Pocketables

Maemo MIDs for "high-end mobile computing segment" in the works

I don't think there was really ever any doubt that Maemo 5 (and beyond) would be used on more than just the Nokia N900, but it's still nice to hear from Nokia Nseries VP Jonas Geust that the company's future plans include launching additional Maemo-based MIDs for the high-end market while continuing to release Symbian units for the mass market.

It isn't clear whether all of these upcoming MIDs will feature cellular phone functions, but with Maemo being about the "internet first" and providing a "true computer experience in small package," it seems reasonable to assume that a non-phone version of the N900 with a larger screen may not be just a pipe dream. And I know I'm not alone is saying that I would buy something like that in a heartbeat.

Wouldn't you?

Now Flash needs to hurry and join the party

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

Looking at the graphic to the left and reading the title at the top, it would be easy to assume that this article is about a certain comic book character. But don't worry, it has to do with a different type of Flash, the kind that doesn't have a cool looking figurine toy to go along with it. Maybe in the near future, Adobe Flash can achieve performance that can be illustrated by a lightning bolt logo, but it's not there yet.

With the official announcement finally escaping from Nokia's tight grip yesterday, the N900 became an actual product, not just a mystery device depicted in spyshots. But the real mystery is if this will finally be the non-Intel MID that crashes the gates to the Adobe Flash castle. After many years of hope arriving with the promises of each new device, we are left wondering what the delay is, all the while enjoying the full spectrum of Flash goodies on our more powerful Windows-based computers.

After being disappointed too many times to remember, could Nokia actually be ready to break the cycle and deliver the perfect device?

Nokia N900 gets official

All the recent leaks and live photos certainly take the air out of Nokia's N900 announcement today, but nonetheless, the Maemo 5 slider that has disappointed those who were hoping for a "real" N810 successor is now officially official.

There aren't any surprises hidden in the press release, so the device that "has evolved from Nokia's previous generation of Internet Tablets" does indeed pack an ARM Cortex A8 CPU and 1GB of application memory inside its sliding QWERTY housing, which of course features the same 3.5-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen that many of us were hoping would be bigger. Other highlights we already knew about include the 32GB of internal storage, microSD slot (up to 16GB cards supported), and 5-megapixel camera.

How have your feelings about the Nokia N900 changed?

When the first set of images of the upcoming Nokia N900 (RX-51/Rover) were posted earlier this month, some of you expressed disappointment in the comments section over the fact that the Internet Tablet of yore was being turned into a smartphone with a 3.5-inch screen.

Pocketables reader Sarig shared this sentiment and said the device was "too small now" and that he "may as well get a run-of-the-mill smartphone instead." Today, however, after seeing all of the images and screen captures of the N900 put out by Mobile-review.com, Sarig emailed me with a link to the article and said: "I was all but ready to discard the N900 because of its smaller screen, but now I want one!"

Have any of you had a similar change of heart?

Is the Nokia RX-51 (N900) living up to expectations?

It looks like all those months of speculation and leaks about the rumored Nokia N900 (Rover), long overdue successor to the N810 Internet Tablet, weren't spent in vain. Recently discovered FCC docs and a slew of in-the-wild shots (via Engadget) both confirm a new 3G-enabled device called the Nokia RX-51, which not only looks almost exactly like the image produced by CellPassion a few months ago but seems to be in keeping with previously reported specs as well.

That means that it's probably safe to expect a 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen, OMAP3450 500MHz/600MHz processor, Maemo 5, 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, 32GB internal storage, 1GB virtual runtime memory, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, and possibly phone capabilities through T-Mobile to all be part of the Nokia RX-51's feature set.

Assuming this is all true and the device shown above is indeed the N900/Rover, is it everything you hoped for?

Intel to supply Nokia with chips for mobile devices

In a conference call scheduled for tomorrow, Intel is expected to announce a new deal it's penned that will see its mobile processors tucked inside upcoming devices by Nokia.

Exact details are still under wraps, but given Intel's recent showcase of Moorestown-based mediaphones at Computex and the partnership with LG it announced several months earlier, news of the PC chip maker's aggressive interest in the cell phone market is hardly out of left field. A deal with Nokia, on the other hand, is extremely significant, not to mention surprising in the very best way possible.

Could the rumored Nokia N900 be revamped to include a little Intel inside?

UPDATE: The announcement (press release) wasn't what many were hoping for, but I think the two companies entering a "long-term relationship to develop a new class of Intel Architecture-based mobile computing device and chipset architectures" that involves "innovative hardware, software and mobile Internet services" is great news.

