Ovi Store has been announced, and many people just saw another smartphone applications shop. But it's actually a lot more than that, and its launch could be the most significant thing Nokia has done since entering the mobile phone business, or so reckons Tzer2 in an All About Symbian editorial.
Read on in the full article.
Is the Ovi store the same as the nokia app store? Or is it two different things, thanks.
They're the same thing, but Ovi Store is more than just apps.
I do like the idea of phone billing, but is this just going to be debited on your monthly bill for contract customers or are they going to utilise reverse billing for payg users? Either way, the operators are going to have to come on board to support this which does give me some cause for concern.
Sizzers, it would probably be along the same lines as phone bill payments on N-Gage, which means billing from those networks who support it. Not every network would take part, but that's better than nothing.
In theory bill payment should be possible both for prepaid and monthly bill customers, though whether the networks allow it to happen is up to them.
The only other way of avoiding credit card payments would be an Ovi voucher system, of the kind used by skype, habbo etc. where you buy a physical voucher for cash in a physical shop. Again, this is available for N-Gage in some parts of the world, so we might see it on Ovi too.
Paypal etc aren't going to help because they require a credit card to join, and the whole point of bill payment is to offer an alternative.
I'm glad you mentioned the MOSH store, as that's all this OVI store is...MOSH with a prettier face and tbh MOSH itself was rubbish, so I don't have any high hopes for Nokia getting it right with this either.
Though, "Surprise, surprise" comes to mind about Nokia opening a Store is "Huge" news and can change everything on AllAboutSymbian...
And PLEASE can you stop going on about how Nokia has sold a Bazillion devices as if it means something. How many of those devices are used by your typical Mobile Phone User who sends txts and makes calls? Not bothered in one way or another that they can bury deep into a Nokia Device and find the Ovi Store to buy a new ringtone *Face_Plain*
Hell, my mum has a Nokia, not that you can ever reach her on it though as she hasn't a clue how to use it....loves my iPhone though 😉
Uh Oh, mentioned the i-word, now i'm gonna be classed as an Apple boy...
Though, "Surprise, surprise" comes to mind about Nokia opening a Store is "Huge" news and can change everything on AllAboutSymbian...
If you disagree with my arguments, why not actually say specifically where I got things wrong?
Or do you criticise articles you haven't bothered reading?
Honestly, you're just throwing vague abuse without any real thought put into it. 😊
Not bothered in one way or another that they can bury deep into a Nokia Device and find the Ovi Store
There's no "burying" at all, the store icon is on the front page, where the "download" icon currently is.
And PLEASE can you stop going on about how Nokia has sold a Bazillion devices as if it means something. How many of those devices are used by your typical Mobile Phone User who sends txts and makes calls?
Erm... I'd say 100% of Nokia mobile phones are used by a "typical mobile phone user" who sends texts and makes calls.
😊
What point are you trying to make?
Maybe you meant to say that not everyone wants to buy extra content on their phone?
Well, maybe not, but even if it's only 10% of Nokia users that's still something like 50 to 100 million people.
And, as I said in the article, even if you don't buy a thing you'd still be able to use Ovi Store for downloading freeware, free ringtones, free themes etc.
Well I hope they get it right this time as they've had long enough - and lagged behind enough - to come up with this. Apple got it right from launch, but to be honest I can't say I have great confidence seeing what a fractured mess they made of Ovi. Just hope they learn from their mistakes as I DO want this to succeed.
I have no idea how to quote people (And i'm replying whilst in work so shouldn't be on the net anyway 😉 so just gonna go from what I've just read:
I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95 (Before I got my iPhone, so sometime in 2007 to June 08)
The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.
Why do I disagree with you? As a tech user (I had programs such as Peerbox, a P2P program and Emtube etc) I also created an account with Mosh.
This program was badly designed and looked terrible (Black and green?!) finding content was ok, but finding content that was worthwhile was beyond frustrating! (Kind of like getting anything for Symbian then I guess) Everything was either cracked programs/games or rubbish ringtones/wallpapers that had logos or watermarks on them.
Call all you want but using the App Store was a breath of fresh air, I had no Idea it could be that easy to browse and purchase content on a mobile device (I use a Windows PC, not a Mac) and I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (Which my GF now has and loves, weirdly) and trying to find anything for the phone that was fun or worthwhile (Think that Python Beer app was the last thing that I got and wowed me, then I found iPint...)
Dunno if i've really answered any of your questions mind, been alt+tabbing this window for a while now and haven't really put any cohesion into my thoughts 😛
Unregistered wrote:I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95 (Before I got my iPhone, so sometime in 2007 to June 08)
The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.
Maybe it's a regional thing, but Download! on my N95 (from about the same time as yours) is right on the main menu. So, while not on the home screen, it's hardly "buried" - click the menu key (that's one click) and it's there.
