N9 is officially announced!

Finnish cellphone maker Nokia unveiled its N9 smartphone in Singapore on Tuesday, its only bet on the MeeGo platform.

The commercial launch will be later this year, CEO Stephen Elop said. Nokia dumped plans to use MeeGo in its future smartphones when in February it picked Microsoft's Windows Phone as its future software choice, but it decided to unveil one of the models it was working on before closing the business line. The N9 model, Nokia's first and last to use MeeGo, comes with a large touch screen and is available in black, cyan and magenta. The MeeGo platform -- a newcomer in the market dominated by Google and Apple -- was born in February 2010 when Nokia and Intel unveiled a merger of Nokia's Linux Maemo software platform with Intel's Moblin, which is also based on Linux open-source software. After Nokia pulled back from the project four months ago other vendors have become more interested in the technology as Nokia's dominant role in the project had held back others from adopting it.

Analysts on Nokia-Microsoft Strategy

Background: Nokia Industry Analyst Relations met with 150+ industry analysts at Mobile World Congress (Barcelona) and Nokia Strategy and Financial briefing (London).
Here is a summary of analysts’ first feedback on the new Nokia strategy and recommendations to Nokia:
Overall:
Move to Windows Phone bold and necessary move – and analysts overwhelmingly agree that it was the best option available
‘Nokia had to do something – it was going backwards in relation to the rest of the market and needed to make some tough decisions.’
‘Symbian couldn't possibly be successful, and MeeGo was taking far, far too long to bring to market’.
‘Without such a radical but decisive change in direction Nokia would have died a slow and painful death over the next 5 years.’
Most analysts think that Microsoft is the bigger winner
‘Huge win for Microsoft. WP had a slow start with none of the vendors giving it priority. So from Microsoft's perspective this is fantastic.’
‘It seems lopsided in Microsoft’s favor. The challenge will be to gain some balance’.
although there are also opposite views
‘Perhaps more strategically vital to Nokia than to Microsoft’.
Success or failure depends on how two different corporate cultures are able to work together
‘You made the leap, but that just buys you a few seconds. Now you have to decide what happens when you hit the water.’
‘Partnerships like this usually fail to accomplish anything. This one, however, has much better than usual odds because both companies desperately need this to work.’
Execution on a licensed model is key
‘What exactly is going to be different this time and why should we believe that you can execute this time around as you haven’t been able to do it in years?’
And now it’s critical to get a ‘WOW’ WP device out as fast as possible.
‘The very first phone is critical. A great WP device would build confidence both externally and internally.’
‘It must be dazzling, a clearly competitive experience to iPhone and Galaxy (best of Android), and preferably with some unique LBS features.’
‘A beautiful flagship smartphone in the US during Q4 2011 will put Nokia right back in the game. But a dud design for the very first model will heap huge pressure on Nokia.’
In Mobile Phones you must maintain leadership in emerging markets against Chinese challengers, preferably through services - so that customers can be migrated to smartphones as incomes rise and prices fall.
‘Also, for emerging markets it is important to explain how the new strategy will positively impact their countries.’
Future Disruption perceived to be the weakest pillar of the strategy.
‘It was not well articulated, and relegating MeeGo to this category makes it seem even less "mission critical". It feels like it got thrown in so that you could point to a forward looking strategy while trying to right the ship.’
Concerns
Differentiation from other Windows Phone manufacturers
Analysts eager to hear how Nokia plans to differentiate.
Developer alienation
Nokia risks alienating application developers who had been working on Symbian and MeeGo
‘Developers view themselves as ‘outlaws’ and Microsoft is the ultimate establishment. You are at great risk of losing a significant part of your FN developer base. The natural tendency will be to move to Apple and Android rather than shift to Silverlight.’
For existing Symbian developers, you have to urgently communicate that Symbian and Qt are not dead!’
‘You also risk alienating the application developers who had been working on apps for Symbian. You have to convince all those developers to stay put and it may not work.’
‘Developers have already stopped working w/ Symbian.’
Transition period related challenges
Challenges with retention of current consumer base
‘Hundreds of millions of Symbian users feel left alone and will look elsewhere when looking for replacement.’
‘If Nokia cannot introduce a range of nice Symbian products by 2011 end to compete with iPhone and Android, you risk losing these customers. This is the second attack to the Symbian user base, after the first wave of high-end users defaulted to iPhone.’
Symbian will be increasingly hard to sell to operators.
‘You will see a lot of bargaining. Symbian likely to be positioned as talk & text devices w/o data plan, and no impact on ARPU. Therefore you will be penalized on price.’
Employee buy-in will be crucial
‘This will be a significant emotional journey to all your troops’.
‘ If senior management is committed and the employees are not, then there is greater risk of failure. It is crucial to get the whole company onboard ASAP.’

