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 NokiaUgh... Nokia Laying off 330 in Research & DevelopmentGigaOm's Kevin Kelleher wrote about exactly what I've been wondering about recently... Why Are Tech Layoffs Rising in a Recovery? Earlier this month, I commented about... Sprint Reportedly Shedding 4.5% (up to 2500) Workers Microsoft cut 800 jobs earlier this month too (see TechFlash). And, here's another high profile firm with their own bad news... Nokia to lay off up to 330 R&D staffers Nokia has 17,000 workers in the research and development area. So, 330 jobs is not a huge number or percentage relatively speaking. FYI, Nokia currently has 123,347 employees according to Yahoo! Finance. This means that 13.8% of its workforce is in R&D (roughly 1 out of every 8 employees). The one potential bright spot is that my observation is that large companies are slow moving and take longer to turn things around during an economic recovery (assuming we are in such a recovery right now). Growth will come from smaller and more nimble firms. Another 2012 End of the World Scenario? Bye Bye Nokia N-Series Smartphones in 2012When I wrote about... Nokia N900 Maemo-based Smartphone Available Now ...last week, I wondered out loud by writing: I wonder if the Maemo based N900 means the N97 is the last of the high-end S60 phones from Nokia? Based on this item over on "The Really Mobile Project"... Nokia dropping Symbian from N-Series by 2012 [UPDATED] ...the N97 may not be the very last of the high-end Nokia N-series S60 phones. But, it does apparently mark the beginning of the end. So, with the exception of RIM (BlackBerry) and Microsoft (Windows Mobile), all of the major smartphone platforms are Linux/UNIX based (Android, iPhone, Maemo, webOS). Amazing Photos from Around the World Taken with the Nokia N86 8 Megapixel CameraphoneThe best quality cameraphone photos I've ever seen came from the Nokia N96's integrated camera. I used the N96 as my primary voice phone for most of this year and took quite a few photos with its 5 megapixel camera during that time. The Nokia N86 raised the photographic bar by providing an 8 megapixel camera with a good lens. Nokia Conversations collected some of the excellent photos taken around the world using the N86... A Nokia World – pictures from the N86 8MP The photos' sharpness and color saturation look great. My only small criticism is that like photos from all other cameraphones I've tried, there seems to be a slight magenta tint in the photos. It is most noticable when looking at photos that include a daytime sky. I should note that in some of my own tests with other phones (mostly Windows Mobile phones), the tint was not slight. These kind of minor color issues can be corrected using a photo editor if the photo is important enough to bring in for a bit of tweaking though. Nokia N900 Maemo-based Smartphone Available Now
If you wanted to buy the Maemo (not Symbian S60) powered Nokia N900 in the U.S., now is the time according to Nokia Conversations... I popped over to Amazon.com and found it available for $559.99 (list price is $649.99) with free shipping. The bad news for Nokia fans is that none of the major U.S. carriers sells it as a subsidized product. The good news is that the $560 price gets you an unlocked N900. I wonder if the Maemo based N900 means the N97 is the last of the high-end S60 phones from Nokia? Opera Mobile 10 beta for Nokia S60 Phones Free Now, What About Later?
Most people have never heard of the Opera desktop browser. And, yet it has been the source of many browser innovations that we now take for granted: Tabbed windows, mouse gestures, and start windows filled with thumbnails of frequently visited sites all come from Opera as far as I can tell. Despite this, Opera never gained much desktop marketshare despite some good buzz at the beginning of this decade. Similarly, the high-end mobile browser, Opera Mobile, never gained much traction either despite the fact that it may have been the most complete mobile browser for years (even before the iPhone). I attribute this to their charging a fee for this browser (their lower end Opera mini has always been free). It looks like this has changed though. Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta for Windows Mobile has been available for free for a while now. And, now Opera Mobile 10 Beta for Nokia S60 phones is also free... Mobile browsing revolution: now available for Nokia smartphones Earlier beta releases were also free but production releases required payment. There doesn't seem to be any indication that the production releases of the current beta releases will be for-fee products. If Opera wants to gain traction in a world where all smartphone already come with a browser, they need to keep their product free to even hope to attract users. You can find Opera Mobile 10 Beta for Nokia S60 phones by pointing your S60 mobile browser at: Google Voice Search Comes to Nokia S60 Phones
