In part 2 of our MWC interview with Anssi Vanjoki, EVP of Markets at Nokia, there is discussion of how moving Symbian into the Symbian Foundation stops the platform being "fractioned by individual product programs [within Nokia]". We also touch on whether there is a future for the Nokia N95 form factor smartphone.
In the second half Anssi Vanjoki talks about Nokia's software strategy and how the common elements of Qt and common Web Runtime provide a unifying layer between Symbian and MeeGo. He then touches on the importance of opensource as a new 'software making model' for Nokia moving forward.
Read on in the full article.
It is a bit sad that smartphones,in general, will only be touch/touch qwerty hybrids in the future.Is touch that much favoured?
Sadly it seems like it. Although I hope that the E71/E72 form factor somehow survives the touchscreen rage.
I think he has completely missed a point about the N95 form factor - the N95 sold like hotcakes precisely because it was so useable. That hasn't stopped just because another form is also useable. Personally I just can't get on with touchscreen phones, so I guess I'm off elsewhere having been with Nokia since the Nokia Orange in 1995😞
Interesting that the first 3 comments all ignore Meego, Qt and whatever because we all disagree with what he says about the form factor. I hope Nokia is listening!
I agree, I am for one bitterly disappointed that they see the dual slide form factor disappearing. It's clear that touch is grabbing all the column inches at the moment but TBH, neither touch nor hybrid devices are as convenient as slide when it comes to one-handed operation. Given the large number of E-Series / Blackberry phones out there I can't see them dropping that form factor too quickly so does that mean that people who prefer to use their phone one-handed will be forced down this route, loosing the larger screen sizes? Obviously operations like web surfing are better suited to touch but why not have a hybrid slide form factor - it's been done before, why do we have to put up with a chunky qwerty keyboard if we rarely use it?
ILG
I was wondering about this when I heard this / wrote about it. Notice the in general and smartphone qualifiers.
We are talking about in general and over several years too. This almost certainly means we will see devices outside this too... the E71/E72 form factor is not going anywhere.
I think it is probably a mistake make assumptions about the form factor vanishing - instead we might talk about the dominant input mechanism. We'll see Hybrid devices. Think about an E72 like device with a touch screen (like the Sony Ericsson Aspen for example). I think we'll see smaller device too in the mold of the traditional dual sliders too - perhaps touch only (Sony Ericsson X10 Mini springs to mind).
Look here too: http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/10808_Nokias_masterplan_for_2010.php
Oh and do look at the rest of the info - a lot of interesting strategy detail.
You think a VP of Nokia is missing the point about the N95 formfactor? 😃
"In general" means: in general. There will very likely be exceptions. Candybars have their lovers. Sliders have their lovers. If there are enough of them Nokia will make phones for them. The E72 formfactor will likely survive for the foreseeable future, largely due to Nokia's need to keep providing RIM an alternative.
Anyway, SF and Maemo/Meego were the more interesting parts of the interview.
Rafe: didn�t Nokia sell 10 milion touchphones in Q4 2009 out of 20 million smartphones - in other words much more than expected based on the diagram? Maybe they�ve changed their minds since then?
Most important for me was their realisation that it is an incredible pain to have specialised versions of the OS for each device generation. Hopefully the days when even their own beta labs provide new software only for N** or E**, although other devices seem to have the same OS version, will be gone.
And I think the excitement around MeeGo won't start until we see the first devices and pictures of how the OS will look like.
Why is everyone hung up about the form factor thing? What did you all do before the N95 came along?
Anyway if you care that much about it, tell Nokia. Directly. Write to them spelling out why you think you would make a better EVP of Markets for Nokia than Anssi Vanjoki. Simple really.
Personally given how integrated the development procedure is looking for MeeGo and Symbian^x in the future via Qt, and that Apple are off playing God again, then I can see a lot more development �/$/� rolling in from the venture capital types just looking for the "first" million �/$/� app that will be rolled out. So a personal message would be, stop worrying about the hardware so much and start giving more thought to what OS you are going to want, MeeGo or Symbian^x
Unregistered wrote:Rafe: didn�t Nokia sell 10 milion touchphones in Q4 2009 out of 20 million smartphones - in other words much more than expected based on the diagram? Maybe they�ve changed their minds since then?
