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Nokia N8 pre-orders go live in the US, $549 for 'end of September' delivery
Itching to get some hands-on time with Symbian^3? Or maybe it's the promise of a 12 megapixel camera that's drawing you? Whatever the case may be, you might be interested to know that Nokia's US outpost is now ready to take your name down for an N8 with availability expected at the "end of September 2010." In the past, Nokia has often bundled goodies like Bluetooth headsets for anyone willing to pre-order well ahead of time, but not so much this time around -- $549 will net you the phone, and that's it. Heck, they're not even throwing in free shipping. Maybe waiting for the actual release isn't that bad of an idea, eh?
Nokia's VP talks N8, MeeGo 'milestone product,' tablets, Android and more!
Nokia's prepping for a fourth quarter launch of its MeeGo smartphone. The N8 will hit before the end of Q3. The company's absolutely not planning to use Android and a tablet isn't happening anytime soon. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the stuff we learned this morning during our captivating chat with Niklas Savander, Espoo's executive vice president and general manager of the Markets unit. With its quarterly profits dropping and losing daily (in mindshare, at least) to the Apples, HTCs and Motorolas of the world, we were certainly not lacking questions when we headed into the meeting, and Savander took on our questions about Nokia's short and long term plans with stride. We've got the key points of the interview bulleted out after the break -- and the full transcript after that.
Keepin' it real fake: Nokia's Android N8
Can you believe we've waited on the N8 long enough for (at least) three KIRF versions to beat it to market? This latest one's pretty special too, as it gives us a glimpse into one of the fevered dream of Engadget commenters: a Nokia flagship rocking Android (2.1, in this case). The iZiNN CJ-3 copies the N8's form factor, styling, and 3.5-inch screen, but throws in an upgrade of its own by going with a higher-res 800 x 480 capacitive panel. Yeah, we're shocked too. A 5 megapixel imager, a budget Rockchip CPU, and an HDMI port fill out the rest of the known specs, while a release in China is expected some time later this month. Anyone know why this thing isn't being built and sold by a legitimate manufacturer? [Thanks, Ludger]
Nokia N8 up for official €469 pre-order in Italy, available in September
Nokia's Symbian^3 flagship -- the 3.5-inch N8 with 12 megapixel camera -- just went up for pre-order on Espoo's Italian storefront showing an end of September availability. Now before you get up in arms about the €469 price tag (about $610), remember, the €370 estimated retail price announced was pre tax and pre carrier subsidy. That's just how Europe does things, deal with it. We're not seeing the preorder available elsewhere but we'll update you if that situation changes. [Thanks, Faisal]
HTC Gold with Windows Phone 7 in November, and more from a rumored UK roadmap leak
O, to see what Omio sees. The outlet has obtained what it claims to be "a huge UK mobile phone release schedule for the rest of the year... [from] all the manufacturers" (emphasis its own). So, from where would such an all-encompassing roadmap hail? We don't know, nor can we corroborate any of this, but the details are numerous so let's go through it -- albeit with cautious optimism and a few grains of salt. The biggest phone we can see of this baker's dozen of a lineup is the HTC Gold (sound familiar?), due in November and loaded with Microsoft's mobile OS newcomer Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, that's all the information provided, but it's certainly enough to entice us. Also in November, we've got Samsung i8700 and Nokia E7 -- the latter being possibly a N8-esque QWERTY slider with AMOLED display and Symbian^3, and the former being a mystery (although Omio takes a gander that its aquatic Greek mythology might suggest a Bada-powered existence). Going up the list Memento style, October purportedly brings across the pond-ers HTC Vision, the virtually unknown HTC Ace, Nokia N8, and Sony Ericsson's Xperia X8 and Yendo. September's a bit of a yawner -- SE Hazel and a Nokia X2 candybar -- as is August with the X6 8GB and BlackBerry Curve 9300. And July? Nokia E5-00, Sony Ericsson W20, and Samsung i5500. As is usually the case, the more you can wait, the better your options. Now, let's see if this supposed roadmap stays on course.
Nokia N8 battery swap: it can be done (with a Torx+ screwdriver, patience, and white gloves)
It's still kind of freaking us out that Nokia chose aesthetics over maximum functionality by putting the N8's battery out of the user's reach -- but is it really? The Nokia Blog has scored a customer service manual showing the step-by-step process for replacing the battery, and as long as you've got access to a size 4 Torx+ screwdriver and a little patience, you should be able to pull it off. Turns out the battery is just a plain old BL-4D, the same kind of pack used in the E5 and N97 Mini -- so if you're upgrading, you might even already have a spare lying around by the time you buy your N8. All things considered, it looks like this is no more difficult than swapping out an iPhone 4's cell -- and let's be honest, it's going to be a heck of a lot easier to come across a BL-4D for the average mortal.
