Pocketables

Nokia N-Series will likely switch from Symbian to Maemo by 2012

Nokia has been holding a series of meetups across the globe over the past month as part of its efforts to support the launch of the new N900 smartphone and Maemo 5 operating system. At yesterday's meetup in London, members of the Maemo marketing team unofficially revealed Nokia's plans to drop the current Symbian (S60) OS from the flagship N-Series range of smartphones and switch to the Linux-based Maemo OS. Symbian will be retained, likely to be used in second-tier smartphones such as the E-Series and X-Series. We've heard about this possibility before, but this latest report is the first time Nokia has indicated how it intends to split its two operating systems across its product portfolio.

The report indicates this will be a gradual process with upcoming N-Series handsets running Symbian already in development. Nokia currently views the N900 and Maemo as "bridge" products mainly targeting developers and enthusiasts, but aims to develop Maemo into a mass market platform to compete with the iPhone OS, Android, and Windows Mobile, competitors that Symbian has been losing market share to.

N900 drops in price yet again, thanks to $50 rebate from Nokia

Many of our regular readers may have noticed my continual posts regarding the long-awaited Nokia N900, and they may have come to the conclusion that I seem to be an N900 fan. Well, I'm here to say "guilty as charged." I've been eagerly awaiting the availability of the newest Maemo device for years now, ever since my N800 started showing its age.

I haven't preordered mine yet and after seeing this latest price drop thanks to a $50 rebate from Nokia, I'm glad I waited. Now through Amazon, the price of the N900 has dropped to a lowest-ever $509.99 after applying said rebate, which is also valid when the purchase is made through other retailers.

Hopefully there is an N900 with my name on it somewhere out there, on its voyage from wherever that has seemed to take forever, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that it gets to Amazon soon so I can click that "add to cart" button.

[Nokia N900 @ Amazon]

Nokia N900 is finally shipping after long delay

Mark it down, Maemo fans: November 10th, 2009. The day that we finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel and start to envision our very own Nokia N900 in our hands very soon, thanks to Nokia officially announcing the shipping of their long-awaited smartphone. It seems that we have been writing about this device forever, and while we have been waiting, the iPhone and Android juggernauts just keep gaining steam.

Of course, there are about 300 lucky users out there who have been running early-release versions of the hardware in order to help Nokia iron out the last few kinks in the all-new Maemo 5 software, but now it is finally time for the rest of us.

Myself, I have been eagerly anticipating the N900 since it was first announced, paying little attention to the fact that it will operate only on the T-Mobile 3G band here in the US, even though I currently use AT&T. No matter, the device is unlocked and will work fine without 3G for me, since this will be the replacement for my beloved Nokia N800 and Nokia N810WE internet tablets that have served me well over the last few years.

Who is with me on the N900 and will be buying one as soon as possible? Or have the announcements of the HTC HD2 and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 caused some hesitation on your part?

[Nokia Press Release]

Nokia releases N97 mini to the masses

My fascination with miniatures pre-dates my interest in handheld devices. As a child, I always chose the fun-sized candy bars when trick-or-treating and preferred Micro Machines to Hot Wheels. So when Nokia publicized an N97 mini last month, I immediately saw a new phone in my future. And now that the mini is officially available for sale, I guess I know how I'll be spending €450 (~$665).

The N97 mini tips the scales at only 2.5 oz, less than half the weight of the original N97 while retaining most of the functionality. It also features a 3.2" screen, 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, HSDPA, 802.11b/g wireless, 8GB of internal storage, and microSD slot.

Anyone else making this their next phone?

[SlashGear]

Nokia N920 possibly already in the works

UPDATE: The image is a fake.

Even though Nokia is still making us hang on the edge of our seats as we wait for them to release the long-awaited N900 running Maemo 5, it seems they are already hard at work on the next N-series family member and OS. Thanks to one of our tipsters, we are able to see an image of a purported early prototype that still appears to be running Diablo, with Maemo 6 a strong possibility to be the OS of choice sometime next year.

While it has been known for quite some time that the Internet Tablet line would have perhaps more than one form factor, now we at least have a little more info and a picture of a new, larger design and the future of Maemo.

