.
Nokia N8 vs. iPhone 4: camera showdown
What's the first thing you should do when you get the N8? Considering it packs the biggest image sensor embedded in a phone yet, Carl Zeiss optics, and an eight-digit pixel count, it seemed obvious to us that the answer was to take it on a picture- and video-taking stroll around London. On our way out we saw our iPhone 4 looking all sad and lonely, so we went ahead and brought it along as well. Below you shall find one gallery of pure, unadulterated N8 sample shots, another interspersed with the iPhone's results for comparison's sake, and a final one with side-by-side 100 percent crops from each image taker. Once you've digested all of those, we suggest hopping past the break and tucking into some tasty video comparisons for dessert. Naturally, all the images are entirely unretouched (but for our masterly watermarking) and the iPhone 4's HDR hocus pocus has been left off. We've also provided a zip file containing all the full-res imagery shot with the N8 in a link below. A quick note is also merited about the N8's resolution. The sensor's display ratio is 4:3, which means that full 12 megapixel shots are only available in those dimensions. The camera software, however, defaults to shooting 9 megapixel snaps at the increasingly popular 16:9 ratio -- this is done simply by cropping away the "excess" bars at the top and bottom of the image, meaning that the 9 megapixel images are giving us identical performance as the 12 megapixel ones, they're just chopped down (from 4000 x 3000 to 4000 x 2248) for the sake of convenience. Now, on with the show!%Gallery-103838%%Gallery-103849%%Gallery-103858%
Nokia N8 first unboxing
Nokia said Q3, Nokia has delivered Q3. Just. The long-awaited first shipments of the Finnish market leader's N8 handset are today finally going out, and we've gotten our hands on one of the very first retail units out there. Gaze upon the gallery below to see what you'll be getting inside the box alongside your multimedia powerhouse, and do make full use of our comments section too -- we want to hear any questions you may have about the N8 and will try to answer them in full, both here and in our comprehensive review, which is naturally coming up soon!%Gallery-103738%
Nokia pairs N8 with world's largest cinema screen
Say what you will about the Nokia N8, but it sure has prompted Nokia to get creative in its efforts to market the phone. Following up an attempt earlier this month to create the world's smallest stop motion animation, the company recently (temporarily) erected what's apparently world's biggest cinema screen -- at 1,428 square meters, it just barely edged out the previous record holder that measured 1,338 square meters, although that screen was wider. Of course, the N8 wasn't able to project the Prince of Persia movie all by itself, so Nokia took advantage of the phone's HDMI output to connect four 140-kilogram XLM HD30 projectors -- no doubt another first for a cellphone. Head on past the break for the video.
Nokia N8 shipments begin, usher in Symbian^3 era
Nokia's N8 is now shipping to those of you who pre-ordered. It may not be the device that'll make you leave your beloved BlackBerry, iPhone, or Android phone but Nokia's N8 with its significantly enhanced Symbian^3 OS is without a doubt the best you can do if you're one of the millions of Symbian users looking for a smartphone upgrade. Having said that, fans of cameraphones on any platform might be swayed by the N8's 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, xenon flash, extra large image sensor, and HDMI out. Nokia says that availability will vary by country and operator and should be everywhere within the coming weeks. Update: Pictures of the N8 assembly and shipping operations added in the gallery below.%Gallery-103718%
Nokia's latest Calling All Innovators developer contest features AT&T involvement
Nokia has made no secret of the fact that improving its long-tepid relationship with the North American market is a priority -- but we'll admit, we didn't expect AT&T to throw its weight behind a rather massive Symbian developer contest this quickly. The concept is simple: develop and submit an app targeting the N8 by January 28 of next year; the best one (in Nokia's eyes) gets a cool quarter million, while 17 (yes, seventeen) runners-up get $150,000, which is still a pretty gigantic number. What makes this fascinating is that although AT&T had dipped its toes in the Symbian waters a few times over the years, it currently offers nothing but the Vivaz and refurbished E71x units -- and it hasn't announced any plans to carry the N8. Considering the size and scope of this contest, Nokia's definitely putting its money where its mouth is -- it seems to understand the importance of building a healthy third-party app catalog to drive a platform's success -- and we imagine AT&T's got some announcements of its own in the coming months. Just a hunch.