Nokia N8 meets Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, has a good time (video)
No, we're not revealing some great hidden feature here -- Nokias have been able to pair with Bluetooth devices since pretty much forever -- but throw a complete set of desktop implements together with the Finnish company's greatest new phone, and sparks of interest do fly. In this case, a pair of keen fellas have hooked a portable keyboard and a Logitech mouse up to the N8 and had some fun videotaping their exploits. If you're thinking this would make a pretty killer combination with the N8 plugged into an HDTV, well... you'd be right. Catch the video after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia N8 preview
Strap yourselves in, pilgrims. Nokia's next great handset has resurfaced in London today, and this time we were even allowed to turn it on. There's pretty much no way you could be unaware of the N8 by now -- Nokia's done the viral video thing, the teaser demo thing, the feature walkthrough thing, we've covered it to near-exhaustion. But we've never seen it, you know, doing stuff. You can now consider that omission corrected, as we've finally powered up the 3.5-inch OLED screen, entered the overhauled Symbian^3 wonderland, and come back to tell the tale. In-depth impressions and video after the break.%Gallery-95100%
Nokia completes its N8 video tour with media player and HDMI demo
You've seen parts uno and due already no doubt, so let's dive straight into the third and final installment of Nokia's N8 overview. Today we are treated to the Symbian^3 media player, which continues to closely resemble Apple's Cover Flow, but we're sure the companies will work it out between themselves. That cover-centric interface gets tugged around a few times to show the phone can handle it without lag, and we also get to see a repeat visit from our friend Mr. Long Press, which functions as a mobile version of a right-click by popping up a menu of contextual options. The video continues into a look at the HDMI connectivity and points out that the N8 will be compatible with Bluetooth keyboards -- you know, if you're in the mood for an Espoo-approved version of Google TV. See the whole thing after the break. [Thanks, Hythem]
Nokia's 16 model house reveals a smokin' S series, N9 MeeGo?
Lovely home except for those pesky leaks. This Nokia house built (circa 2010) upon on a foundation of Symbian with a MeeGo roof is also sporting an interesting looking S-series smokestack. Most of the building blocks we've already seen including the flagship N8. The N9 is almost certainly Nokia's followup to the N900 and Espoo's first handset to feature its new MeeGo OS. But what's with the business-class E7, mainstream C7, and socially entertaining X7? None of these handsets have been announced, yet all three are at the top-end of their respective series meaning more functionality at a higher price. Still, the most interesting revelation is the S-series which Nokia has never referenced under its new naming scheme. The translated text from the S-series bullet describes it as, "A name reserved for limited phones. Mobiles that do not fit in other categories come in here." The first Moorestown phone to run MeeGo, perhaps? Hey, we can dream. [Thanks, Mark]
Nokia demonstrates N8 video editing capabilities
Nokia's already taken us on a guided tour through quite a few of the N8's features, but it's now back with another video to highlight a couple of particularly standout ones -- namely, the phone's photo and video capabilities. Of the two, the video editor seems to be the most impressive -- it'll let you add both photos and videos to a storyboard, trim clips, and add and customize titles and transitions, to name a few features, and do so with what seems to be a relatively simple to use interface. You'll also of course be able to take advantage of the N8's support for USB On-The-Go, which will let you pull photos and videos off of any USB drive if you need to edit video in a pinch. Head on past the break for the complete video demonstration. [Thanks, Pipera]
Early Nokia N8 leak attempts to go viral (video)
Remember that viral video being made for the then secret Nokia N8 codenamed Vasco? The one leaked in a tweet. Well, here it is, a mixture of impressive foosball skill and even more impressive CGI animation. Was it worth the wait?
Nokia N8's USB On-The-Go support demoed, lesser phones turned into slaves
Among the Nokia N8's neater tricks is its support for USB On-The-Go, which basically lets you connect USB peripherals (flash drives, for example) to the phone and have it act as a host -- a duty usually reserved for heavier-duty devices like PCs. Though the N8 is still a solid month or three away from release, we're getting a nice little video demo on YouTube today of an N8 being walked through the paces of connecting both a plain-vanilla USB drive and another Symbian-based Nokia candybar (brownie points for naming the model in comments, by the way). Basically, you can treat the connected hardware as mass storage and browse it just as you would the N8's internal space, which basically means you've got unlimited music capacity as long as you've got a pocket full of USB sticks and a micro USB-to-USB adapter cord. Follow the break for video. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Keepin' it real fake: N8 available now, only not from Nokia
Well, it was bound to happen: a flagship device released as a KIRF (for the second time) well ahead of its official launch. Unfortunately, that's what happens when you delay a product that already leaked months in advance. The $99.20 "N8-00" might share its name and stylings with Nokia's imminent Symbian flagship but that's where the similarities end. This Chinese N8 packs a 3.3-inch touchscreen (resistive, no doubt), a quad-band GSM radio, pair of VGA cameras (ha!), 2GB of MicroSD blah blah blah... hey, let's be honest, the specs don't really matter do they? This "Nseries" device, like all KIRFs, will be sold to poseurs who want to look the part before quickly discarding it for the next trend. Picture of the backside after the break. [Thanks, Arnout and everyone who sent this in]
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.