New video of Nokia N900 browser

At the expense of appearing to be a total Nokia N900 fanboy, which I readily admit to, here is yet another post to hold us over until the release of Nokia's latest flagship device. Leading up to the Maemo Summit this weekend, the folks over at Nokia Conversations have posted a new video of the Maemo browser being put through its paces. The YouTube video, which is just under six minutes long and can be found past the break, shows off the browser in real-life use and yet again proves that the N900 is going to be a force in the smartphone market.

My WiMAX test fails miserably

Over this past weekend, I was attending a work-related convention in Las Vegas, which just so happens to be one of the cities offering WiMAX service from Clear (formerly Clearwire). Since I normally visit Sin City a few times a year, I had purchased a used Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition a few months back so I could test the new wireless service there. My thinking was that I could purchase a one-day pass for the listed price of $10, then have the convenience of 4G broadband while I was wandering about trying to find the best place to lose my money.

Even though this is Vegas we're talking about, let me just say it was a good thing I didn't gamble on smooth WiMAX connectivity. What I found was far different than what I expected, and I was so glad my Sprint MiFi came along on the trip.

Interesting tidbits for Nokia N900 fans

While the Nokia N900 is possibly only a few short weeks away from release, those of us who are eagerly awaiting its arrival now have some newly-posted thorough previews and pictures to hold us over. Even though Amazon's pre-order link was apparently gone for a few days and replaced with an email notification page, I'm still hopeful that Nokia will come through on their original mid-October promised delivery.

Thanks to Eldar over at mobile-review.com, we now have screenshots of just about every conceivable feature in Maemo 5, and while a picture is supposed to say a thousand words, he really has gone into great detail regarding the software that's powering the new smartphone. Some of the screens may look slightly familiar to those of us with the older-generation Internet Tablets like the N8XX-series, but this is definitely not a rehash of Diablo. It looks like there have been significant upgrades to the desktop customization options and the task manager, not to mention the completely revamped media player. Oh, and I almost forgot about the phone, which will give T-Mobile users here in the U.S. some 3G goodness and cause some jealous glances from AT&T users.

Picking up where Eldar left off, Michal at My-Symbian.com has a complete rundown of not only Maemo 5, but the N900 as well. There are some great size comparison shots of the N900 with other popular Nokia devices, similar to what we are used to seeing here at Pocketables. Also, the camera is tested and delivers some beautiful sample videos and snapshots, which should not surprise anyone who has used a Nokia phone equipped with a 5MP camera. Of note is the excellent readability of the screen, even in sunlight. One possible shortcoming might be the 256MB that is available for third-party app installation, though as Michal points out, this is merely a prototype unit and the firmware is sure to change on shipping units.

Seeing these details and pictures of the N900 is making it look like a perfect combination of three of my favorite devices that I own: the Nokia N95-4, the iPhone 3GS, and the N8XX. Maybe now I won't need three pockets.

Price drop on Nokia N900 at Amazon.com

Even though the Nokia N900 is only available for preordering right now and it has barely been a week since Jenn pointed out its presence on the Amazon.com website, there has already been a nice price drop. Apparently any N900 fans out there who like the idea of saving nearly 10% on their shiny new toy can do just that, with the Maemo 5-based slider now coming in at a penny short of $589.

Considering that ordering from Nokia USA could cost quite a bit more once sales tax is figured in, this seems like a great deal from Amazon, assuming they are able to fulfill orders quickly after release. Of course, the free Bluetooth headset is still being offered on preorders through Nokia, but that doesn't do anything for me given how inexpensive BT headsets are these days. I don't know about everyone else, but I am about ready to pull the trigger on this one, because I've been waiting for a replacement for my N800 for much too long now. 

With a price drop even before release, could it drop even lower in the next few months?

[Nokia N900 @ Amazon]

Nokia N900 up for preorder at Amazon.com

Sure, the Nokia N900 has been available for preorder directly through Nokia USA with free standard shipping for about a week now, but if you live in an area that can also save you from paying sales tax, you might like to know that the Maemo 5 slider can now be purchased at Amazon.com too.

Amazon doesn't bundle the N900 with a free BH-703 Bluetooth headset the way Nokia does, but if you don't need a headset, don't want to pay tax, and/or just have some Amazon gift certificates you need to spend, the mega-retailer isn't a bad place to get rid of $649.

[Nokia N900 @ Amazon]