Do you think Symbian and Nokia smartphones will be relevant in the future?

I'll find something running linux or windows mobile and use that instead. No hassles with application signing and so on. The N95 was my last Nokia.

iphone doesn't support 3g. as the US doesn't have it. unless they have a version in the future?

Casperuk wrote:iphone doesn't support 3g. as the US doesn't have it. unless they have a version in the future?

Thats all i am waiting for. I am guessing summer anouncement.

I regret getting the N95 8GB now since software development seems to be dying now. There is literally nothing interesting on it anymore besides software from people Samir etc.

Nokia have done a poor job. Ovi this and that. What for? Its hopeless against Google etc. since they already have successful desktop based apps. Windows mobile seems to be going much stronger nowadays. Stuff like the new opera and google gears are great.

Nokia's support is horrible, the software is hardly updated and when you do a firmware update, only afew things update yet you lose everything on the phone! Stuff like the email and internet browser are the same as they were 2-3 years ago. Is that hard to even do small updates? By the time they do touch they will be behind on a hundred other things.

The other thing is T-Mobile's 3.5G speed is very bad. When i change to 2G my speeds arent that different. Also lack of visual voicemail etc.makes that aspect a pain.

Too little too late.

Right now my motivation is along the lines of cant be bothered to use my N95 8GB other than for phone calls and text.

the USA has HSDPA 3G network, on ATT. supposedly the 3G iphone will come out eventually. i agree about the symbian signed and apps seem to be slowing down. ever since s60v3 its just not been the same.

even if we just install Applications what don't have to be signed theres still 100's more apps to install than on any other platform
oh and by the way if you just buy apps or get the official releases from developers,certificate signing is not a problem as they are already signed or developers like samir will get them signed for you for donating

fdxd: Go get a geocaching app and have fun, go get a Garmin Mobile XT and have a handy car nav, go get worms world party and have a good entertainment. There's a plenty of things you can do with your phone.

This may seem out of the ordinary, as most of the people here are well versed in adding applications to our phones, but nokias strength is in its phones, not so much the software.

Certainly, theres a huge part of it in that, but most of the people I know, friends and family buy the phones just for the features and looks, or reliability.

And how many people buy nokias just because they are nokias and they like the menu system?

Nokia sells the best phones in reality. I dont say that as a fanboy, I will use whatever is best for me. And I have gone over to motorola in the past. Admittedly I went straight back to nokia, but that was for extremely valid reasons. Im very eager to try the newest windows mobile 6, but I simply havent found any hardware thats tempting me compared to what nokia offer.

Quite simply, nokia are always that small step ahead in terms of phones. Theres only just things starting to rival the N95 coming out.

For example, take the X1. It looks fantastic, but its not out yet and it still cant match the N95 specs. No 5mp camera for starters. And the form factor is getting a little on the long side, obviously due to touch screen and qwerty.

For your general mobile phone sized phone, nokia always seems to have the hardware sorted.

bartmanekul wrote:For example, take the X1. It looks fantastic, but its not out yet and it still cant match the N95 specs. No 5mp camera for starters. And the form factor is getting a little on the long side, obviously due to touch screen and qwerty.

For your general mobile phone sized phone, nokia always seems to have the hardware sorted.

Agreed. I often hear people talking about how Windows Mobile is superior, but to me, WM devices are almostly in a different category - they usually have touchscreen and/or QWERTY, which although good, will always mean a larger handset. In fact my brain often associate WM devices with PDAs, which won't really appeal to the majority of normal phone users.

Exactly. And the few traditional phone sized WM devices are just nowhere near the spec Id like.

Take my 6110 for example - there was absolutly nothing matching those specs at the time. Im not sure there is now, but I havent really been looking since.

Still tempted to give the X1 a bash though. I know its long, but its the first qwerty (and touch screen, for that matter) to be a size where I might use it.

So, as long as nokia stay ahead of the hardware game, they wont die. If symbian can pull its fingers out (with simple things like integrating calender with contacts!), then they wont have any problem at all.

You're absolutely right, Bartmanekul. The power of S60 is in the hardware, not the software. I switched from touchscreen windows mobile last year and it was a hard blow to loose all that great soft. Yes, there are so much more for WM than S60, despite what some may think. Especially utils that lets you take control over your device, like hardware buttons and the standby screen. But the extremely good hardware of the N95 and later the N95 8GB still made it a switch worth while.

When you are struggling in the software side, like S60 obviously is, the last thing you'd wanna do is to make things worse, so that's what Symbian did! These days I am working on installers for my programs settings, so if I have to do a hard reset or flash, I can install the old settings and reg files using a .sis installer. Much faster than going through setting up each app individually again. Combined with the ingenious InstallFast util, setup can be a breeze. But of course InstallFast have to be signed and the same goes for my experimental installers. This means that only yesterday I used my certificate 20 times or more, while learning how to make a functional installer. I am now aware that this is the last S60 phone I can do this with, from now on I have to hope that great programmers like those doing InstallFast will make it usersignable online. I will also have to upload each test installer online and wait for it to return via email, provided I can figure out how to set up everything for SS to allow this. Is this acceptable?