Nokia N8 to launch on August 25 in UK, according to local store employee
As official confirmations go, this is the weakest kind. A Nokia store employee has informed Pocket-lint that the N8 hero device we've all been waiting for will be launching in the Queen's backyard on Wednesday, August 25. That's only a day off from the August 24 tip that we had and definitely seems to narrow down the release window, but let's retain our signature skepticism. Until one of Nokia's higher-ups or their PR team busts out an official release date, we're still dealing with speculative information. Then again, if you wanna book that week of August off from work, we'd totally understand.
Nokia N8 gets first official carrier in Vodafone UK
Expect this to be the first of many similar announcements as Nokia works out carrier agreements for its new flagship phone. Vodafone's always informative Coming Soon page has today been updated with the N8, touting its "incredible" camera, social features, and personalization options. Nothing resoundingly new or informative then, but at least you'll know where to look come late August. [Thanks, Moominking]
Nokia N8 launching August 24, we hear; Amazon Germany taking €470 pre-orders
We know, we know, you were banking on taking an N8 with you when you go summering in Cape Cod in July, but that might be a tall order because we're hearing from a trusted source that August 24 has been pegged as the big release date for Nokia's Symbian^3-powered beast. Pricing had already been announced at €370 ($465), but if you're interested in shedding an extra hundred for no apparent reason, Amazon Germany is now officially taking pre-orders for €469.50 ($590) in black -- just one of the five N8 shades Espoo will be pushing around the world. We think we'd recommend holding off on signing up for Amazon's enticing deal here, quite honestly -- especially considering the magnetic attraction we've got to that totally unapologetic orange version. [Thanks, Al]
Nokia Head of Design Marko Ahtisaari talks about priorities, competition, and future direction
Marko Ahtisaari will be a familiar name to Dopplr users, being both the CEO and one of the major investors in the startup's social networking software. Having been acquired by Nokia in late September 2009, his team now works to help Symbian regain its world-conquering ways while Marko himself has returned to Nokia to helm its Design group -- an outfit that, judging by the world's disappointment with the N97 and other devices, is frankly in need of some fresh ideas. So, when we were invited to meet him this morning for a journalist get-together where Marko hoped to "begin the conversation" about Nokia's future direction, we grabbed our pen, paper and DSLR and rushed off to go have a listen. The camera came in use when we got to handle a Nokia N8 prototype for the first time, but do join us after the break to see what else we learned.
Nokia N8 hands-on
Good old London, full of little wonders and flagship devices for you to discover. We were at Nokia's local HQ this morning to talk to the company's Head of Design Marko Ahtisaari, and the good gent happened to bring with him a prototype N8 for us to play around with. It was stressed to us that it's a prototype, so small cosmetic changes might still occur, but we are for most part looking at the hardware that will be hitting retail shelves in Q3 of this year. Speaking of Q3, Marko was adamant that that will be when Nokia "turns on" the Symbian^3 housed within the N8, which -- disappointingly -- meant that we couldn't get to grips with the new UI experience in person. Ah well, there are plenty of pictures to be devoured in the gallery below, and we can provide you with a few observations of our own to tide you over till then. The anodized aluminum shell feels very well built and is remarkably light. So much so that our first instinct was to ask whether the battery was inside or this was just a hollow mockup. We'd compare it to the feeling of picking up the Zune HD for the first time, it's a strikingly light device. Plopping it into our pocket also felt extremely natural, which might be attributable to the particular curvature of the N8's sides. Attention to detail in the physical design, as Marko said, was of paramount importance to Nokia. That doesn't come without sacrifices, however, with the user replaceable battery being substituted by an integrated cell, but to quote the man himself, the "overall design concept overruled" such considerations. We found the home button on the front a bit of a pain to press in, but it's still very early to form conclusions about the experience on this device. For now, just go gawk at it below and look out for the in-depth writeup of our chat with Marko Ahtisaari later today.%Gallery-92733%