Sources speaking to WPDang indicate that Nokia will unveil two new handsets, and in addition, Microsoft representatives will make an appearance at the event to showcase even more consumer features in Windows Phone 8 using Nokia’s new phones. WPDang couldn’t confirm, however, if Nokia’s PureView tech, the raison d’être for the Symbian-based 808 PureView, would make it to these new handsets.

Microsoft did announce several hardware partners for Windows Phone 8 at its Windows Phone Summit back in June, which included Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and Huawei. None of those vendors have announced any Windows Phone 8 plans just yet, although HTC’s lineup was leaked not too long after the event. The company is reportedly planning to offer three handsets that will address the entry-level, mid-range, and high-end of the market.

Windows Phone 8, meanwhile, brings a whole host of new functionality to the table, including support for multi-core processors and high-resolution screens. The user interface has also been modified, allowing users to select different tiles sizes that can be rearranged onscreen as they see fit. Nokia Maps will be the default maps application for all Windows Phone 8 devices, and Microsoft placed a strong emphasis on its new NFC capabilities, as well as business friendly security features.

[via SoMobile/TechRadar]

Nokia say the events should be closer to SXSW and further away from CES in tone. The first of the new events will be held in Helsinki on September 5th and 6th, although it seems to be an invitation only event for carriers and retail partners. The company goes on to say that it wants to detail each event to a specific audience.

That makes sense: the ability to tailor each event will give Nokia some flexibility and avoid a scattershot approach tht one might get at a single event. Still, it might be disappointed for those looking forward to the Nokia World of old. Nokia say that more events will be announced in the coming weeks and months, and we would wager that an event aimed at consumers is lined up.

[via Engadget]

Apple was keen to point out the speed of its browser technology with the iOS 5 upgrade at the launch of the iPhone 4S, and we were seriously impressed by how quickly it rendered and loaded pages in our iPhone 4S review. Side-by-side with the Lumia 800, that optimization is clear. With the cache cleared and each on the same WiFi connection, the iPhone 4S led the way to the mobile version of the SlashGear homepage, the Nokia a few seconds behind. It was the same loading the full version of SlashGear, with Apple’s handset pulling ahead of the Nokia. It looks as though Internet Explorer on the Lumia 800 does some of its rendering in the background, before showing the results on-screen, and so we were often able to begin reading first on the iPhone before each page finished loading.

Nokia Lumia 800 vs iPhone 4S browser load speed test

Moving to the Galaxy S II, Samsung’s smartphone certainly brought the most power to the table (sorry – Chris says 1GHz in the video, but the dual-core Exynos in the GSII runs at 1.2GHz). We first tested with the Samsung browser set to load Flash on-demand (neither Windows Phone nor iOS support Flash, unlike Android). Head-to-head, the Galaxy S II brought up both SlashGear and Android Community slightly faster than the Lumia. Surprisingly, pages loaded slightly slower on the Galaxy S II when plug-ins like Flash were set not to run.

Nokia Lumia 800 vs Galaxy SII browser load speed test

All three browsers have pinch-zoom, which worked smoothly, as well as text reflowing. Once loaded, page navigation was smooth across the board. The differences in rendering will, of course, be very much dependent on the connection you have at the time – if you’re on EDGE or 3G, for instance – and so this side-by-side performance shouldn’t be seen as the final word on how the Lumia 800 handles browsing. Still, we’d like to see Nokia and Microsoft polish up the web experience on Windows Phone some.

Be sure to check out the rest of SlashGear’s coverage of Nokia World 2011 here.

Nokia Lumia 800 hands-on 1

Nokia Lumia 800 Hands-on 2

Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on

Nokia Asha 303, 300 and 200 Hands-on

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The C6 also has an 8-megapixel camera and WebTV support, along with Nokia Navigation with turn-by-turn directions.  It shares the CBD display with the C7, which Vanjoki describes as having “the sleekest, smoothest device in the world, no doubt about that”.

Both phones have Ovi Store access, pedestrian access features in Ovi Maps – including public transportation information – and broad social networking integration.  Both will begin shipping in Q4 2010; no word on pricing as yet.

Update: Nokia says the C6 will be priced at €260 and the C7 at €335.

Press Release:

Nokia announces powerful family of smartphones and Ovi services at Nokia World showcase; vision of location-based future brought to life
September 14, 2010

London, UK – At Nokia World, the destination for people passionate about mobility, Nokia today announced a family of smartphones powered by the all new Symbian platform which brings significant enhancements in speed and ease of use. The new devices, which are tightly integrated with enhanced Ovi services and apps, reinforce Nokia’s vision of a mobile industry that is increasingly being defined by socially connected, location-based devices and experiences.

Highlights include:

- Three new smartphones, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6, which join the previously announced Nokia N8 to form a family of Symbian products. – The latest version of the Symbian platform brings more than 250 new features and improvements and retains the familiarity enjoyed by millions of smartphone users worldwide;
- Showcase of the Nokia N8, the ultimate entertainment smartphone and world’s best cameraphone;
- Availability of a richer Ovi Store experience – starting with the Nokia N8 – that includes a friendlier look and feel, and more popular and unique apps and games;
- The latest beta release of free Ovi Maps with new pedestrian and motorist features.

“Today our fight back to smartphone leadership shifts into high gear,” said Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President, Markets, Nokia. “Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smartphone platform in the world. Our new family of smartphones introduced today feature the all-new Symbian OS, rewritten to be faster, easier to use, more efficient and more developer friendly.” Savander also commented on the high level of anticipation for the Nokia N8. “Based on the level of consumer interest and the highest online pre-orders in Nokia history, we expect big things from the Nokia N8.”

