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Keepin' it real fake: Nokia's N8 beaten to release by lackluster knockoff
All together now: "Already?" KIRFers overseas are getting quicker and quicker with their knockoffs, and at this point, it's safe to say that you'll have an easier time wrapping your hands around a commendable Nokia N8 impostor than the real-deal. The outside looks an awful lot like Nokia's first major Symbian^3-based handset, but the specifications are decidedly lackluster: you'll get a 400 x 240 resolution display (3.2-inches), an MP4 player, FM radio, Bluetooth, webcam and a battery that'll last three to five hours. Glaringly absent is a 12 megapixel camera, WiFi module and built-in 3G support, but it's not like that stuff really matters -- after all, what else would you expect for an unsubsidized price of just $105? Head on past the break for a video, rockstar. [Thanks, Alain]
Nokia N8 gets a 32GB model hint, nearly user-replaceable battery
Nokia's N8 might not be for sale but it's certainly out in the internet wilds. A few, presumably pre-production, units have already made their way onto some Arabic sites for dissection and lustful right-to-left analysis. SaudiMac had the good fortune to see some early retail packaging with "N8-00 / 32GB" printed (and later Photoshopped out) directly on the box. While that could indicate the N8's support for 32GB microSD cards, we're guessing (hoping?) it's an unannounced model sporting 32GB of fixed internal flash memory to accompany the 16GB model already announced. We've also got a user from the ArabNokia forums demonstrating the removal of the N8's battery -- a simple operation requiring the removal of two screws to slide the battery out of the chassis' bottom similar to the HTC Legend. The whole procedure is so simple that we have to wonder why Nokia didn't take the industrial design a step further and make the standard 1,200mAh Nokia BL-4D battery (used in the N97 mini) user replaceable in the first place. Regardless, it's good to know that you can swap the Li-Ion battery in a pinch or whenever you finally hit the lifetime recharge cap -- you didn't need that warranty anyway, right? [Thanks, Ali F.]
Nokia N98 leak validated by N8, is there a QWERTY slider brewing up in Espoo?
Just gaze upon those curves up above and tell us what they remind you of. Yes indeed, the Nokia N98 -- which seemed so futuristic we were inclined to dismiss it as the product of a hyperactive imagination -- is today looking all too credible thanks to the obvious design similarities it shares with the officially released N8. Starting with the distinctive tapered edges with contrast coloring, moving through the black bezel-sporting display, and jotting down the positions of the Nokia and N00 logos as well as the Options menu, the viewer can't help but be convinced that this February leak came with no small portion of truthiness to it. Now, we don't live anywhere near Espoo, so we can't tell you whether this was just a precursor to the N8, which lost its physical keyboard and N9x naming scheme to become the beastly media phone we know today. But wouldn't it be lovely to believe Nokia's working on all cylinders and planning to introduce a 4-inch QWERTY variant of its new flagship?
Nokia sticks to its stylus roots, offers telescopic SU-36 for capacitive screens
You know what, we're not gonna make that joke. You can, but we'll just move right along to the meat of this story -- Nokia has listed a telescopic stylus for capacitive screens, the SU-36, which seems to have come out right alongside the N8 to serve as its Symbian^3 assistant. Compatible with the N8, X6, and any other phone with a proper touchscreen on it, this retractable accessory will substitute your fingers when they are either too cold or too imprecise to do the job themselves. It's not yet been priced or made available, but you'll be fine using that sausage stylus for another few weeks, won't ya? [Thanks, Zabavan]
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.
Nokia N8 fights back with heavenly HD video sample (updated)
Nokia is doing its best to rewind the negative spin placed on its flagship N8 after one of its children went missing. As part of the effort, it just published the first un-retouched 720p video captured by a pre-production N8's Carl Zeiss lens as followup to the first sample images released yesterday. We downloaded the H.264 video's .MP4 container to view natively (that's a 600 pixel wide screencap above) and sure enough came away impressed -- though we're curious to hear the original audio that was replaced by a dramatic soundtrack. Now, we're not saying it's better or worse than other similarly equipped smartphones shooting well-lit video -- without seeing side-by-side video of the same footage it's difficult to tell. But Nokia, a company known for using decent optics, sensors, and flash units in its N-series devices, certainly won't be disappointing impromptu photogs making their first jump into Symbian^3. Just imagine what Nokia hardware coupled with a killer user experience could do. Could do. Embedded video sample after the break. Update: All About Symbian has a marvelously detailed breakdown of the N8's camera that dives deeply into the phone's optics, mic, flash, and more.
