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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.
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?