The answer is a clear NO! I can't even pay $200 to get a developers certificate, because I am just a private user. I have a $1.000 device and I am not allowed to do my own work on it. Nothing remotely 'smart phone' about that.

So now the waiting game begins. When will a Windows Mobile device be presented with hardware strong enough to replace my N95 8GB, IMHO the best device on the market at all? The Asus P750 looks strong, but does it actually deliver or will I have to wait another few months? 3 months? 6? More? No matter what, the S60 platform is dead as far as advanced smartphones goes, so I will just have to wait as long as it takes, 'cause this is my last S60.

Realisticaly they've all had it- in 3 or 4 years all you'll need is a full browser and a data plan. Everything else can be done better online including storage.

Do what I did and keep your N95 and get an N810 for awesome web.
The N810 uses the N95 as a Bluetooth modem (no need to touch the N95) - you just select the shown mobile connection.
Plus it runs on Linux Maemo - so no signing issues and free apps.
The large, high-rez touchscreen is stunning and the web browsing is brilliant.
Get one and you'll wonder how you managed without. 😃

shug wrote:Realisticaly they've all had it- in 3 or 4 years all you'll need is a full browser and a data plan. Everything else can be done better online including storage.

If you live in the UK, thats very often not a viable solution with such bad data tariffs we have.

Do what I did and keep your N95 and get an N810 for awesome web.

Im sure its good for web etc, but carrying it around will put most people (including me) right off. It would stay at home, and theres naff all point in that for me as Id just use my PC then.

bartmanekul wrote:If you live in the UK, thats very often not a viable solution with such bad data tariffs we have.

Im sure its good for web etc, but carrying it around will put most people (including me) right off. It would stay at home, and theres naff all point in that for me as Id just use my PC then.

But for power-users and web-junkies, the N810 is a godsend.

So until such time as you have, I'd say try and resist the temptation to knock it until you've tried it.

And incidentally, if you need affordable data - look no further than T-Mobile ... 10-GB a month for 22-quid.
Brilliant for internet radio on your N95 - esp. ported through your car stereo.
Brilliant for Bluetooth modem tethering your N95 to your N810 for anywhere web access.
No brainer.

Depends on your lifestyle.
If you have no need of web on the move or on-the-spot web around the house, then maybe not.
But those with laptops, find that their laptop usage significantly decreases with the N810 ... I know mine does.

But for power-users and web-junkies, the N810 is a godsend.

So until such time as you have, I'd say try and resist the temptation to knock it until you've tried it.

And incidentally, if you need affordable data - look no further than T-Mobile ... 10-GB a month for 22-quid.
Brilliant for internet radio on your N95 - esp. ported through your car stereo.
Brilliant for Bluetooth modem tethering your N95 to your N810 for anywhere web access.
No brainer.

Many people want low priced contracts, me included. Currently Im on £25 a month in which I keep to all my texts, calls and data (160mb). Paying £22 extra would almost double my costs.

Of course, I wouldnt keep in this limit if I had to do most things online. And I live in a rural area where 3G coverage is non existant. Hence why I think if it can be done on the phone, it should.

For most people the tablet isnt viable. Sure its a nice toy, but for many people, if your going to carry around a seperate device to work on, then its going to be a laptop. The keyboard layout and size as well as the screen make it this way. Good for internet viewing, but for a workhorse its just not going to replace a laptop for most people. Main strength of the N95 is that its a convergance device.

I digress, apologies!

As much as I like symbian, I think they really need to get it together in the 'smartphone' market. So far, Ive been pleased with it. But more and more, Ive started to do things I thought I wouldnt, like do reviews away from home.

If I find things difficult, it could push me to WM. But then there still isnt any devices that I like.

bartmanekul wrote:Unless of course you dont get Tmobile signal where you live. Or the package doesnt suit you. Or dont fancy spending £22 extra a month just for data.

Many people want low priced contracts, me included. Currently Im on £25 a month in which I keep to all my texts, calls and data (160mb). Paying £22 extra would almost double my costs.

Of course, I wouldnt keep in this limit if I had to do most things online. And I live in a rural area where 3G coverage is non existant. Hence why I think if it can be done on the phone, it should.

For most people the tablet isnt viable. Sure its a nice toy, but for many people, if your going to carry around a seperate device to work on, then its going to be a laptop. The keyboard layout and size as well as the screen make it this way. Good for internet viewing, but for a workhorse its just not going to replace a laptop for most people. Main strength of the N95 is that its a convergance device.

I digress, apologies!

As much as I like symbian, I think they really need to get it together in the 'smartphone' market. So far, Ive been pleased with it. But more and more, Ive started to do things I thought I wouldnt, like do reviews away from home.

If I find things difficult, it could push me to WM. But then there still isnt any devices that I like.

o2 have the unlimited bolt on, i'm not use of the fair usage allowance but it would be enough for online radio and causal web browsing.

saying that the real player works in the browser so if you go to radio 1 and play the stream it just works.

Casperuk wrote:o2 have the unlimited bolt on, i'm not use of the fair usage allowance but it would be enough for online radio and causal web browsing.

saying that the real player works in the browser so if you go to radio 1 and play the stream it just works.

And so this thread turned into a discussion about flat rate data in the UK... 😊