A smartphone for everyone.
In addition to the Nokia N8, the new family of faster, more intuitive Symbian smartphones includes:

- Nokia E7 – the ultimate business smartphone. With Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync on board, the Nokia E7 provides direct, real-time and secure access to corporate email inboxes and other personal applications. Equipped with a 4-inch touchscreen display featuring Nokia ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility and a full keyboard, business users will find the Nokia E7 is the perfect shape and size to work on documents, review spreadsheets, or read and edit slides. For corporate peace of mind, a combination of business grade security solutions is available. Estimated retail price is EUR 495, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia E7 image

- Nokia C7 – beautifully crafted, sleek social networking smartphone. Get live updates from social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and keep track of new email from your Yahoo! or Gmail accounts directly on the homescreen. The Nokia C7 features a 3.5-inch AMOLED display and a stunning combination of stainless steel, glass and soft edges. Estimated retail price is EUR 335, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia C7 image

- Nokia C6 – the small and stylish smartphone. Sporting a 3.2-inch AMOLED display with full touch capabilities and Nokia ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility, the latest Nokia C6 (C6-01) features the best of social networking and mobile entertainment in a stainless steel and glass design. Stay connected to email, access millions of tracks through Ovi Music, and download apps and games from the Ovi Store. Estimated retail price is EUR 260, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia C6 image

As a smartphone family, the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7, Nokia C6 share several similarities. All are built on the new version of Symbian, the world’s most popular smartphone platform. It strikes a balance of innovation and intuition offering a variety of improvements and features such as support for multiple homescreens, visual multitasking, gesture-based interactions and a noticeable reduction in prompts — all while presenting a familiarity that means millions of people can pick up one of Nokia’s new smartphones and instantly know how to use it. People will also discover free Ovi Maps, access to Ovi Store, messaging, social networking and other experiences that come standard across all of these smartphones.

The Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6 are all expected to begin shipping before the end of the year.

…with content for everyone
The new family of Symbian smartphones will include a completely updated Ovi Store experience. The new store experience is driven by a friendlier user interface and a new collections feature to quickly access popular apps and games available now, or soon, such as foursquare, Angry Birds, Need for Speed Shift and Real Golf 2011. Additionally, Ovi Store will continue to offer exclusive apps including Audiotube, Tesco and others along with favorites such as Fring, Shazam, and Asphalt 5.

For developers, the uniform Symbian platform together with the Qt development environment enables easy smartphone application creation and extensive reach.

A mobile world centered on where you are
Free access to Ovi Maps, the world’s most comprehensive walk and drive navigation, to Nokia smartphones was only the start. With the latest beta release of Ovi Maps, available for download today, people will benefit from new features and even greater map detail. Ovi Maps beta adds visibility to subways, trams and trains in 85 cities around the world, real-time traffic, safety alerts in or out of navigation mode, visibility to parking and petrol stations, and speed limit warnings. In addition, people can use the improved search capabilities and share their location immediately via text messages or email to other browser-enabled phones.

New gear for on-the-go
Nokia also showcased the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905i offering an improved audio experience with active noise cancellation and a collection of five unique new Bluetooth headsets designed for a variety of needs, including hands-free multitasking, talking and navigating in the car with voice guidance.

Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials, including photos and product information. For more information on Nokia World 2010, please visit: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia’s NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.

Of the four new devices launched this week, they span much of Nokia’s core range from entry-level through media and topping out at smartphones. However, only one – the X6 – supports Comes With Music. According to Liz Schimel, VP of Nokia Music, the company is planning an “a la carte” music download service that will deliver DRM-free MP3 tracks in the same way that Amazon and iTunes offer; however she also confirmed that Comes With Music will continue to use DRM. The individual track download service should be in operation by the end of 2009.

As for the devices Comes With Music offered on, Schimel suggested that rather than making it an option for all handsets – or indeed an after-purchase add-on – Nokia intend to concentrate on “tightly integrating phone and service”. Meanwhile they are looking at both Booklet 3G and Mac OS X support, but have nothing to announce at present. Over one-third of downloaded tracks are being done OTA (over-the-air) rather than synchronised via a PC, and Nokia are working on polishing the on-device experience to support desktop client features like star ratings.

We also had an opportunity to discuss Nokia’s marketing with Timo Ihamuotila, the company’s Executive VP of Sales. Ihamuotila agreed that Nokia’s previous pattern of announcing devices well in advance of release had in some ways damaged their reception, in contrast to this week’s launches which are all expected to be in stores within the next few months. While stopping short of saying that this would be Nokia’s strategy for all new launches moving forward, Ihamuotila did say that in general there would be less of a wait between announcement and release.

As for the US market, Nokia now have a specific US development group and are focusing on just three carriers: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Contrary to simply relaunching European devices with US radios, Ihamuotila said Nokia are now creating US-specific handsets; he also agreed that the company has “not been responsive enough [to market movement].” Instead, there is now a focus on explaining services and functionality to buyers and prospective-buyers, a system which both Nokia and the carriers have invested in. Ihamuotila described a store setup in one country where customers could design their ideal N97 menu and app layout, slotting big icons into a huge magnetic N97 board, at which point the customer services team would set up their new smartphone in exactly that way. While that exact system may not be repeated, Nokia are keen to make services both easy to discover and to use.

We also asked Ihamuotila about Nokia’s fledgling use of capacitive touchscreens in the X6, whether this was a sign of a change in overall strategy, and why the Nokia N900 still uses resistive. He described the nature of phone technology as “cyclical” – likely a reference to the long development time in producing new handset designs – but suggested that, like the circular zoom control in the N900′s browser, there was still a lot you could get out of a resistive panel. However there was also a suggestion that Nokia is moving toward greater use of capacitive touchscreens.

Turning to the Booklet 3G, something of a departure from Nokia’s existing line-up, Ihamuotila concurred with other executives we spoke to in describing it as the company injecting their core skills – anywhere-connectivity, long battery life – into a new market. According to John Hwang, general manager of Connected Computers at Nokia and key designer of the Booklet 3G, the netbook represents the company’s chosen balance between battery life, price and performance; for instance, when we asked why Nokia had not used NVIDIA’s Ion chipset to give the Booklet 3G more capable graphics, Hwang told us that battery life took priority – at least in this first-gen model. Consumer response, meanwhile, will shape the next generation of models.