Sizzers wrote:[...]but to be honest I can't say I have great confidence seeing what a fractured mess they made of Ovi.
Have you tried Ovi recently? It's made great strides. OTA sync (contacts, notes, calendar), mail, maps (with sync), gallery, file storage, all with one sign on now.
I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95
...erm... this is a comments thread about an article.
Maybe you could read the article, then comment on it?
Why do I disagree with you?
Disagree with what?
You haven't expressed any specific opinions about the article.
As a tech user (I had programs such as Peerbox, a P2P program and Emtube etc) I also created an account with Mosh
This isn't an article about MOSH.
Maybe... crazy idea... you could READ THE ARTICLE? 😊
Everything was either cracked programs/games or rubbish ringtones/wallpapers that had logos or watermarks on them.
Yeah, but that's because it was a file-sharing service, not an app store.
Comparing MOSH to Ovi Store is like comparing Limewire to Amazon.
I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (
Well, the N95 is quite old now, it launched over two years ago. You might want to try looking at some more recent devices like the N97... as featured in the article.
The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.
You might be talking about the original firmware from two years ago. Things have changed since then, Download is normally on the front page of the menu nowadays.
I dunno then, on my old one even now (Just rang the missus) running V30 it's not on the main Menu page?
Anyway just looked back and didn't really answer any questions, ha.
Oh well, least I had a vent 😊
Oh well, least I had a vent 😊
Don't get the wrong idea, I hate Download as much as you do. 😉
I wrote two long articles for AAS talking about how terrible Download is:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Nokia_need_to_fix_Download.php
...but I think Ovi Store could put things right. Time will tell.
Unregistered wrote:[...]I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (Which my GF now has and loves, weirdly) and trying to find anything for the phone that was fun or worthwhile [...]
I've purchased office software, a QuickBooks-compatible money manager, HandySafe, and downloaded SportsTracker, and a weather application from Download! No beer app. though, no.
Download! definitely is inadequate, woefully so, but there still are some useful applications there.
I mentioned MOSH because you said in the article (Which I DID read) that it would be merged with Download into the OVI store, and I was commenting on how the OVI store sounds like a copy of MOSH (not just apps/ but ringtones/music etc) which was just what MOSH was.
I'm saying that Nokia did a terrible job with Download and MOSH so I don't have any hopes for this OVI store either, but hell, if it's the next best thing since sliced bread (Which it most likely will be on this site, it's from Nokia after all) then i'll hold my hands up and say foul, truce? 😊
Iain 117 wrote:I dunno then, on my old one even now (Just rang the missus) running V30 it's not on the main Menu page?
Odd. I just googled "nokia n95 menu" and the first three images returned all showed Download! on the main menu page:
http://www.filesaveas.com/images/nokia_n95scr02.jpg
Again, it may be a regional thing, and probably it should have been on the home screen in any event.
"Odd. I just googled "nokia n95 menu" and the first three images returned all showed Download! on the main menu page:
Again, it may be a regional thing, and probably it should have been on the home screen in any event."
My bad everyone, she's just called back to say she moved it because "It didn't have anything useful in and it charged me for using it". So i guess she must've moved it.
Women...
Iain 117 wrote:How many of those devices are used by your typical Mobile Phone User who sends txts and makes calls?
Some people have a very strange attitude. Nokia are the world's largest seller of mobile phones, for which they also provide the OS as well. Therefore, the fact that they have decided to launch an App Store is extremely relevant, particularly given that this site is called All About Symbian. No one is claiming that "it's the best thing since sliced bread" (as implied somewhat patronisingly) BUT it is potentially a hugely important improvement in how S40/S60 apps are distributed, particularly considering just how poor Nokia's Download! is/was.
Apple's App Store was launched with a great hullabulloo and was generally well received, so what's wrong with Nokia doing the same and others welcoming the change?! And if it helps those less-experienced users gain access to 3rd party applications, so much the better...
There is another software content market for mobile phones which is/used to be huge and that is the ringtones/wallpapers/java games market. Ovi Store is going to sell ringtones and wallpapers to S40 users, and I expect that Nokia is going to make a lot more money there than with selling apps on S60 devices. It will be interesting to see what will happen to the Jamba's of this world, and what the operators are going to do now they lose some of their SMS subscription income.
Excellent post 😊 Pretty much kills, what I wanted to write, but I'm happy that at least somebody is as excited about the Ovi Store as I am 😊
Starting w 50 million userbase is enourmous (although conversion rate could be low at start) and with each device it will grow. Just this year Ovi Store could reach 20-30 million users and become the largest store itself.
I would gladly take a bet with anyone that items in the store will surpass 50 000 this year.
Maybe one addition to the post: it will serve Maemo also. 😊
How come Nokia didn't of this BEFORE apple, eh? ....Copycats!