Good news for Nokia S60 smartphone users... Google Search by voice travels the world, finds Nokia, learns Chinese And, it became potentially useful to millions of potential users by supporting spoken queries in Mandarin Chinese. Nice, I guess. But, as I've mentioned in this blog before, my experience with voice search has been if-fy at best, amusing most of the time (funny errors), and often useless. I haven't tried Google voice search on my iPhone since trying it when it first became available and finding it frustrating and annoying to use. Nokia Disengaging N-Gage September 2010N-Gage started out as a Nokia mobile game phone way back in 2003. It was, in some ways a proto-iPhone with serious (for the time) gaming chops that was also a capable voice phone. However, unlike the iPhone, N-Gage did not have a thriving app eco-system grow up around it. And, it disappeared from the shelves relatively soon afterwards. Nokia wasn't done with it, however. N-Gage re-emerged as a mobile gaming brand for Nokia. So, what now? Well, it is disappearing again according to this N-Gage press release... Mobile gaming evolves – Ovi Store is here Here are the details... - N-Gage games can be purchased until September 2010 That's it! Goodbye again, N-Gage! Looks like Maemo (Linux) is Nokia's New Flagship Phone Platform: S60 Moves Down a NotchI was puzzled after reading this VentureBeat subject line... Nokia to invade U.S. market - will launch new phone with AT&T Nokia introduced their E71x to the U.S. through AT&T earlier this year. And, since when does a single phone constitute an invasion? Well, one phone may not make an invasion. But, I understand VentureBeat's interest in what Nokia and AT&T are partnering around: The Maemo-based N900. Nokia hasn't been able to get any of their previous flagship Symbian S60 based N90 series phones to be sold through any of the major mobile carriers in the U.S. This includes the N97 introduced earlier this year. So, it is quite a big deal for Nokia to get what is apparently its new flagship phone model and platform sold through AT&T in the U.S. So, it looks like Symbian's S60 will be a mid-range platform for Nokia going forward while Maemo (a Linux based operating system) will be the flagship platform. Why is Nokia Suing Apple Over Alleged Patent Violations 2+ Years After the iPhone's Launch?
Nokia press release: Nokia sues Apple in Delaware District Court for infringement of Nokia GSM, UMTS and WLAN patents The press release notes that the lawsuit involves ten Nokia patents which are already licensed by about 40 companies. A quote from Nokia's VP for Legal and Intellectual Property, in the same press release, states: By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation. I assume from this that Nokia and Apple have discussed this already and have not come to terms. The Silicon Alley Insider's take on this lawsuit is... Lame Nokia Sues Apple Over iPhone Patent Infringement Sometimes a picture can tell a story. The Year-To-Date share price performance by Apple (AAPL) and Nokia (NOK) as seen in the chart above might provide insight regarding Nokia's motivation. Personally, I hope this can be resolved quickly to each firm's satisfaction so they can both get back to concentrating on designing, building and selling great products. Unlocked Nokia N900 Internet Tablet/Phone (with keyboard) Discounted for Pre-Order on Amazon
First things first, don't confuse the Nokia N900 with Nokia's N and E series smartphones. The N900 uses the Linux-based Maemo operating system instead of Symbian S60 and is related to the N700 and N800 series of internet tablets that Nokia has produced over the past several years... Nokia N900 designed to get better the more you use it Like the N800 models, the N900 has a pull-out QWERTY keyboard as well as a touch screen. The N900 isn't shipping the U.S. yet. But, I found that Amazon already has a discounted price for an unlocked model usable on any GSM based network (AT&T & T-Mobile in the U.S.). Amazon's pre-order price for the N900 is $582.99 (compare this to the $649 list price). PreviouslyQik Streaming Video App Update for Nokia S60 3rd & 5th Edition Smartphones Netflix for Nokia App Highlights Nokia's App Fragmentation Problem Forum Nokia Launches the MyDailyApp Blog Honey, I Shrunk the Nokia N97 (mini) - Wordless Video Demo Apple, HTC, Nokia Breaking Away from Carrier Phone Branding Nokia Maemo OS Getting Multi-Touch Support Providing a Multi-Difficult Platform Story If Nokia's Maemo is Their High End Platform, What is the N97 & Booklet 3G? Nokia N97 mini: Interesting But Destined to be a Niche Phone for Enthusiasts in the U.S. Nokia Booklet 3G: Big Netbook Specs, Big Hopes, Big Price, Big Flop? Nokia Shows N810 Tablet with 3D Display: Would Have Been More Interested in a Built-in 2D Projector Nokia Comes With Music Subscription Service Delays U.S. Launch: But, It Doesn't Really Matter Nokia Money Targeting Mobile Fund Transfers in Emerging Nations Skyfire 1.1 Browser for Windows Mobile & Symbian Improving With Age Nokia CEO Hints at Netbook Opportunities Nokia Asks: What's the most important feature in a mobile gaming device? Unlocked U.S. E71 for $280, N97 for $599 from Amazon & Costco Samsung Widget Strategy Takes the Road Less Traveled: Multi-Mobile Platform Support My Subjective Video Recording Quality Ranking of the myTouch Pro, iPhone 3GS, Flip Ultra & Nokia N96 Nokia Says We're Sticking With Symbian S60: But, is There a Possibility for a 2nd Platform? Microsoft Office for Nokia Phones & iPhones? It is All About Google Docs Nokia Rover (N900) Looks Like a Small Evolutionary Step Up from the N810 Apple's Mac Finally Gets Some Nokia Support: Ovi Files Macintosh Connector Firm Speculation (Oxymoron?): Nokia N97 Mini Launching Early September Why Buy an Unlocked Nokia Smartphone? Nokia Explains + My Podcast Conversation w/Nokia I'm Convinced The Nokia N86 8MP Does NOT Need a Xenon Flash Now Nokia Explains What Makes the Camera in the N86 Phone Great in Dim Lighting Conditions Nokia Poll: What is the Most Important Feature in a Cameraphone? Google Maps for mobile 3.2 Brings Layers of Information to Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 Phones Botnet Trojan Got Through Symbian Foundation App Vetting Security Filters Wired Gadget Lab Gives 7 Reasons Why Nokia is Invisible in the US Nokia Says No Way No How No Android Puzzler: Is Nokia Really Going to Build an Android Phone? Nokia Java Runtime 2.0 for S60 Only Available for 5800 XpressMusic & N97 Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 Beta Release Available Unconfirmed: Nokia Buying Intel Processors for Mobile Devices - Nokia Netbooks on the Way? Nokia N97 Facebook App Demo (video) Nokia N97 Home Screen Widget Samples (video): Looks Thumb-Centric? Nokia E72 Announced While the U.S. Gets Comfy with the E71x Nokia Ovi Maps 3.0 Beta Available: Adds Weather Information Qik Streaming Video App Shipping with Nokia N97 and Future Nokia S60 Phones iPhone 3G S? Palm Pre? Don't Forget the Nokia N97 Nokia Step Counter: Turn Your Smartphone Into a Pedometer for Free Nokia Ovi Store Prices Closer to iPhone App Prices Than I Expected Google Releases Mobile App for Nokia S60 Phones: Also Maps 3.0.1.6 & Gmail 2.0.6 for S60 Nokia BH-905 Bluetooth Stereo Headset: Nice if You can Afford It Nokia Branding N97 as a Mobile Computer, Not a Phone Last100's Nokia N97 Smartphone Video Overview: N97 Looks Sluggish Finally Got to Use the Nokia Ovi Store: Initial Impressions Skyfire 1.0 for S60 & Windows Mobile Launches: Great if You are a Fan of Aliased Pixelated Screens AP News for Nokia Series 40 and S60 Phones Nokia Ovi Store Open for Business (but not in the U.S. just yet) What Will the Nokia N900 Rover Compete With: The iPhone or Netbooks? Nokia Beta Labs Site Became Mobile Friendly Add the Nokia N97 to the Smartphone Rollout: June 2 (Palm Pre June 6, new iPhone July 17) Nokia Ovi Share Service in Development Limbo Nokia App Store to Launch With 20,000 Apps: But, How Many Will Run on Your Noka? Nokia E52 Gets Up to 8 Hours of Talk Time and 28 Days of Standby Time on GSM Networks Nokia Point & Find: ID and Get Information About Real World Objects Matt Miller Nokia S60 Twitter Client Shootout: Gravity vs. Twittix Podcast 24: Conversation with Nokia - Ira Frimere and Joseph Gallo Nokia Comes With Music Off to a Slow Start in the UK Nokia Here and Now Guides: Zero Configuration Local Information Symbian Working on Porting S60 to Intel Atom Processor Nokia Easy Meet Released by Nokia Beta Labs: Mobile WebEx-Like Service Nokia Photo Browser Prototype App Interesting But Really Needs a Touch Screen for its Full Effect Wave Your Visa Card to Make a Payment... If You Are in Malaysia Nokia Posted Half-Dozen Product Videos from CTIA 2009 Immersion's Touch Vibration Technology Going into Future Nokia Touch Screen Phone Nokia Netbook on the Way? Will They Have to Fight Former Symbian Owner Psion for the Name? Opera Mobile 9.7 Browser Features: But, Would You Pay $24 For It? Nokia Upgrades 5800 XpressMusic Software Podcast Conversation with ZDNet/NokiaExperts Blogger Matthew Miller About Nokia Smartphones New YouTube App for Nokia S60 & Windows Mobile Smartphones Tunebite Strips Nokia Comes With Music DRM Nokia: Mobile Phone Sales Falling--Fast Nokia to Exit Japanese Handset Market GyPSii Signs On to Nokia's XPressMusic Handset Nokia Research Center: Welcome to Hollywood Nokia Opens Hollywood Research Lab Nokia Warns on Lowered Sales Estimates Music Ally: Nokia Comes With Music 'Impressive' So Far Nokia's Comes With Music Hits the Airwaves Nokia Racks Up Mobile Ad Partners Report: Nokia to Buy Oz Communications Nokia Launches Mobile TV Channel Nokia Set to Launch Music Service Nokia's Global Market Share Falls Nokia and Vringo to Offer Ringtones Lonely Planet Goes Mobile With Nokia Nokia to Integrate Mobile Content Delivery The Story Behind Nokia and Qualcomm Nokia, Qualcomm Reach Royalty Agreement |
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