In a similar way, Maemo will continue its push into the high-end, with Symbian progressing down the scale to the mainstream market.  We covered the Linux-based OS and Nokia’s plans for it earlier in the week, after meeting with Ari Jaaksi, the company’s VP of software. The N900, like the Booklet 3G, is being treated as a test bed for user opinion, and while not confirming any specific hardware plans Nokia did tell us that unlike the Internet Tablets – which generally hit the market one at a time – several newer Maemo devices could coexist in sales channels, better positioning Maemo 5 and then version 6 next year.

We’re glad to hear that, as we remain unconvinced with Symbian S60 in comparison to the latest smartphone platforms from rivals. Lined up against Android, webOS, OS X on the iPhone and others, especially on touchscreen devices, we’re not sure S60 can hold up its end of the battle; despite the pre-production status of the N900 devices we used at Nokia World, though, we’re tentatively more confident in the Maemo platform and its powerful underlying open-source building blocks.

Throw into the mixture Nokia’s Ovi SDK developments – which arguably incorporates (or at least will as the roadmap progresses) the best of on-device integration and the relative ease of webapp programming – and, as the range of compatible platforms broadens, they may have hit a sweet spot. What remains to be seen is how quickly they can roll out the rest of the APIs; Nokia may be saying that location-based services are what people are clamouring for first, but for their hybrid webapps to really take on native software and hold their own they’ll need further integration with the core phone systems. Right now you can trigger calls and the like from records in webapps, but there’s no true embedded contacts access, say, or imaging from the phone’s camera.

So much, then, depends on timing. Nokia president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo repeatedly said during his opening keynote that the company was fighting, innovating and not reacting, and it’s certainly true that much of what was announced this week has potential. Maemo, the N900 redefining Nokia’s smartphone niche, the use of a capacitive display in the X6, the Booklet 3G and the new Ovi SDK, all are interesting beginnings to a new phase in the Finnish company’s strategy. If they can capitalise on those beginnings and deliver the second- and third-gen products smoothly and swiftly then it goes beyond potential and into standing a real chance of success. The question, then, is whether Nokia can do that before the rest of the mobile industry game accelerates ahead.

For the product highlights from this week, check out our Nokia N900 hands-on video and browser demo, Nokia X6 video, Nokia X3 video and Nokia N97 mini video; there’s also our live Booklet 3G gallery. You can find all of our show coverage via the Nokia World tag. SlashGear would like to thank the Nokia Social Media team for inviting us to Stuttgart and Nokia World, and for covering expenses; sites taking part in the trip were under no obligation with regards the tone, attitude or opinion of their coverage.

Video demo after the cut

One thing we didn’t have a chance to check for the first video – because the N900 couldn’t grab a network connection – was the browser, and given this is being eyed up as a potential MID that was the first thing we tried this time around.  The N900′s browser proved a mixed-bag, with pages loading quickly and rendering as on a desktop machine, even over a 3G cellular connection; however embedded video took much longer to show up, and then proved jerky in playback.  That’s partly down to the crowded 3G of the expo but, as you can see in the video below, when we tried to hit the pause button or drag the transport button to back up and wait for more to download, actually grabbing the controls proved very difficult.  Having tried both YouTube video and our own streaming system, and having very mixed results on both, we’re forced to hold off on declaring the N900 as any good for online video until we have a final production version and more typical testing conditions.

We’re also not convinced by the circular-zoom, which is operated by tracing tiny circles on the resistive touchscreen with a fingertip.  Initially the browser starts to pan around the page, before recognizing the gesture; once it actually begins zooming, it can be tricky to get fine control over the level.  Since text doesn’t seem to reflow, only get larger or smaller, that can prove frustrating; it’s easier to double-tap on the text block and have the zoom automatically fit it to the page, but if it’s a wide column you may have to zoom manually and then pan left to right in order to make out the text.  Like HTC’s circular zoom control as in the TouchFLO 3D picture browser, changing the speed of your finger changes the speed of the zoom.

What seems an obvious way around the slightly tricky system would be to place a touch-sensitive zoom strip – again, like HTC have used on their recent WinMo handsets – in the blank plastic section to the right of the touchscreen (in landscape mode).  That could be easily controlled by the right thumb, with the left used to drag the page around.  We could also do without the overload of haptic feedback: yes, it’s useful to tell you if you’ve clicked a link accurately, but the N900 buzzes every time you tap the screen.

As for the keyboard, the non-standard layout – particularly the offset spacebar – proved less of an impairment than the size.  Compared to the N810 Internet Tablet – comparison shots of which you can find in our first hands-on article – it’s a very compact ‘board, and given that the N900 is so obviously designed for two-handed landscape use we missed the larger keys of the earlier device.  We still like the tactile feel of the buttons, together with their slight doming, and there’s reasonable travel, but pecking out longer text – such as for tweets or emails – was slow going.  We did improve over the two days we had access to the N900, but arguably were still not as quick as a touchscreen keyboard paired with the decent auto-correction you’ll find on the iPhone or the HTC Hero.

Speaking of Twitter, given that the short-message service has become very popular among the tech community – and further abroad, of course – we tried out a couple of different ways of using the N900 as a mobile tweet device.  The standard site loaded okay, but an obvious issue was that the character counter only updated after a lengthy pause in typing; not much use when you’re trying to stick within 160 characters.  Popular online client dabr.co.uk was more successful, though tweeting one-handed while walking was a no-go: the keyboard is simply too broad for that.

At several points during Nokia World, the executives we talked to described the N900 as a definite niche product and one they’d not be targeting to everyone.  It will, they say, be mostly sold online and SIM-free in “developed markets” - in fact it’s already up for preorder in the US, priced at a smudge under $700 with a free Bluetooth headset – though it’s more likely that European buyers will find it on sale subsidized with a contract.  Still, among that “developed market” the N900 is really aimed at an even smaller subset, they agreed, one which not only prioritizes the cutting-edge but has some interest in open-source flexibility too.  Maemo 5 – and the in-development Maemo 6, which should be released in around a year’s time – is a distinctive and certainly powerful OS, but given the architecture issues (which you can read more about here) one of Nokia’s key challenges will be drawing developers to yet another platform, or alternatively persuading them to make the investment in UI adaptation required to take desktop apps to a mobile device.

