Pocketables

Nokia N9 isn't dead yet, gets an unofficial build of Ice Cream Sandwich

The Nokia N9 is an impressive piece of hardware, but it never really went up for sale in the US, and Nokia has actually stopped supporting its MeeGo OS thanks to a deal with Microsoft. As such, few people got to enjoy the long anticipated piece of Nokia hardware based on a Linux OS, which is now likely to be the last such device from Nokia.

Thanks to the power of open source, however, N9 fans have another option. The NITDroid project is an effort to get Android running on, you guessed it, Nokia hardware. While the actual project has been around since the days of the N900 and N810 (quite some time ago), the latest development is especially exciting. 

After quite a lot of effort, developers have gotten Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to start up and function on the N9. Now, function is used lightly, as there are obvious render anomalies on the display, but the touchscreen is said to function properly. Of course, this is not intended to be a user release anyways, and is only the developers showing that they can in fact run ICS on the N9.

However, according to the source of these images, a method is in the works to allow N9 users to dual boot MeeGo and Android, and will be released sometime soon. Most of us agree that Nokia makes some very striking hardware, and if this port functions even on a basic level it would only make the hardware that much better. In fact, now that it is selling for about $450 on Amazon, I may have to consider picking one up myself.

[My Nokia Blog]

Microsoft and Windows Phone are Nokia's only plan for success

In just three days, the Nokia and Microsoft partnership will be one year old. A lot of good things have come out of it already, like the three (official) Lumia Windows Phones from Nokia. 

However, it might be working a little too well. Nokia VP Victor Saeijes told a Swedish newspaper that the only future option for the company is Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system. In fact, Nokia doesn't even have a true plan B! "Plan B is that Plan A must succeed," said Saeijes.

Here's more of the interview, which gives a good, in-depth look at how Nokia views Windows Phone:

“It’s like starting all over again. But we must succeed in the U.S. if we are to succeed in the world.” 

Granted, Nokia is still dishing out Symbian updates for existing phones, but this is a pretty clear indication that it's a platform that will be abandoned quite soon. In any case, I'm happy that Nokia has a set path that it's going to take for the foreseeable future, as I'm a huge Nokia fan and I would hate to see the company perish. 

[Dagens Industri (Translated)]

Nokia to introduce Lumia 910 at Mobile World Congress

Some manufacturers have chosen to cut down on their smartphone releases for 2012 so they can focus on delivering better products. One manufacturer that comes to mind for that is HTC, so just recently announced such a plan. 

But for others, the complete opposite makes sense. 

Nokia, in the timeframe of just three months, has released three different Lumia phones around. The first was the Lumia 800, followed by the Lumia 710, and finally the Lumia 900. They're all fantastic Windows Phones, but Nokia does need to get itself recognized once again, and the company is doing that by releasing yet another Lumia. 

The Lumia 910 that you see in the picture above is a relatively speedy Windows Phone. It's got a 1.4GHz single-core processor, 16GB of internal storage, and a killer 12MP camera that I assume is going to be another Carl Zeiss lens like the one found in the Lumia 900. 

Mobile World Congress is just three weeks away, and Nokia's keynote is scheduled for the first day of the four day event. Because of this, I'd recommend waiting on any phone purchase, regardless of your OS of choice. This year's MWC is rumored to be pretty awesome already. 

[SlashGear]

Walmart offering Nokia Lumia 710 for free, with a not-so-free two-year contract

It's been a good three weeks since the holiday season, but I'm sure that there at least a few of you who still have a bit of money left over from your loving family that you'd like to blow on a new gadget. Of course, I'd recommend saving the holiday bucks and going for something that's free: the Nokia Lumia 710. 

If you live near a Walmart superstore and have been looking for a great Windows Phone for T-Mobile, now is the perfect time to pick one up. Of course, even free things aren't without their legal technicalities: the price does require you to sign a 2-year agreement with T-Mobile, and you can't be an existing subscriber.

If you're not interested in essentially being locked up with a single carrier for such a long time, the store where you can save money and live better is selling the device off-contract for a mere $350. Pretty good when you consider that you're getting a really awesome Windows Phone, but there's also the Lumia 900 to consider, which will be hitting store shelves within the next few months.

[PhoneArena]

Nokia Lumia 900 announced for AT&T

Before CES started today, I read through a bunch of rumors about what would end up being released today. There were tablets and TVs and a few other odd things that would make any geek scream, but the one rumor that pumped me up for CES the most was that of the Nokia Lumia 900 (also known as the Nokia Ace). 

The company held its keynote today, and has officially unveiled the Lumia 900 to the public. As far as Windows Phones go, this is the phone to buy. On top of a 1.4GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM, the phone touts a Carl Zeiss lens—a company that's one of the best lens manufacturers in the business. To view those stellar photos, it's also got a nice 4.3-inch AMOLED display.

Of course, a phone is nothing without its differentiating software, so Nokia has loaded it up with ESPN, CNN, and Nokia Drive. Plus, the newest Lumia also has a front-facing camera, so the phone can be used as a video-conferencing device with the built-in Tango app. 

Pricing is anyone's guess at the time of this writing, but Stephen Elop stated that it would be available exclusively on AT&T in the "coming months."

[The Verge]

Nokia buys Smarterphone, going to steer away from Windows Phone a bit?

Although Nokia is telling the world that it's still 100% going forward with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system, what the former company is doing is starting to tell people otherwise. 