Nokia says leaked N8 has early software, shouldn't be reviewed
It looks like Nokia isn't too happy that its big N8 / Symbian^3 reveal this morning was tarnished by Eldar Murtazin's harsh preview of the device and OS a few days ago: in a new Conversations blog post, the company says that Eldar's "salacious headlines" masked the fact that he was looking at a "very early, pre-production prototype with dated software that is not yet ready," and that it only ships products that are "refined, tested, re-tested, evaluated, [and] tested again." Now, Eldar says the devices he examined had the very latest hardware and software, so it's a bit of a he-said-she-said at this point, but there's no denying that Nokia's definitely shipped some not-quite-ready-for-prime-time devices lately -- the N900 and Maemo 5 shipped in pretty roughed-out form, and the company itself has said the N97 was a "tremendous disappointment." How that recent history reflects on Symbian^3 and the N8 remains to be seen, but it's clear that Nokia's feeling pretty defensive about things; Eldar's been scooping Espoo's gear for years now and the company's never made a peep about it. Either that, or someone at Nokia is just trying to cash in on all this iPhone 4 drama by saying things like "we want our prototype back" and "we are not the Secret Police, and we want to maintain our culture of openness," but come on -- that would be a pretty crass publicity stunt, right? We want to believe.
Nokia N8 goes official: 12 megapixels, Symbian^3, shipping in Q3
And just like that, it's official. We heard back at CTIA that Nokia's N8 would see an official reveal during April, and just a few short days after surfacing in Russia, that very smartphone has indeed been announced over in Espoo. There's not much here we didn't know about -- it'll be rocking a 12 megapixel camera (with Carl Zeiss optics and a Xenon flash), 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, HDMI output, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, HD video recording, access to Ovi Store apps, free Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation, and of course, the company's new Symbian^3 operating system. The N8 touts multiple, personalizable homescreens "which can be loaded with apps and widgets," native multitasking, support for multitouch gestures and integration with the Qt software development environment. It'll also ship in a variety of lovely hues (read: five), with availability pegged for "select markets" in Q3 for €370 ($494) without any subsidies involved. Not like it'll have any other competition up in its grille by that point or anything... Update: Here's a look at a few sample images from that 12 megapixel camera. Thanks, Matija! %Gallery-91891%
Nokia N8 earns FCC seal with T-Mobile 3G on board
If you're a Symbian fan, a Nokia fan, or simply a lover of 12 megapixel cameraphone sensors, it's a great week to be alive what with the mighty N8's specs and Eldar Murtazin-penned mini-review all going live ahead of Nokia's official unveiling. But wait, the N8 fest isn't over quite yet: the AWS 3G version of the phone just garnered the FCC's blessings, turns out. How do we know this is the T-Mobile-ready N8, exactly? Well, the device is listed simply by its internal code, RM-596, throughout the paperwork -- but the shape of the FCC ID label (which is laser etched, as the filing points out) is exactly what we'd expect given the shots of the N8 we've seen so far, and it looks like it'll appear on the endcap of the phone with the camera hump visible just underneath. Given the leaked specs, we're expecting a version with T-Mobile support anyway, so we're nearly certain this is it. If Murtazin's take on Symbian^3 is any indication, there might not be much reason to get stoked about this thing -- but hey, at least the FCC is going to be totally cool with you blowing your cash on it.
Nokia N8's full spec sheet leaks, nothing shocking spied within
Just one day after finding a pretty thorough review of the Nokia N8 on a Russian website, the full spec sheet seems to be floating about as well -- also from a Russian source. Unwired View's published what it believes to be the full N8 spec sheet. So what do we find contained within? Well, no shockers, to be sure, but here's what we know: the phone will boast a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen OLED, a 680MHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, swappable microSD capacity up to 32GB, and a 12 megapixel cam. Now, there are also a few rumored features floating around, which include a DRM-free Ovi music store, and LAN IEEE802.11 b/g -- so we'll let you know for sure when we do if those features are going to hit reality. Until then, hit up the source link to check out the full listing. [Thanks, Staska]
Nokia N8 gets handled, survives thorough Russian preview
We heard through the grapevine back at CTIA that Nokia's elusive N8 would be announced somewhere in the wide world this April, and sure enough, it looks as if the handset has popped up over in one of Russia's eleven nine time zones. Our pals at Mobile-Review have worked their magic once more on an up and coming handset, this time landing some serious face time with the planet's first Symbian^3 phone. Despite Nokia pushing the official reveal of said OS to Q3 (from Q2 previously), we're getting an early look at what exactly is to come here -- and if this review is any indication, Nokia's woes are about to become even more woeful. In short, critics panned the new system for being little more than a polished version of what Nokia's already offering, and they clearly noted that nothing here lived up to what Android and iPhone OS currently provide. In fact, they even went so far as to wonder who is inside of Nokia purposefully dragging down the brand; granted, it's hard to say for sure how great (or not, as the case may be) the N8 is without touching it ourselves, but to say it's off to a running start would be misinterpreting things quite severely. Have a look at the source link below for more of the machine translated goodness, and don't forget to ogle a few shots of the phone itself. [Thanks, Andria]
Nokia Vasco viral video ready, N8 flagship too?