As we said initially, we’re still enthusiastic about the N900, albeit tempered with some of our first-impressions.  There are still a few weeks before it hits shelves, and Nokia have confirmed that they’re still tweaking the software, so it’s not impossible that the platform might get faster and the browser video rendering slicker before production models go on sale.  We’ve been told to expect review units at some point in October, so we’ll have a full review then; until that point, enjoy the gallery and video below, and check out our first hands-on with the N900 from earlier in the week.

Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, well, that’s up to you. Packed at $649, you get the standard fair in the box: battery, travel charger, stereo headset, data cable, an A/V cable, and a cleaning cloth. The device also comes with a 1-year warranty. If all of that isn’t enough to whet your whistle enough to rush on over to Nokia’s website and preorder one right now, there’s more. Nokia is feeling generous, and they are going to throw in one of their very own Bluetooth headsets, the Nokia BH-703.

There’s a small piece of information that you should know, though. While the Nokia N900 does have United States 3G support, it is only compatible with T-Mobile’s 3G network. Sure, that means no 3G love for all the AT&T customers out there, but at least it’s compatible. We count that as a good thing.

Video hands-on after the cut

What’s notable is the improvement in build quality and the far more pocketable size.  The N97 mini has slimmed down both in length – dropping the D-pad in the process – and thickness, partly thanks to the absence of a sliding camera cover.  The screen is also smaller; several Nokia executives independently told us that they see the N97/N97 mini duo as offering people a direct choice between a larger display at the expense of size, or a smaller display in a more compact body.  Considering the opinion of the other Nokia World attendees we spoke to was split between those categories, it seems the Finns may have a point.

Unfortunately the keyboard still lacks the sort of tactile responsiveness we’d like from a QWERTY smartphone, though it’s a little better than the N97.  It’s still clicky and stiff, and the offset spacebar – while falling neatly under the right thumb – pushes the rest of the letter keys across and can make correctly hitting “N” and “M” a mixed bag.  The screen is bright and clear, with great colors, but S60 5th edition remains a less than ideal OS for touchscreen use; still, here the N97 mini has an obvious advantage over the original N97, using version 2.0 of Nokia’s firmware which does make a difference to usability.  Happily that firmware will drop for current owners sometime in October, and should not only improve touchscreen use but overall stability.

Whether it’s a matter of positioning or one of size, we’re disappointed Nokia dropped the N97 mini’s internal storage from the 32GB of its bigger brother to just 8GB.  Yes, there’s a microSD card slot, but given the high standard capacity was one of the factors we most lauded about the original phone it’s a shame to see it undermined that way.  We’ll reserve our final judgement until we have a finalised review unit, so until then enjoy the hands-on images (including a few comparison shots with the N97 mini and the N900) and video.

The benefits of Facebook Connect are two-fold: it offers developers a proven audience of heavy mobile users, together with facilitating distribution via peoples’ walls.  Various degrees of integration are possible, either through a browser window or a dedicated application, such as on Symbian.

Possible uses include authentication through Facebook’s systems, commenting, sharing and friend information.  There’s more information available at developers.facebook.com together with at facebook.com/mobile.

Nokia rolled out some developers to illustrate how easy it can be to tie webapps into cellphones, with UK local search company Qype apparently needing just two people working for two weeks in order to integrate their service.  In another example, Nokia innovation competition winner Ground Guidance integrated intelligent pathway-identification into Maps on Ovi with just a few lines of JavaScript.

Asked why Nokia are moving toward webapps, when rivals such as Apple are pushing instead for native apps, Nokia suggested that it’s only now that mobile devices are powerful enough to run them at satisfactory speed.  They’re also being pushed by content providers than software developers.  Though they’re web-based, they will have growing integration with the handsets’ core features, starting with the navigation APIs and moving on to include contacts, camera and other elements.

Thanks to the new SDK, apps can be coded that run across the Nokia range, and apparently done so far quicker than previously.  Registration for the new API, SDK and documentation is open from today.  You can access the registration page and the demo videos from today’s Nokia World keynote at http://www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi/.

Press Release:

Nokia expands ecosystem opportunities and showcases work with partners, publishers and developers
September 03, 2009

Nokia makes it easier for web publishers and developers to create applications with integrated services with Ovi APIs and Ovi SDK Beta introducing a new breed of applications for the web and smartphone platforms

Stuttgart, Germany – Nokia today made it easier for web publishers and developers to create applications with integrated services and native-like user interfaces, quickly and with less effort with new Ovi APIs and the Ovi SDK Beta. Announced at its annual Nokia World conference, the company said it will progressively roll out web and mobile APIs for its services, beginning with the Ovi Maps Player API and the Ovi Navigation Player API for cutting-edge location solutions on its smartphones. The company also hosted a keynote from Henri Moissinac, Director of Mobile, Facebook, highlighting the opportunities in mobile social networking and the close collaboration between the two companies.

“This is just the beginning. We will work in close cooperation with developers to evolve the offering, starting with social location solutions,” said Niklas Savander, EVP, Services, Nokia. “Our goal is clear, and that is to make it effortless for our partners to create highly appealing, context-relevant applications that consumers will find indispensable.”

Nokia has already been working with key partners such as Lonely Planet, Deutsche Bahn, Associated Press, Qype, National Geographic, Deutsche Telekom Medien and Langenscheidt to create example applications using the Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs (Click http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld to see the Ovi SDK video).

Web partner discusses developing with Nokia
“We’ve been very pleased with our relationship with Nokia,” said Henri Moissinac, Director of Mobile, Facebook. “Since its release in June, the Facebook application for Nokia is available for download in more than 150 countries and is currently one of the most distributed applications in the Ovi Store. Needless to say, it’s really exciting to be working so closely with the largest handset manufacturer in the world to bring our 250 million users worldwide an innovative Facebook experience on their mobile devices – and this is just the beginning.”

The Ovi for Developers beta program
Nokia is inviting developers to join the Ovi for Developers beta program on the Forum Nokia Developer Community site (www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi), and will make the Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs available to them. Applications created with Ovi SDK and Ovi APIs will be distributed through the Ovi Store in 2010, bringing the applications available to the hands of millions of consumers around the world.

The Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs
The technology preview, now available to developers via registration, contains:

Ovi SDK Beta – an easy-to-use, web-based toolbox which provides tools to create applications for the web, and Symbian and Maemo platforms, with integrated Ovi features and a distinct user interface. The Ovi SDK Beta contains the Ovi APIs and all-new Ovi User Interface (UI) libraries, which enable effortless creation of rich applications. The Ovi SDK Beta utilizes standard web technologies – HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript (JS) – programming languages that are most familiar to the world’s developer community.

Ovi APIs – provide developers with a simple way to integrate service features such as maps or navigation to their web applications. Nokia today introduced the first two Ovi APIs:

- Ovi Maps Player API – bringing maps to mobile and web applications effortlessly. The API is powered by Ovi Maps and features over 180 country maps, location-based search and detailed place information. Other features include vector-based maps that give a range of views, including map, terrain and 3D modes for dynamic map mash-ups. Nokia first introduced the Ovi Maps Player API for the web earlier this year.

- Ovi Navigation Player API – allowing developers to bring Nokia’s industry-leading walk and drive navigation features to their applications, including pedestrian navigation, turn-by-turn car navigation and route planning. This makes it possible for content creators to create applications that take the consumer to his destination of choice – be it to a friend’s location, a landmark, a restaurant, or the bus stop.

Nokia announces the Apps on Maps category winner of the 2009 Calling All Innovators competition
Nokia also announced the Apps on Maps category winner of the 2009 Calling All Innovators competition. Using the Ovi SDK Beta, Primordial, from St. Paul, Minnesota emerged tops in its category by creating Ground Guidance, an application based on technology originally built for the U.S. Army. The application, which wins USD 30,000 amongst other prizes, enables the Ovi Maps user to get from one point to another, even if there are no roads or road data. With the application, all a user would need are his start and end point – and Ground Guidance would present him with a walkable path while avoiding undesirable terrain such as steep hills or water. Calling All Innovators, launched in March 2009, is a global mobile developer competition designed to generate applications and solutions that enhance the use of Nokia mobile devices in real-world scenarios. Apps on Maps participants were required to submit new ideas that harness the power of location-aware services using Ovi Maps.

* More information about the Ovi SDK Beta, Ovi Maps Player API and Ovi Navigation Player API are available from the Forum Nokia website, http://www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi.

Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials, including photos and product information.
For more information on Nokia World 2009, please visit: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld.

Key Ovi ecosystem partners collaborate with Nokia for location solutions

Mathias Hüske, Divisonal Director Online Sales, Deutsche Bahn Vertrieb GmbH: “We are fascinated by the possibilites of the new OVI platform. It enables us to offer truly innovative services to our customers and makes travel planning easier.”

Phil Chambers, CTO, Qype GmbH: “We jumped at the chance to become a part of the development of the Ovi SDK Beta, and to bring Europe’s best local application to the Ovi platform. The ease of development and fast time-to-market were key factors in us making this investment, and I look forward to millions of users across Europe using Qype Radar on their Nokia handsets soon.”

Chris Boden, Director of Mobile & Innovation, Lonely Planet: “We are thrilled to be one of the first companies developing on Nokia’s Ovi Maps platform, creating a new generation of intelligent, contextually-aware travel guides. Lonely Planet’s trusted content, made available regardless of time or place, teamed with Nokia’s reach will help more travellers get to the heart of a place.”

Ben Broshi, VP New Markets, DeutscheTelekom Medien: “We are excited, after working together with Nokia for so many years, to see Nokia reaching for the next level and we’re proud of being part of this movement with one of the very first apps created with the Ovi SDK Beta, called DasÖrtliche.”

Paul Levine, EVP, Interactive Platforms Group and Business Development, National Geographic: “Ovi is an ideal platform on which we can develop compelling National Geographic mobile applications. It enables us to leverage rich content from across the entire Society, including Travel, Maps, and Photography, in new and innovative ways.”

Benjamin Mosse, director of mobile products at The Associated Press: “Working with the Nokia team, the AP Mobile team was able to develop the AP Mapix app in just six weeks. The Ovi API innovation makes it easy for us to develop a highly customizable mobile news app that provides consumers with the ability to choose their news, anytime and anywhere.”

Greg Turley, CEO of CarTrawler: “We are delighted to be the first car rental application to enable Nokia customers across Europe and the world to access the full local inventory for car rentals. In the fast changing world of travel and telecom technology CarTrawler is constantly working to innovate with new standards based technologies to make it faster and easier for customers to make a car rental reservation through CarTrawler.”

James Brady, founder and president of Earthcomber LLC: “When you look ahead, you see a crucial difference between Google and Ovi. Not only is the environment better, Ovi produces amazing visual perspectives. It’s ultimately control and flexibility that count – you don’t want to arrive at a dead end with your application. We can see immediately that Ovi supports openness and is built, frankly, for orchestrating technologies into the unique experience you’re always aiming for.”

Malte Bumenthal, vice president new media at CTS EVENTIM AG: “EVENTIM offers a state of the art webshop to serve millions of European customers with tickets and information from the world of live entertainment. Wih the EVENTIM Tourbus application users can get closer to the events, tour and music of their favourite bands. Thanks to Ovi APIs, a new dimension is opened for EVENTIM’s mobile users.”

Tobias Ragge, Managing Director of HRS – HOTEL RESERVATION SERVICE: “We are extremely delighted to be one of the launching partners on the Ovi platform. Thereby millions of Nokia customers get access to our hotel database with more than 250.000 hotels worldwide. With the new application, searching and booking a hotel on your Nokia mobile phone is child’s play – fast and comfortable – no matter where you are.”

Henry Bennett, Managing Director, Island Wall Entertainment: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our company to produce one of the apps utilizing the exciting Ovi platform. We will be looking forward to both porting existing product across to the Ovi Store, whilst developing new applications exclusively for the Nokia customer base.”

Rolf Müller, Publishing Director at Langenscheidt KG: “New media have been an important part of our portfolio for decades now. In the world of mobile devices, where things move at the speed of light, it is vital to have strong partnerships in order to keep abreast of the technological developments and changes in user behaviour. The cooperation with Nokia offers us the ideal opportunity to combine our own top-quality standards with leading technology and creative distribution channels.”