How about innovating something for change.
This will turn out to be a complete and total disaster. You heard it here first.
Right on!
Just a reminder to all of the hating, mac fanboys here. Apple barely has 1% of the world wide cell phone market. They are nothing in the grand scheme of things. It's a nice device, but will soon be remembered as the phone that was simply the turning point of design and interaction in the cell phone market.
Unregistered wrote:How come Nokia didn't of this BEFORE apple, eh? ....Copycats!
How about innovating something for change.This will turn out to be a complete and total disaster. You heard it here first.
Nokia has been trying for a number of years to get people to buy software. Remember the Try & Buy program they ran a couple of years ago? This system had (with hindsight) a couple of problems: buying the actual software was quite hard, setting the right price was completely impossible, and the wrong kind of apps were on offer, the user experience wasn't right. There was also Nokia Software Market, which is a "traditional" PDA software store.
The Apple AppStore has shown that it is possible to sell lots of software if you do everything right. In particular it has shown that the user experience is very, very important, as has been said by a number of people (not me, unfortunately) in this forum repeatedly.
I expect the Ovi Store to be a success if Nokia gets the same things right as Apple with their AppStore. It can be an even bigger success if Nokia manages to leverage their bigger userbase, and if they manage to get non-credit card payment to work with out lots of friction.
I wonder to what extent the success of this for the "other 90%" of phone users will depend on the way operators bill for the traffic generated by using this. This is not the same demographic as iPhone users that are typically on fairly high-end monthly contracts with comparably generous "inclusive gigabytes".
While I would expect many existing Download! customers to be "early adopters" who are savvy enough to get make sure their data allowance covers the browsing and downloading they do, what happens to those people who, after downloading their first 4MB music file from Ovi Store, discover that they are still on an old tariff with 10ct/10kB data rates, as is still the case on many pre-paid SIMs here in Germany, where this would cost them 40 EUR in data charges, and probably blow their balance in the first attempt?
In my view, operators are still going to be the gatekeepers to the success of this by deciding whether to charge for Ovi traffic in a special way (e.g. as "on-portal" traffic that is covered by cheaper "WAP" rates), or whether to just bill customers for this as for all other browsing.
ciao marcus
One use-case I think would very cool about this is:
-the Ovi Store allows content like music
-it's powered by a recommendation engine
-people use their phones to listen to music
So, why not do a partnership with last.fm to access their powerful music recommendation system and allow users to let the Ovi Store recommendation system access their music listening behaviour? I'm sure that unsigned artists would love to sell a song or two to people that potentially like their music, by simply adding their stuff to the store and providing the names of a few similar-sounding bands as orientation and let the recommendations do their magic?
mgroeber wrote:I wonder to what extent the success of this for the "other 90%" of phone users will depend on the way operators bill for the traffic generated by using this. This is not the same demographic as iPhone users that are typically on fairly high-end monthly contracts with comparably generous "inclusive gigabytes".While I would expect many existing Download! customers to be "early adopters" who are savvy enough to get make sure their data allowance covers the browsing and downloading they do, what happens to those people who, after downloading their first 4MB music file from Ovi Store, discover that they are still on an old tariff with 10ct/10kB data rates, as is still the case on many pre-paid SIMs here in Germany, where this would cost them 40 EUR in data charges, and probably blow their balance in the first attempt?
In my view, operators are still going to be the gatekeepers to the success of this by deciding whether to charge for Ovi traffic in a special way (e.g. as "on-portal" traffic that is covered by cheaper "WAP" rates), or whether to just bill customers for this as for all other browsing.
ciao marcus
I'm sure Nokia has thought of that. For example, they now have a partnership with Austria's Orange nework that combines unlimited Nokia Maps usage (voice-aided navigation et al) and all data transfer associated with it for 5� per month. I think they could very well go for a similar model with the Ovi Store as well...
I second that. It wd be cool if Nokia Music Store could check what tags I use and music that I listen to on Last.fm.
I for one remain skeptical considering the latest releases from Nokia. Many of their hi profile phones have had nothing but problems, to include: E90, N85, N95, N79, 5800XM. There are pages and pages on the Nokia forum talking about bad quality in the build, software glitches, and very shoddy support from Nokia. With this in mind, I see the software side of Nokia being no better. Hopefully they can make a turn around but it looks like Apple will have the runaway Application store for the near future. I have several friends that work inside of Nokia as well as some that work for companies developing apps and interface products for Nokia and they all say the same thing: Nokia is more concerned with shipping phones than they are with quality control or fully functioning software. They go on to say that anyone who purchases a Nokia phone is doing nothing more than paying to be a beta tester. This is evident in how for more than 2 months Ovi did not support the N85, and to this day still does not officially support the 5800XM. This is bad business and does not inspire a lot of confidence.