Smarterphone is a Norwegian company that develops a smartphone-esque operating system for non-smartphone phones. Nokia acquired this company in November of 2011, but the news is just coming out now. 

Since a large part of Nokia's business is and always will be dumbphones, I think it sounds like some of those phones will actually get this software via an over-the-air update, which will help Nokia gain some ground in the smartphone race. 

Of course, I highly doubt Smarterphone's software will end up on some of Nokia's higher-end phones, but I also think that it could give customers who aren't so tech-savvy a nice "gateway OS" to lead them to buy better and more advanced smartphones in the future. 

Hopefully Microsoft doesn't get too upset at its partner for trying to bridge the gap between the two categories of phones. In all actuality, it could lead to better sales for every platform, so Microsoft shouldn't be too worried.

[TechCrunch]

Nokia tests solar powered phones, finds them impractical

Solar power has always been an interest of mine, so when I first heard about a modern processor powered by a solar cell I became cautiously optimistic about its potential. While it is not at all surprising, a recently concluded study by Nokia found that despite advances like this it will still be quite a while before a solar powered phone is practical.

Although the final verdict is disappointing, the study did yield some interesting results. By customizing a basic phone with a solar panel and deploying testers various places around the world, Nokia found out that using a mobile phone with only solar power was in fact "possible but challenging." This was mostly because while a properly positioned device could harvest enough energy to run all day and make some calls, this was only possible in the best of conditions.

In this study, those perfect conditions were found in Kenya, where the devices would most reliable produce power. This was of course mostly due to the direct sunlight, but also because the tester there was stationary most of the time. In contrast, a tester at the Arctic Circle found very little power despite having long hours of sunlight because of shadows and the low angle of the sun. 

Basically, Nokia found out that with current solar panel technology and device power consumption, a solar powered feature phone is practically impossible, much less a smartphone. Conditions have to be perfect in order to have enough battery to make calls, and the device has to be in direct sunlight almost constantly just to remain in standby. Still, I think it's awesome that Nokia is working on solar powered device, and who knows, eventually they may find a way to make it work. I mean, just consider the potential: solar powered Lumia 900, anyone? 

[Nokia Conversations]

Nokia Ace is the Lumia 900, gets shown off

Apparently, Nokia doesn't think the time you spent with your family opening gifts was enough holiday cheer for you. This bad boy right here is the Nokia Ace Windows Phone, or as Nokia would like you to call it, the Lumia 900.

The picture is a screenshot from a video Christmas card, obviously from Nokia, and the star of the show is the Lumia 900. It's an obvious flub-up from the Finnish company, but it also shows that there is plenty more to be coming to the US after the new year starts off.

What's unclear from the screenshot is if the device will be shipped with Tango or not; Tango has always been considered the OS update to bring Windows Phone to customers who don't want to shell out the big bucks for a good phone, but it could always end up on the higher end devices, too. 

The Lumia 900 is expected to launch in early 2012 alongside a few other LTE Windows Phones for AT&T, the carrier that will be carrying it. Price is unknown, but maybe we'll see a little peek of it at CES.

[Pocketnow]

Concept render of Nokia 803 reveals huge camera, little else

Although Nokia is currently switching to Windows Phone 7 for their devices, occasionally the remaining Symbian users get a little bit of love. Today is one of those days, as a concept image of what appears to be the Symbian-powered successor to the Nokia N8 has just leaked.

Along with the image came a manual, which named the device the 803 and confirmed that it will be running Symbian Belle. It also revealed a few features of the smartphone, like a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 display, HDMI, DLNA, and NFC capabilities. However, most of the specifications are still rumors, such as the 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and display type.

Camera details also remains a mystery, but it seems safe to expect something huge. The N8 packs a 12MP shooter with xenon flash, so if the 803 really is its successor the camera would have to be great. This doesn't necessarily mean more megapixels, but from looking at the size of the camera hump it seems possible that the device will have a large sensor, lense, flash, or even optical zoom. 

According to a source, the device will launch sometime next year, possibly at Mobile World Congress. As far as the camera, Nokia probably has a winner here, but their choice of OS and hardware design are less impressive. It seems odd to me that they continue to release devices with Symbian, while Windows Phone 7 and even MeeGo are better choices. Hopefully soon we'll see some of these awesome cameras on Windows Phone devices, but until then it looks like you will be stuck with Symbian if you want a quality smartphone camera. 

[Digital Trends]

Nokia 710 lands at T-Mobile, looking good in black and white

At long last, Nokia's partnership with Microsoft has finally given something to US consumers in the form of the Nokia Lumia 710 on T-Mobile. 

The phone was announced today at a launch event, and it's the first Nokia handset with Windows Phone 7 to land Stateside. It's a lesser phone than its bigger brother, the Nokia 800, but for only $49.99 on-contract (after a mail-in rebate), you're still getting a 3.7-inch display at 480 x 800, a 1.4GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. 

Since Nokia and Microsoft are best friends, it also comes with Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" and has some awesome Nokia software additions on top of that, like Nokia Concierge and Nokia Drive.

I love the way the 710 looks. It's a really great-looking piece from a hardware company that needs to, and probably will, get back in the phone game here in the US. I've noticed that, towards the end of this year, manufacturers have started to make some really fantastic hardware. Competition is fantastic, and there seems to be quite a bit of it going on now. 

[The Verge]