Stefan Heimerl, CEO MECOMO AG: “The Ovi platform provides a fantastic opportunity for us to bring location content to users exactly at the time they need it – when they are on the go. Thus, it perfectly supports the goal of our services: To make everyday life easier by providing efficient and reliable guidance, no matter if it’s the next emergency pharmacy or the next ATM that you are looking for.”

Clay Babcock, Vice President, Primordial Inc: “Ovi platform was exactly what we were looking for. We needed a rich LBS/Mapping platform for mobile devices that would target a large user base. We found all of that and more with Ovi. Not only is the mapping development environment for devices very rich, but that same environment exists on Ovi Maps Player API for the web. That allows almost 100% reuse of our development effort, and means that we can deliver our innovative pedestrian routing solution to even more users. It’s a huge advantage for us. In addition, the Nokia team has been a true pleasure to work with. They understand the needs of the development community, and really want us to succeed.”

Konrad Hübner, CEO of Skycoders (Munich): “For a small company like Skycoders, it is a great opportunity to work with the Ovi APIs right from the beginning. This allows us to prove that even a small team can build a powerful application based on Ovi SDK Beta in a really short time.”

Bruno Pellegrini, CEO, TheBlogTV: “We are proud of being Nokia’s partner in this new challenge. We will put all our unique competencies in crowdsourcing and user generated content to support the diffusion of Ovi and make it a big success.”

Amnon Sarig, President, TuneWiki: “We found out that Ovi Maps offer a unique and much richer and immersing mapping experience. Just as important is the support that we received from the entire team at Forum Nokia, to develop and deploy our solutions. We work with many mobile vendors, and the Nokia team gives a perfect example how developers should be supported and treated in the life cycle of developing an application.”

Comes With Music is available with certain models from Nokia’s range, such as the new Nokia X6, and packages unlimited downloads from the company’s media library.  The new deal will mean that customers can opt for automatic monthly payments; we’ll update with pricing as soon as Nokia reveal it.

It looks like Nokia hasn’t forgotten the low-end phones, despite being a little preoccupied. Which is a good thing for all those families looking for a new, simple phone for cheap. While there’s nothing wrong with a simple flip-phone, this thing looks a bit dated, and also resembles a few of the late Motorola W-series models. But, we’re sure that doesn’t matter to the general consensus. After all, it’s a phone, it functions perfectly well enough. Who needs more?

The Mural is a 3G-enabled device, so that’s something. And just like everyone else, Nokia is touting the phone’s social media abilities, including multimedia messages (MMS). There’s a built-in IM client, and the Mural will even provide an email portal. The inside screen is a 2.2-inch QVGA, there’s a 2-megapixel camera on back, and the phone’s memory can be expanded to 16GB. Nokia is boasting four hours of talk time. And, just in case you like listening to music but don’t want to open the device up, there’s some nice music playback keys right on the front.

Whether you think carrier-branded software is a good thing or bad thing, could probably sway your decision on this one. There’s a plethora of AT&T’s services on the Mural, like AT&T Mobile Music, AT&T Navigator, and AT&T Video Share. The Mural will be available on and after September 6 at select retail stores, as well as AT&T’s website. It will be going for $49.99 after a $50 main-in rebate, and a new, two-year contract. So, are you biting at the chomp for this one yet?

[via Nokia]

In describing the differentiation between Nokia Internet Tablets as we’ve known them to-date (the 770, N800 and N810), Jaaksi highlighted the most obvious change as being the UI.  However, the underlying business plan is also different, since the N900 will find gaining public attention – through cellular provider stores – far easier than its non-connected Internet Tablet predecessors.  It also makes good use of that connectivity, supporting OTA (over-the-air) downloads and upgrades for everything bar the cellular radios.  Undecided is whether N900 owners will be able to access OTA updates from Maemo 5 to 6, however.

What may present a headache is courting developers.  While kicking off any new platform can be difficult, Nokia of course benefits from the fact that Maemo 5 is open-source based and could, in theory at least, run desktop Linux apps with only minor tweaking.  However that misses the importance, Jaaksi pointed out, of tailoring the UI to a mobile device.

Throw into the pot that Nokia are already working on Maemo 6, set to launch in around a year’s time, and the fact that the new version will use Qt whereas Maemo 5 uses Gnome.  That could lead to incompatibility issues, or developers ramping up to code for the current release but finding those skills aren’t so useful when the next-gen OS arrives.  While he couldn’t describe the full pathway – likely because it’s still in development – Jaaksi did confirm that they would be working with developers on an upgrade pack that takes apps from 5 to 6.

Jaaksi also confirmed some more minor details about the N900.  It will support USB Mass-Storage mode when plugged into a computer, and while they’re not finished fettling the power settings the aim is a full day’s use per overnight charge.  At launch there won’t be N-Gage or Comes With Music support (the latter since the N900 doesn’t support the Microsoft DRM necessary) either.  Interestingly, the hardware design of the handset followed on from the software, rather than the more traditional way round; Maemo 5 was developed, and then Nokia looked at what hardware they’d need “to let the features shine”.

Uncertain right now is whether earlier Internet Tablets will see upgrades to Maemo 5.  Nokia are looking into it, apparently, but the differences in connectivity, hardware and acceleration in the N900 might make this impossible.  Similarly, the reason for the Booklet 3G using Windows 7 rather than Maemo is the oft-quoted netbook justification that customers generally prefer a familiar OS.

The N900 is certainly looking intriguing, and our hands-on earlier today did nothing to change that opinion.  It’ll hit the market in October, priced at €500 pre-subsidies.

As well as the 720p-capable netbook itself, there’ll also be a wired stereo headset for using the Booklet 3G as a cellphone.  There’s also an adapter which can be used to charge your phone from the Booklet 3G’s own AC adapter, the battery, a USB cable and a cleaning cloth.