[Bloomberg via IntoMobile]

Specs and photo of the Nokia N900 Internet Tablet leaked?

Fans of the Nokia line of Internet Tablets have been waiting for a successor to the N810 to appear. The rumored replacement received an unofficial and brief introduction at the Open Source in Mobile Conference last September where it was revealed that the new device would have integrated 3G, a faster Ti OMAP3 processor, and a high definition camera.

It's been a long seven months of relative silence since then, but it looks like our patience may have been rewarded. MobileCrunch, citing information from an inside source at Nokia, has just provided the blogosphere with most of the supposed specs of the next generation Nokia Internet Tablet. Not to be outdone, the folks at CellPassion have produced the first photo of the device and labeled it as the Nokia N900 Rover. According to the leaked information, the N900 will run Maemo 5 and will sport a 3.5-inch 800×480 touchscreen, OMAP3430 500/600MHz processor, 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera (with dual-LED flash, autofocus, and sliding cover), 1GB total virtual runtime memory (256MB physical RAM, 768MB virtual memory), WiFi, GPS, HSPA connectivity, and 32GB internal storage expandable up to 48GB via external memory.

The specs include support for quad-band GSM, which with the smaller 3.5-inch screen and lack of a D-pad make the device rather phone-ish. Last December, Nokia executive Ukko Lappalainen stated that the company may consider using Maemo for some of its high-end handsets instead of Android. Perhaps this leak is not about the Internet Tablet after all but about one of those handsets instead. With a potential announcement rumored for June, we may not have to wait much longer to find out what Nokia has planned for this rather interesting device.

This post was written by Kelly Hodgkins, long-time fan of mobile devices and news writer at The Boy Genius Report.

Hurry up, Nokia: Your window is closing

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

It's hard to believe it's been nearly four years, but back in 2005 something was introduced into the market that was revolutionary. At a time when the iPhone was just a pipedream and the mention of an iPod conjured up an image of a click wheel, Nokia set out to develop a small, touchscreen device called the 770 Internet Tablet. It was a strange move for the company, considering that this new device would not have any cell phone capabilities, and yet Nokia was then the largest phone manufacturer in the world.

Based on an open-source version of Linux called Maemo, the 770 was released in 2005 and suddenly became a favorite among Linux fans and those who had tired of their Windows Mobile PDAs. Its main draw was the landscape-oriented, 800x480-pixel touchscreen that came in at just below five inches, which was unheard of at the time, and it made using the Opera-based web browser via WiFi or Bluetooth a complete mobile joy.

But even with a few new models and upgrades to the OS over the next three years, Nokia has been struggling to keep up with the many new competitors over the past few years, including the rather large one from Cupertino. As we inch closer to the new Maemo 5 and hopefully a new hardware device this year, Nokia needs to get moving quick before the window that they flung open back in 2005 shuts completely on the Internet Tablet.

Nokia Sparrow MID due in 2011

Alright, well, 2011 is an eternity away in tech years and the image you see above is just a mock-up, but if you're looking for something new and far away from realization to dream about, then how about a purported ARM Sparrow-based Nokia MID with a "multi-slide keyboard" that has different layouts/keys depending on the direction it's slid? The device is also rumored to have raised diamond-shaped keys, a tilting display, and a widget-based UI. By 2011, it should also be able to walk the dog, transform into an airplane, and raise your children. But that's just speculation.

In the meantime, I'll "settle" for a next-gen Maemo 5 Nokia Internet Tablet.

[Unwired View]

Nokia discontinues N810 WiMAX Edition

I don't think this will be too shocking to anyone, but Nokia has stopped producing/selling the N810 WiMAX Edition Internet Tablet it announced in April 2008.

Just two months ago, the device was in stock and shipping from Amazon. Today, though it can still be found online and the original N810 is still very much alive and well, a Nokia spokesperson confirmed that the WiMAX Edition will no longer be offered on the company's website. Reasons for the discontinuation were not given, but considering that you can pretty much count the number of cities with WiMAX-coverage on one hand, it isn't tough to figure out.

The good news is that according to Hack in the Box (via Crave), there are no hard feelings: Nokia isn't turning its back on WiMAX indefinitely. In fact, the company spokesperson acknowledges that "refreshed products with even better performance will be required" when WiMAX is more widespread.

Whether Nokia will be the one doing the "refreshing" is unconfirmed at the moment, but it sure seems likely.