In what appears to be a staged “leak”, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the company’s first Windows Phone model. Say hello to Sea Ray! Physically, the device is pretty much the same as the beautiful Nokia N9, but with an extra button. Watch the video above for a full presentation — including some Xbox Live avatar goodness — on the Nokia Sea Ray.
On a side note, I hope to be working with Nokia closely in the near feature. Part of it is because the company has really interesting products. Most of it is because I miss Finnish accents and humor. I had so much fun working with Nokia during the N-Gage days. The Finnish sense of humor is awesome.
Microsoft has released several details on the next major Windows Phone update (Mango) and how it works with Xbox Live. The question is, “Can you handle the Mango?!?” Just kidding. Moving on from that dated SNL reference, Microsoft’s Shirlene Lim posted a lengthy blog entry on how Xbox Live works with Mango. Here’s an excerpt:
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Games Hub in Mango is its new look: A cleaner and lighter design that emphasizes your game collection and Xbox Live info — the heart of the hub. Responding to your feedback, we also made tweaks to improve the overall performance and speed.
Finally, the Games Hub in Mango now comes with many of the features previously found in the popular Xbox Live Extras app, such as 3D avatars with fun animations, a new Collection view, and more.
If you’re interested in bringing more Xbox Live connectivity to your phone and/or you want to see gaming features on Windows Phone then I highly recommend reading the entire post. It has plenty of new information and lots of UI pictures.
I know that RPadholic smartguy is waiting to see Nokia hardware running Mango. Anyone else interested in Windows Phone? Is Xbox Live connectivity an important feature to you?
Today’s Coffee Talk is a request from RPadholic N8R. He would like to know about your very first cell phone. Do you remember the make and model of your first mobile phone? Did any of you rock the…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your Wimbledon 2011 pick, the MLB McCourt drama, or George Clooney being single…again, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Today’s Coffee Talk is a request from RPadholic N8R. He would like to know about your very first cell phone. Do you remember the make and model of your first mobile phone? Did any of you rock the Zach Morris? Or did you have one of those classic Nokia candybars? Did any of you start out with the Motorola RAZR?
As for me, I borrowed my Dad’s Motorola StarTac a few times while I was in college (mostly to look cool), but the first mobile phone that was all mine was an Ericcson CF688. Hell, I don’t even remember what carrier it was on, but I remember being enamored by its slickness and form factor…which seems hilarious when looking through the retroscope.
Now it’s your turn! What was your first mobile phone?
At Nokia Convention in Singapore, Nokia unveiled its upcoming N9 mobile phone. The N9 features Nokia’s typically gorgeous hardware paired with the MeeGo operating system. Judging from the numerous videos the company posted, the N9 looks like a wonderful phone — so wonderful that many people are wondering why Nokia committed so extensively to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.
On the hardware side, the N9 features a 3.9-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 854×480. The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass for extra durability. The N9 is powered by a 1GHz OMAP 3630 processor, which is based off of ARM Cortex A8 architecture. While that seems dated compared to the dual-core chips found in Android and iOS products, MeeGo doesn’t require as much power to run at a snappy rate. Apps, particularly games, are another matter and it will be interesting to see if the relatively modest processor limits the N9’s app potential.
The body of the N9 is made from a single piece of polycarbonate, which is a fancy word for expensive plastic. Nokia chose polycarbonate instead of metal or glass so as to avoid signal issues. I’m curious to see how the N9 feels compared to the luxurious N8, which uses an anodized aluminum casing. The phone packs an eight-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. Nokia’s high-end phones feature the best mobile cameras in the world and I’m expecting great images from the N9.
The good news for American customers is that the N9 supports the 3G bands used by AT&T and T-Mobile. This also makes it a compelling option for world travelers.
The software side of the N9 surprises. The N9 will be the first mass consumer product using the MeeGo operating system. This particular version of MeeGo runs on top of Nokia’s Harmattan skin. At first glance, the OS seems really elegant and intuitive. It uses three panels — one for an app locker, one for notifications (including social networking), and one for apps that are currently running. It’s simpler than modern operating systems like Android, iOS, webOS, and Windows Phone 7, but it still seems powerful.
As far as apps go, the N9 will run native MeeGo apps as well as QT apps. The good news is that it will launch with robust software support thanks to QT. Remember, QT apps run on Symbian and there are still millions of Symbian phones floating around the globe. Furthermore, Nokia is still committed to launching new Symbian devices. That said, I wonder how many developers will code apps that take full advantage of the MeeGo OS and the N9 hardware.
On paper (and video), the N9 looks like typically excellent Nokia hardware paired with atypically elegant Nokia software. I love Android for my phone and iOS for my tablet, but I’m still highly interested in the N9. The software seems refined and user friendly, which is shocking for a Nokia product. I’m tempted to pick one up for editorial purposes and as my world phone.