From talking to the product team behind the Booklet 3G, they’ve also revealed that they’ll be offering a metal top cover at some point in the near future (instead of the non-interchangeable plastic covers) together with considering putting a bigger, roughly 11-inch panel in there.  The current screen is a custom one for Nokia, and ironically it’s possible that shifting to a larger, but mainstream LCD might actually save some money.  Check out the full packaging gallery below, and head over here for our hands-on with the Nokia Booklet 3G itself.

Video hands-on after the cut

A quadband GSM handset, the X3 lacks 3G connectivity or huge quantities of onboard storage, but does have a microSD slot happy with up to 16GB cards.  We’re also pleased to see a standard 3.5mm headphone socket, Flash Lite 3.0 and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

It’s no N900, obviously, but the keypad is usable and the buttons easily pressed, and we like the big media controls. It’s worth noting that the X3 doesn’t have Comes With Music for its €115 sticker, unlike what some sites have erroneously reported.  For more on the phone, check out the hands-on video below.

Hands-on gallery, video and first-impressions after the cut

Considering half of the N900′s heritage is its Internet Tablet forebears – in fact you can see some comparison shots between it and the N810 in the gallery below – it’s a far more compact handset.  The screen is 3.5-inches, but the decent WVGA resolution and a touchscreen that – though criticized for being resistive and not capacitive – seems relatively responsive both add up to a very crisp, usable experience.  Meanwhile the keyboard is compact but tactile, though we’re still not keen on the offset space-bar.

It’s early days with the N900, and we’ll be playing with the demo units here on site at Nokia World to get a better opinion of the device.  The video is uploaded and below, so enjoy it and the hands-on gallery.

Full hands-on gallery after the cut – Plus full hardware specifications

We were dealing with pre-production units, so we’re hoping that the occasional sluggishness observed in Windows 7 was a temporary aberration rather than a true sign of performance from the Intel Atom Z530 1.6GHz processor.  Still, it was made up for with one of the more impressive keyboards we’ve seen on a netbook-sized device, with excellent key-feel and decent spacing.  The trackpad, too, is large and the buttons well-spaced.

As for the dimensions, they impress more in real life than they do on the page.  The Booklet 3G is impressively slim, and thanks to the low-power CPU it’s also fanless and thus practically silent.  Boot and standby-resume times are speedy, and while we obviously didn’t have the time to put the 3,840mAh battery through any sort of testing, it certainly occupies a great deal of the netbook’s chassis and we’ve reasonable hopes for runtimes.  Perhaps not the full 12 hours Nokia are suggesting, but if the Booklet 3G could manage 8hrs then that’s a full work day in one compact, 3G and GPS enabled package.  It’ll be priced at €575 pre-subsidies.

What we weren’t allowed to do was shoot video of the Booklet 3G, but we’ll have more hands-on time with the netbook now that it’s officially-official and you can expect the usual comprehensive SlashGear coverage.

Packing a 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Maemo 5 OS and all the wireless connectivity – 3G HSPA, Bluetooth and WiFi – you’d expect, the N900 slots in neatly at the top of Nokia’s range.  There’s also OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration, full Adobe Flash 9.4 support and a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash and GPS geotagging.

We’ll be sitting down with the Nokia N900 later on today, so expect coverage up on the SlashGear frontpage.  The company’s CEO reckons it has the best mobile browsing experience to-date, so you can bet we’ll be putting that to the test.

Early speculation had pegged the Booklet 3G at costing around $799 pre-subsidy, which made it expensive for a netbook.  However the company’s use of premium materials for the casing, together with throwing in standard 3G HSPA, GPS and an HDMI port did at least make it a possibility.

Instead, the Booklet 3G is coming in at €575 ($816) pre-subsidies, which Nokia expect to come right down when carriers start subsidizing the integrated 3G.  Standby for a hands-on gallery with the Nokia Booklet 3G up on the SlashGear frontpage very soon.

We’re expecting to see the Nokia Booklet 3G, of course, the company’s first netbook, along with the Nokia N900.  The touchscreen smartphone is already splitting opinion by virtue of its resistive display, so we’re looking forward to going hands-on later today and finding out exactly whose expectations it lives up to.

Right now the opening keynote is almost ready to start, so we’ll have full details of all the news – and maybe even some Ovi services – throughout the day.  If the connection holds up, we may even have video, too.

There are some definite perks to this device. While we aren’t so excited about a resistive touchscreen, especially on something as advanced as the N900, from the videos we are seeing, that doesn’t seem to be that big of an issue. The multi-tasking seems to be second to none, especially considering the multiple desktops. And, just in case you watched the video but missed it, those are live streams updating in real time, right on the front page.

The ability to drop back every running application, then pick and choose what you want to run at any given time is a necessity in feature-packed phones at this point, but it looks like Nokia has tapped Maemo 5 to do it in style. Not only can you tag photos or videos right from the phone, in a ridiculously simple manner, you can also embed it within a social media site, such as Facebook. Although, the way the zoom-in and zoom-out functions seems a bit strange, we’re sure that it could be pretty easy to get used to. We’ll be seeing more about this device in the coming days from Nokia World, so keep your eyes peeled.

[via Engadget]

Yes, we’ve got videos of the thing running in the live, but some times a cool, loud, and vibrant visual aide doesn’t hurt. Especially in this case. We think it’s about time for Maemo 5 to get here, so we’re basically counting down the days until October, when the Rover “finally starts” to see its way onto shelves, and into (more) people’s hands.

We like the transitional desktop that they’ve got going for the Rover, and the fact that we can supposedly keep every application running, all the time. If this actually pans out the way Nokia intends it to, then this could be a very compelling piece of technology. Of course, price is always a factor, so let’s hope that $700 price tag finds its way down the ladder, and quickly. Are you getting one? Or has Nokia run its course for you?

[via Boy Genius Report]

We’re one to think that the old adage, “pictures are worth 1,000 words” is perfectly usable in most cases, and as these images show, it fits perfectly. There isn’t any new news regarding the device itself, at least not yet, and so these pictures taken by the Nokia N900 are all we have until Nokia gets even more official than they already have, in the next few days. These images were found on Flickr and Ovi, based on the source code of the picture, revealed after the TwitPic size comparison image got released.