If you already believe the rumors that "Vasco" is the codename for Nokia's unannounced N8 flagship and that the N8 is the device pictured above then lean in, we've got a bit of news for you. A viral video for the "Nokia Vasco" has just wrapped according to cameraman Danny Gagatt's tweet above. That sets the expectation then, that the launch of what everyone expects to be Nokia's first Symbian^3 device is just around the corner. Plausible since Gagatt's slip (since removed) tips The Mill -- the same visual effects company used by Nokia for the N900 nuthouse job. Besides, it's almost mid-April so we expect things to get official right quick.
Nokia N8-00 gets first official mention with Symbian^3 and nHD display
Simmer down, we don't have official pics yet (just the supposed leaks) but we do have the first official mention of what looks to be Nokia's first Symbian^3 handset. The culprit is the "NN8-00r100-3G" XML file sitting pretty on nokia.com right now. The first notables are a "N8-00" model and the "Symbian/3" string listed in the agent header that seemingly confirm that the N8-00 will run Symbian^3. Next is a "360 x 640 pixel" screen size. Note that the N8-00 display is rumored to be 3.5-inches making this a very similar nHD display to the one found on Nokia's current N-series flagship: the N97. The difference this time is that we're expecting Nokia's newest flagship to opt for a capacitive touchscreen display to match Symbian^3's more finger friendly UI. Unfortunately, we're not seeing any mention of the rumored 12 megapixel camera and the only keyboard mentioned is a "PhoneKeyPad" -- in other words, no QWERTY not that we were expecting one. We do see Bluetooth 2.0 and radios for WiFi and GPRS/EGPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA among the other details. Feel free to sleuth the file for yourselves in the source link below while we wait for the mid-April announcement. [Thanks, Glenn]
Nokia N8 being announced mid-April
We've just been told by a trusted source that Nokia will announce a new flagship device dubbed N8 in the middle of next month. That's not around any major trade shows that we're aware of, but it is just before the company's Annual General Meeting in Helsinki -- and naturally, it doesn't hurt their relationship with major investors to have just introduced a killer new device. For what it's worth, we just saw a leaked photo yesterday morning of a Symbian^3-based phone purporting to be the N8, so this lines up rather nicely, doesn't it? Announcement certainly doesn't equate to availability in Nokia's world, so until we hear otherwise, we'll assume that Eldar Murtazin's claim of a September retail launch is likely accurate. [Image via IT168]
Panasonic adds Windows 7 to laptop line, unveils Let's Note N8 and S8
Oy vey! Today must be some industry-wide Windows 7 announcement day, as Panasonic is hot on the heels of Dell and Toshiba with no less than six lappies set to sport Vista's agile younger sibling. The Let's Note (ToughBook, to you and us) F8, R8, T8 and W8 models are likely to take on the new OS without alterations to their hardware, but the hot news comes in the form of the brand new N8 and S8. Powered by Core 2 Duo P8700 chips, both machines will come with 12.1-inch WXGA LCD screens, 250GB HDDs, up to 4GB of RAM, WiMAX, WiFi, HDMI and SDHC connectivity. They also share a stonking claim of 16 hours of battery life, and the one feature that distinguishes between them is the internal DVD burner on the S8. All that goodness will be out come October 22, with expected pricing around ¥200,000 (about $2,230) for the N series. You'll find a gallery of the unveiling event at the Akihabara News link below. %Gallery-74215% [Via Akihabara News]
AMOI outs N8, N800, and N810 Windows Mobile phones; Nokia grumbles
We're about to get our first official taste of China's AMOI in these parts as the UTStarcom 5700's ODM, and if these suckers are any indication, we should be in good shape. The recently-announced N8, N800, and N810 Windows Mobile 6 Professional devices (pictured from left to right) won't likely find their way out of Asia -- which is just as well, considering the lack of 3G and the fact that Nokia might not be too pleased with the naming convention -- but all three are lookers, if we do say so ourselves. The N8 is the only keyboard-sporting handset of the three, while the N800 sets itself apart with a VGA display. GPS, Bluetooth, and 2 megapixel cameras grace the whole lot. It looks like all three are expected to ship this month, but triband GSM / EDGE is a tough pill to swallow, though, ain't it?[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]Read - Amoi N8Read - Amoi N800Read - Amoi N810
Nobu intros N8 touchscreen in-wall PC
So if the JackPC is lacking in the power / functionality department, and you're going for that svelte, in-wall look to complement your flush WiFi installation, Nobu's got just the thing. Known for its sleek in-wall PC designs, Nobu is busting out an 8-inch touchscreen version -- dubbed the N8 -- that packs either a 600MHz Intel Celeron M or 1.1GHz Pentium M CPU, 512MB of DDR RAM, 802.11a/b/g, Ethernet, a (thoughtfully included) 4GB SSD, and a trio of USB 2.0 ports; this household regulator also sports built-in speakers / mic, audio out, VGA out, and comes loaded with Windows XP Professional. The company touts its "noiseless design" and "visual attractiveness," citing the fanless CPUs and disk drive as the quiet culprits. While it's stated that the currently unpriced N8 can handle any household task imaginable whenever it begins to ship, we'll just be happy that we can digitize new faces onto Engadget HQ's Magic Message Mirror right from the wall.[Via Mavromatic]