How about you boys and girls? Any of you interested in the Nokia N9?
Verizon has been up front with its plans to eventually move from a flat charge for unlimited data to a tiered system. It looks like those plans have been revealed. Droid-Life obtained some documentation allegedly sent by company executives that outlines the new data fees.
On top of monthly voice charges, Verizon’s new data plans will cost $30 a month for 2GB, $50 a month for 5GB, and $80 a month for 10GB. Additional data will cost $10 per GB. The pricing is the same for 3G and 4G (LTE) devices. Customers that wish to tether will be charged an additional $20 per month. The current charge for unlimited data is $29.99. The new plans allegedly roll out on July 7, 2011.
It’s kind of a bummer that data pricing continues to escalate even though the cost per GB has actually gone down. I realize that Verizon still needs to recoup the costs of its expensive LTE network, but the pricing seems excessive. Thankfully existing customers will be able to keep their current rate plans, but who knows what will happen when it’s time to renew.
Whether you’re a current Verizon customer, a prospective customer, or a spectator, please let me know how you feel about these new rate plans.
I’m reexamining my position on viewing angles and I’d love to have your input. I was talking to a few friends that review phones and they were dinging the HTC Sensation for its viewing angles. I just don’t…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the emergence of Rory McIlroy, Floyd Mayweather not showing up to court, or RIM’s declining fortunes, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I’m reexamining my position on viewing angles and I’d love to have your input. I was talking to a few friends that review phones and they were dinging the HTC Sensation for its viewing angles. I just don’t understand why they’re a big deal on phones. Mobile phones are generally used by one person looking at the device head-on. Certainly I can’t think of a case where my mobile phone experience was lessened by poor viewing angles.
My friends said that I was being contradictory for criticizing the Nintendo 3DS for its viewing angles. If you haven’t tried one, the 3D aspect of the handheld system is very sensitive to viewing angles. The 3D effect breaks if you view it from slightly off-center angles. In this case, one of the 3DS’ primary functions — 3D gaming — can be ruined due to the device’s viewing angles. I don’t think it’s the same deal as on a phone.
My reviewer friends weren’t able to change my mind, but perhaps you will. Please let me know how you feel about viewing angles on phones, portable consoles, televisions, etc.
T-Mobile USA senior product manager Desmond Smith showed me his HTC Sensation at E3 2011. This excellent Google Android phone is available today and packs some impressive features. Smith was nice enough to give me an overview of the phone (he saw me mark out after he told me it was in his bag). In the b-roll he shows off the HTC Watch (streaming movies) and HTC Trace (Swype-like keyboard) features.
Check it out and let me know what you think (please)!
Imagine The Rock saying, “Finally…the iPhone 4 is available unlocked…in America!!!” It’s true! American consumers that want an iPhone 4 but don’t want to be shackled with a two-year contract can pick up an officially unlocked iPhone 4 from The Apple Store. The 16GB model costs $649, while the 32GB model costs $749.
Apple Stores in most countries have been offering unlocked iPhones since launch, but America is an unusual market where the carriers have too much stroke. Buying the phone unlocked in America comes at a premium and there’s only one major carrier that supports the unlocked model’s 3G bands (AT&T). However, it’s still a godsend for customers that want an iPhone that can be used in other countries without jailbreaking.
That said, $649 for a phone with year-old tech is a questionable value. Sure, the iPhone 4 still enjoys the best software ecosystem in the world and the screen is absolutely gorgeous, but the screen size is small and the processor is old. For a little bit less money, consumers can purchase an unlocked Android phone with a bigger screen and a dual-core processor. Plus, a new iPhone model is expected in autumn.
Will people pay top dollar for an unlocked iPhone 4? Will future iPhone models launch with an unlocked version? We shall see. For now, kindly put on your analyst hat and let me know what you think this development means.
It was cool to see T-Mobile at E3 2011. The company had a fairly large booth where it pushed gaming on the LG G2x. Here’s a quick video featuring T-Mobile USA senior product manager Desmond Smith talking about why the G2x is one of the best phones for gaming.
At the D9 conference, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega claimed that AT&T customers could buy an iPhone at full price and get it unlocked. He later backtracked on that statement and said he needed to verify it. Here’s a clip from Engadget’s live blog:
Ralph just said he “needed to verify” that you couldn’t buy an unlocked GSM iPhone from AT&T. He so clearly has no concept of this — the entire audience confirmed for him that even a full-price iPhone is locked to AT&T, making it useless to those who travel overseas and want to use a pre-paid SIM in whatever nation they land in. Pretty sad, actually.
Being able to unlock an iPhone without jailbreaking it would be tremendously useful to AT&T customers that frequently work and play in other countries. AT&T does not allow this and it’s completely laughable that its CEO is ignorant of this fact. Moron. It would be awesome if AT&T changed its policy so that its CEO didn’t look like a total ignoramus.