And we’ll be there, live-blogging the event, to make sure that you get all the news you need from our favorite Espoo-based company. Are you excited for the N900? Are you wanting to get your hands on it? Do these pictures get you even more excited for it, or do you think it could be better?

[via IntoMobile]

Video demos after the cut

The Nokia N900 also has, of course, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration, full Adobe Flash 9.4 support and a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash and GPS geotagging.  A microSD card slot means you can increase onboard storage to 48GB, and Nokia estimate the whole thing will cost €500 ($712) when it lands in “select markets” from October 2009.

The N900 measures 110.9 x 59.8 x 18 mm (19.55 at its thickest point) and weighs 181g; more details at the official product page.  As for Maemo 5, there’s plenty more information promised at the official blog in the run-up to Nokia World.  SlashGear will be there bringing back all the information next week.

Nokia N900 overview:

Nokia N900 Interactions overview:

Press Release:

Maemo 5 injects speed and power into mobile computing
August 27, 2009

The new Nokia N900: Computer-grade performance in a handset

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today marked the next phase in the evolution of Maemo software with the new Nokia N900. Taking its cues from the world of desktop computing, the open source, Linux-based Maemo software delivers a PC-like experience on a handset-sized device.

The Nokia N900 has evolved from Nokia’s previous generation of Internet Tablets and broadens the choice for technology enthusiasts who appreciate the ability to multitask and browse the internet like they would on their desktop computer.

Running on the new Maemo 5 software, the Nokia N900 empowers users to have dozens of application windows open and running simultaneously while taking full advantage of the cellular features, touch screen and QWERTY keyboard.

“With Linux software, Mozilla-based browser technology and now also with cellular connectivity, the Nokia N900 delivers a powerful mobile experience,” says Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Markets, Nokia. “The Nokia N900 shows where we are going with Maemo and we’ll continue to work with the community to push the software forward. What we have with Maemo is something that is fusing the power of the computer, the internet and the mobile phone, and it is great to see that it is evolving in exciting ways.”

Designed for computer-grade performance in a compact size, Maemo complements Nokia’s other software platforms, such as Symbian, which powers Nokia’s smartphones.

“Just as Nokia continues to expand and diversify its device portfolio, so it is deploying multiple platforms to allow it to serve different purposes and address different markets. While we have seen continued growth in Symbian as a smartphone platform, Maemo enables Nokia to deliver new mobile computing experiences based on open-source technology that has strong ties with desktop platforms,” says Jonathan Arber, Senior Research Analyst in Consumer Mobile at IDC.

More multitasking with Maemo
The Nokia N900 packs a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, up to 1GB of application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration. The result is PC-like multitasking, allowing many applications to run simultaneously. Switching between applications is simple, as all running content is constantly available through the dashboard. The panoramic homescreen can be fully personalized with favorite shortcuts, widgets and applications.

To make web browsing more enjoyable, the Nokia N900 features a high-resolution WVGA touch screen and fast internet connectivity with 10/2 HSPA and WLAN. Thanks to the browser powered by Mozilla technology, websites look the way they would on any computer. Online videos and interactive applications are vivid with full Adobe Flash(TM) 9.4 support. Maemo software updates happen automatically over the internet.

Messaging on the N900 is easy and convenient thanks to the full physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Setting up email happens with only a few touches and the Nokia Messaging service mobilizes up to 10 personal email accounts. Text message or IM exchanges with friends are shown in one view and all conversations are organized as separate windows.

The Nokia N900 has 32GB of storage, which is expandable up to 48GB via a microSD card. For photography, the Maemo software and the N900 come with a new tag cloud user interface that will help users get the most out of the 5MP camera and Carl Zeiss optics.

The Nokia N900 will be available in select markets from October 2009 with an estimated retail price of EUR 500 excluding sales taxes and subsidies. The Nokia N900 will be displayed at Nokia World, Stuttgart, on September 2. More information on Maemo is available at http://maemo.nokia.com.

As we’ve mentioned before, Nokia World is coming up next week, and this is where it’s pretty much official that the N900 will be shown off in plenty, and then hopefully garnished with a release date and other details pertaining to how people can get their hands on it. What we do know is that the screen is roughly 3.5-inches, it comes with GPS, an accelerometer, a 5-megapixel camera, and 32GB of on board memory.

There’s only so much to go over here, but that won’t be the case for much longer. Nokia World is just around the corner, and with it comes the Rover, which will hopefully show off a lot of different things. Things that consumers like, and will want to buy.

[via BeGeek]

It should be worth mentioning  that so far, the only real piece of different information that we have is that the screen is definitively a resistive touchscreen. That’s not the greatest news in the world, but there are some people out there that prefer it, so at least they’ve got something to look forward to beyond the other physical aspects. Also, the Rover is equipped with an ARM Cortex-8, a processor very much worthy of mention. This processor is also in the Palm Pre.

The Maemo-powered device is run by Freemantle, which Mobile Review didn’t go into great detail about, but said that it is the next step for Maemo, and that it differs a great deal from what was on the N810. At about this point, MR basically fed us a slew of screenshots, which is probably what the majority of people are eagerly waiting to see. So, go ahead and follow the link below and take a gander at what’s to come from Nokia. This might actually be worth it.

[via Mobile Review]

The N900 Rover is still covered by a 3.5″ 800 x 480 touchscreen, and has a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard. It comes capable of HSPA, WiFi, a 5-megapixel camera, and 32 GB of internal storage. There hasn’t been any official word as of yet, but the tablet is still rumored to be released some time later this year. As for candidates to get the Rover, T-Mobile USA is number one on the list. The FCC cleared the device with AWS 3G with integrated 3G WWAN.

We’re expecting to hear more from Nokia officially about the RX-51 in September, at Nokia World. Until then, keep those rumor-mills spinning. SlashGear will be at the Nokia event to bring you full coverage of the event, so as soon as this tablet makes an official appearance, we’ll pass the news along. If you’re a fan of Nokia, want a tablet, and a T-Mobile customer, it looks like your dreams are pretty close to being fulfilled. Excited yet?