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Rogers Quietly Launches The Nokia N97 Mini
Jun 8th
We reported awhile ago that Rogers was planning expected to launch this Symbian powered bad boy, and the day has finally come. Our friends at Mobile Syrup just received the official product launch flyer, meaning the device is now ready to be ordered and shipped out to stores. Pricing is tentatively set at $99.99 on a 3 year voice and data, $399 on a 2 year, and $499 outright. For anyone out there still using (do you even exist?) an N-Series, Symbian powered device, this is definite upgrade.
Hit more for full specs on the phone:
N97 Mini comes packed with:
- 3.2-inch touchscreen (resolution of 640 x 360)
- Slide out QWERTY keyboard
- 5.0 MP Camera with video capabilities
- 8GB of memory and can hold up to 16GB with a MicroSD Card
- GPS
- Pre-loaded content including 4 full length Rihanna songs and 5 free premium games
via MobileSyrup
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Google Expands Buzz for Mobile to Additional Devices
May 28th
Today Google’s Mobile blog announced that Google Buzz for Mobile has come in an XHTML form. What this means is that where prior to this release only Android 2.0+ and iPhone users were able to use the mobile version of Buzz, now similar functionality has been brought to devices such Nokia devices, BlackBerries, Windows Mobile, and webOS.
Now don’t expect things to look quite as pretty on Symbian, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry because their native browsers will load a basic HTML version which can’t render any of the HTML5 magic that the Webkit browsers on the iPhone and Android do.
WebOS users haven’t had a good way to access Buzz from their handhelds until now. Granted, there was a way to force the webOS browser to identify the iPhone version of Buzz for Mobile, it’s still nice to have Google-approved access to Buzz. Since the webOS browser is Webkit-driven, it will load the same version as the iPhone and Android devices. As far as the basic HTML version, I tried it on a BlackBerry and it’s definitely not pretty. It is functional I suppose but personally if I needed to use Buzz I would just use Google Maps and its integrated Buzz feature. Google has allowed location support on BlackBerry handhelds however, I could not get it to work (yes I enabled javascript location support). (Ed. I got it to work fine on my Bold 9700).
While it’s certainly good to see Google actually recognizing webOS for a change, it wouldn’t hurt if they integrated Buzz into the native Google Maps app on Palm’s handhelds, and tried to bring some updated functionality to the relatively unchanged application.
Nokia N8 Coming To England End Of August, Apathetic Shrug Rattles Tea Cups
May 28th
Nokia’s new hotness is the N8, and a lot is resting on the combination of sexy hardware and updated Symbian OS, dubbed Symbian^3.
Well, according to Slashgear, the device should be available on August 25th in England, followed shortly by other cities around the world. It is unlikely, however, that the device will be available through any carrier in North America, as Nokia does not have a loyal fan base in the West, nor the WOW factor to pull anyone away from their incumbent favourites, BlackBerry, Apple and Android.
The phone was also man-handled over at Engadget, and while the interface certainly looks more modern and usable than previous Symbian iterations, it’s nothing new, and certainly brings no incentive to existing Android/iPhone users to switch over. Or maybe it does? Who knows?
Nokia X6 16GB hitting Canada soon.
Apr 19th
Nokia’s Canada webpage claims that the X6 16GB will be coming to Canadians soon. There is no word on what carrier will receive the device however, but rest assured that we should know shortly. Basic specs of the phone include a 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 640 x 360, Symbian S60 5th Edition, a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Wi-Fi, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. As you can probably tell by now this isn’t exactly a high-end smartphone and likely won’t cost nearly as much as one. S60 makes this a slightly dated, but still fairly capable handset that shouldn’t break the bank. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more but for now feast your eyes on Nokia’s page for the full specs.
(Via MobileSyrup)
Nokia 5230 Available At WIND Mobile for $180
Apr 16th
Well, that didn’t take too long! The new touch device we covered a few days ago is now available at WIND Mobile in Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver, for all the (few) subscribers who want to upgrade their new device.
While this isn’t the best phone available to WIND subscribers (that title is still owned by the Blackberry Bold 9700), it is the first Nokia device available, and wow is it cheap! This is non-contract price, people, remember that. Most phones off-contract cost upwards of $500, so while this device may not have the swag and WOW-factor of a Nexus One, it certainly is more affordable.
Let us know if you’re going to pick this up, and head over to WIND’s site to learn more.