The chart refers to number of models not sales. Some devices sell more than others. The chart show Nokia expect to have mre touch only, hbrid and QWERTY device models in its portfolio. It does means that more devices were sold per touch model (given success of 5800 / 5530 that's no suprise).
Nemoi wrote:Most important for me was their realisation that it is an incredible pain to have specialised versions of the OS for each device generation. Hopefully the days when even their own beta labs provide new software only for N** or E**, although other devices seem to have the same OS version, will be gone.And I think the excitement around MeeGo won't start until we see the first devices and pictures of how the OS will look like.
Absolutely. It's a really critical point this.
Insane Reindeer wrote:Personally given how integrated the development procedure is looking for MeeGo and Symbian^x in the future via Qt, and that Apple are off playing God again, then I can see a lot more development �/$/� rolling in from the venture capital types just looking for the "first" million �/$/� app that will be rolled out. So a personal message would be, stop worrying about the hardware so much and start giving more thought to what OS you are going to want, MeeGo or Symbian^x
I agree. I think if you look at Nokia's overall software strategy it is extremely compelling. How well that is executed and how well that translates into devices is clearly an separate issue. And if you;re looking at building big scale it is the infrastructure that really matters... the days of single devices are gone.
It would be a big mistake if nokia abandon's E-series qwerty's, which I hope they won't.
I believe people will stop talking about touchscreen devices an year from now because every other manufacturer will be on this touchscreen train.
I am using a Nokia 5800 and I am frustrated with the touch UI.
I had Nokia E62, BB 8320 in the past and I had no trouble with the devices.When I press the keys, I know the task is completed.
I thought of buying nokia n900 or N97 Mini but I dropped that idea due to its slide Qwerty.In fact I hate horizontal/side slide qwerty's.
N95 form factor is absolutely different. I love that form factor.
It would be a winner for nokia in the future if they change the keyboard to qwerty while maintaining the same form factor.
Also would be nice to see a optical track pad on the face.
Innovation is what Nokia is famous for.
I hated the N95 dual slider, the slide mechanism went all loose and grindy. I think the media button slide was pointless. The only reason I bought an N95 is because it uniquely packed all features into a convenient small size. GPS/WiFi/3G. Operating the keypad was uncomfortable because it is set so far back from the front of the phone where the D-Pad is.
Candy bar phones offer one handed operation, as do the narrow 5800,5530 style.
The dominant form factors are touch, blackberry and candybar. Complex mechanisms as originated with the Psions in the 90s are now dated, expensive to manufacture and prone to failure. I suspect that slides will continue in niche, just as clamshell does, but mainly on basic phones.
i dont see why everyone is saying the dual slider form factor is disappearing. nokia made the n86, and the n85 before it, and then the n95 models. nokia is making them. if everybody stops buying them then nokia will stop making them. but so far the n86 seems to be a dual slider form factor, and its a recent phone.
E61i + touchscreen = profit
Today these large screen touchscreen devices and finger touch UIs are the megatrend in smartphones, but in two or five years it can be something totally different.
We should remember just some six years ago almost everybody was mad about clamshell models, and after that many were crazy about getting as thin a phone as possible.
Who figures out the next megatrend and leads that? We don't know yet.
Great interview series so far!
I gotta say though, that voice over:
Stay tuned for more, All About Symbian and Mobile Industry Review
Really cracks me up 😊
The 'fellow' at 3:50sec is an N900!
I'd love to see the N86 form factor and buttons but with the screen of the 5800 XM. Too bad it is not planned by Nokia.
I really dont�t believe that Nokia is changing. They are just trying to clean the public image.
How can they release the flgaship N900 and two months later announce that the OS it's based on is going to be abandoned and they refuse to say what is happening with the device?
They should be honest and if the N900 is not going to receive Meego nor Ovi Maps they should say so and don't play with te words.
I think that the N900 is a fantastic device but now is in a limbo. I had one for a couple of days and liked it. (I did return it because Nokia Spain refused to give me a correct invoice) I planned to buy another one, but now I'm waiting for Nokia to clarify.