Nokia N8 delayed 'for a few weeks to do some final amends'
Sounds like it's not much of a delay -- but be that as it may, if you were hoping to pick up your colorful N8 in the tail end of this month... well, we don't quite know how to say this, but you're going to want to make other plans. Backing up rumors that have been going around the past couple days, locales that had expected to get the N8 in September have now been pushed back to October while Nokia makes "some final amends." On the upside, some rumors had the delay pegged for November, so this doesn't seem to be as bad as it could've been. For what it's worth, Nokia mentioned during Nokia World last week (and again today) that the N8 is seeing strong pre-order demand -- the strongest ever for a Nokia device, allegedly -- so this is likely to bum out a lot of folks, and for a few, it might even be just the impetus they needed to hold out for the upcoming E7. Here's the full statement: "The amount of preorders has exceeded our expectations and we are working hard to deliver the Nokia N8 to the market. In some markets, we had planned to start delivering the Nokia N8s to our pre-order customers by the end of September. To ensure a great user experience, we have decided to hold the shipments for a few weeks to do some final amends. We're thrilled with the response that we've had to the Nokia N8 and assure everyone who've pre-ordered it already that it'll be worth the wait! We expect consumers to get their Nokia N8s during October."
Nokia's Plug and Touch turns your HDTV into a giant N8 (video)
What do you get when you combine the N8's HDMI output, its 12 megapixel camera, and your trusty old TV set? As Anssi Vanjoki might say, you get a big new smartphone. Nokia's research labs have thrown up a neat little "prototype" app called Plug and Touch, which enhances the N8's already famed HDTV friendliness with the ability to recognize touch input. This is done by positioning your aluminum-clad Nokia about five feet away from the display and letting its camera pick up your hand's gestures and touches, essentially resulting in a massively enlarged Symbian^3 handset device. Naturally, it's not terribly precise at this stage and there are no plans for an actual release, but it sure is a tantalizing glimpse of what may be coming down the pipe. Video after the break.
Nokia celebrates its users' inventiveness in latest N8 ad (video)
There might be a tiny bit of upheaval up at the peaks of Nokia management today, but that doesn't mean we all need to stand around looking serious and forecasting who'll leverage what synergies in order to actuate the requisite paradigmatic shift in the company's device portfolio. No, we're much more inclined to go check out a new ad video that show off the mods and hacks Nokia users have put together with their handsets. It's quite the breathless run-through, this ad, but if you're careful you'll spot a few of your old favorites used in quirky new ways. March past the break for a gander.
Nokia N8 officially for sale last week of September, UK shops October 1st
At last, an official date for Nokia's N8 flagship Symbian^3 handset. This one's been a long time coming, featuring the first of two major Symbian updates meant to bring Nokia's smartphone division in line with the competition. Look for it in the "last week of September" at Nokia's on-line shops for £429 SIM free, or free with £35 per month contract. Otherwise, it'll hit the UK high street shops on October 1st. See the full announcement after the break.
Nokia N8 launches September 30, says senior manager
Tapani Kaskinen is Nokia's Senior Comms Manager, so it's fitting that he'd be the first person from the company to communicate a solid release date for its long-awaited N8 handset. The gent in question told Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti that advance orders of the N8 will "begin shipping 30 September." Bear in mind we're chewing through a machine translation here, but that part's pretty unmistakable. It also meshes perfectly with earlier speculation surrounding Nokia purchasing Google AdWords -- that indicated a one-week exclusive starting on September 23rd for Nokia's UK online store, which, if you do the math, again points to a wide release at the end of the month. We asked Nokia about it ourselves and they're remaining mum on the matter, but chances are looking pretty good that October will start with the N8 finally in eager users' hands.
Vodafone teases with exclusive green Nokia N8, still mum on prices and availability
With September just a few days away, things are really about to get real for Nokia's flagship N8, especially in Europe. For instance, Vodafone's UK arm has just updated the "Coming Soon" page for this Symbian^3 device. What's new? Just the fact that the carrier will be offering the phone in two colors: black and green, with the latter ironically exclusive to red Vodafone. Yep, that's pretty much it -- no prices or dates mentioned just yet, but we'll be keeping an eye out for you N8 believers.