(via Mobile Syrup)
WIND Mobile Gets Low-End Nokia 5230 Touchscreen
Apr 13th
According to WIND Mobile’s blog, they will soon be getting a medium-powered and low-end smartphone from Nokia, the 5230.
Quite slim and attractive, the specs are a bit of a letdown, considering WIND has no decent touchscreen phones for sale. There is a 434MHZ ARM processor, 128MB RAM, 2MP Camera and a resistive (not capacitative) 3.2″ touch screen running at a nice 360×640 resolution.
I’ve always liked WIND’s easy approach to phones: buy a phone outright at a decent price, activate a no-contract voice and data plan and use the phone until you no longer want to. Then cancel the plan and sell the phone. The End. No contracts, nothing.
However, the three best phones that run on WIND’s AWS network are not offered in Canada unless you import them: Google’s Nexus One, T-Mobile’s HTC HD2, and the Nokia N900. Luckily, WIND will offer you a free SIM card with any plan activation, and, as the Nexus One already comes unlocked, it’s a pretty easy procedure to get it working.
Especially now that Google has included WIND on their compatibility list for the T-Mobile Nexus One, if the Nokia 5230 comes in at more than $300, I would not recommend purchasing one. But that’s just me. Some people love Symbian. Right?
Ummm…
(via Mobile Syrup)
Nokia N97 Mini Heading to Rogers Wireless?
Apr 8th
I guess Rogers Wireless still has a soft spot for the aging OS we know as Symbian. Despite lackluster sales of the Nokia N95, N96 and E71, Mobile Syrup is reporting that Rogers may be picking up the N97 Mini for a May release. No exact details on price, date or color were provided, but rest assured if you are a loyal Symbian follower (if those still exist) to keep following the site for news as it happens.
For a full specifications of the device and a hands-on video click more
Specifications:
- Dimensions of 13 x 52.5 x 14.2 mm and weighs in at 138 grams (N97 weighs 150 grams)
- This side slider has a full QWERTY keyboard
- Touchscreen is 3.2 inches and has the same resolution as the N97 at 640Ă—360
- In addition, the N97 mini can hold up to 16GB with a microSD card
- 5 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss optics, auto-focus, dual LED flash and video capabilities
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Stereo FM radio, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
[For Mobile Friendly Viewing Click Here]
Follow me on twitterThe First Kinetic Cellphone?
Mar 8th
In a world of 10MP Camera phones, waterproof/shock proof housings and social networking infused OS’s i’m almost shocked that no other phone maker has come up with this idea. Well, leave it to the eternally innovative minds at Nokia to not only think of the idea, but to apply for a patent on it. Essentially, what we are speaking of is a “piezoelectric kinetic energy harvester” or in English, a cellphone that runs a long the same idea of a kinetic watch, it uses the energy generated from natural movement and converts it into usable power. Is it a bit ambitious to think this will one day totally eradicate the travel charger? Maybe, but in an industry of regurgitated ideas I look forward to seeing this come to market
What do you think? Think its a good idea? Or a potential flop? Leave a comment!
To see the blueprint’s of this new idea click more
[Via Engadget]
Nokia to get a major upgrade?
Feb 17th
With all the MWC news lately coming on behalf of Google’s Android, RIM’s Blackberry and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7, it really got me thinking…. where is Nokia in all this? So I took it upon myself to find out and what do you know, I found something within the walls of Engadget. It turns out our Symbian powered buddies are about to get a pretty powerful processor upgrade, by ways of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor. Not sure what Snapdragon is?, well the Snapdragon platform offers an unprecedented combination of processing performance and optimized power consumption for the new generation of smart mobile devices, in laymen terms. It allows your phone to run at its fullest potential without so much of that awful battery drain. Excited eh? Well, according to Qualcomm’s CEO Paul Jacobs the device should hit the market mid 2010, but no exact date was given.
What do you think? Excited about Nokia getting a Snapdragon upgrade? Let us know!
Nokia: They “Feel” your pain
Feb 15th
The team over at Engadget has an interesting article about a new Nokia app called Feel. Basically, the app has a list of emotions and when you click the one you’re feeling, it suggests an activity to do with the phone. The video uses the example of feeling “Creative” and then suggests taking a picture, though there seems to be more options available.
There’s also a “Shuffle” feature, in case you’re not sure how you feel I guess. Also, did anyone else notice that the Shuffle icon looks a whole lot like the Shazam app logo?
For more info, check out the Nokia Beta site
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