N8 - best Camera Phone in the market

The Nokia N8 is the best Nokia has to offer. A few years back thousands of people would take this to mean the best on the market. Things are not that simple today and Nokia has been learning it the hard way. But the company has been learning.

It’s been a long losing streak for Nokia in the game of touch phones. You can’t expect it to suddenly turn the game around and start beating the snot out of the competition. It makes much more sense to try and be better one step at a time. The best camera in business is one such step.

We’ve given up looking for the ultimate smartphone, haven’t we? The Nokia N8 most certainly isn’t in contention there. And Symbian ^3 is not the best touchscreen experience you can get – although what’s fair is fair – it’s an improvement over S60 5th. And the Ovi store isn’t the best app market, but the guys behind it try really hard.

Symbian sucks on touchscreen – yeah, but there are some nice multimedia features. The web browser is not that good – yeah, but you get USB-on-the-go. There are better screens out there – but no better cameras. Not necessarily in this order.

The Nokia N8 seems capable of sustaining balance. In one particular area, it’s the unquestioned winner. Elsewhere, it’s just fair – there are ups and downs all along its spec sheet. As always, it boils down to picking your priorities.

Now let’s take a look at the competition to put things in perspective.

The Samsung S8500 Wave wins a few points against the N8 on pricing and comes with a much better (though slightly smaller) display. The Bada OS offers better touch experience than Symbian^3. Again, it’s the camera that helps the N8 strike back and this time it even has the apps count in its favor. Not to mention that unlike Samsung’s Bada phone, the Symbian smartphone has a very decent and free SatNav solution in the face of Nokia maps.

Samsung S8500 Wave

The Motorola MILESTONE XT720 is the best full-touch cameraphone that the American company has to offer and the N8 won’t avoid comparisons to that one either. The Milestone matches the HDMI capabilities of the Nokia and offers a superior screen (though no AMOLED). Unfortunately, the MILESTONE XT720 is not as impressive as the N8 in terms of image and mostly video quality. Not to mention the rather limited system storage for installing third-party apps. This is a really serious drawback for any Android smartphone that doesn’t use the latest Android OS ver 2.2.

Motorola MILESTONE XT720

You might also want to consider the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 as a potential alternative to the Nokia N8. With a larger and higher res-screen it also packs a very decent camera (though no HD video, at least for now) so it’s a viable option if you’re shopping for a smart cameraphone. It’s still Android 1.6 though and the XPERIA X10 is more expensive and there’s no HDMI or DivX/Xvid support on that one either.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10

So with free lifetime navigation, some great multimedia features, impressive build quality and little (but important) perks like USB-on-the-go and HDMI, the Nokia N8 can stand its ground against the competition. It’s also only just about starting and Nokia has a reputation for delivering major software updates to its smartphones on a regular basis.

The combination of all the things above is a unique selling point on its own, but it’s the camera that puts the Nokia N8 in a class of its own and changes the nature of the competition altogether. The ultimate cameraphone will always be compared to the best in business.

The N8 puts the Nseries back to the top where it belongs. Nokia can be proud but they must know it’s just the beginning. Right now they have a winning cameraphone set in pole position. It will be a while before they have one phone to rule them all, if ever.

Nokia Developer Days - Hands on workshop with N8

Hello,

Nokia's N8 has hit the street. Nokia Developer Days is going on tour with the first Symbian^3 device. Here is the line up of cities.

• Toronto, Oct 13-14
• Austin, Oct 19-20
• Silicon Valley, Nov 9-10
• Seattle, Nov 15-16
• Vancouver,Nov 18-19

For a face to face consultation with a UX specialist who can give you concrete tips on how to improve the design of your app, email your request Ravi Belwal.

Nokia makes world’s biggest cinema screen [video]

Last week, the Nokia N8 broke a world record for the world’s smallest stop motion animation, named Dot. Then on Saturday, the folks at Nokia Sweden decided to go the other way, erecting what must count as one of the world’s biggest cinema screens. Residents of the city district of Rosengård were treated to a movie night they will never forget, powered by a Nokia N8 through it’s HDMI port in stunning high-definition.

Creating the world’s biggest cinema screen is no easy task, as it takes a lot of planning, teams of people and specialised equipment to make sure it all comes together. The 1,428 square metre (that’s 51 metres x 28 metres) cinema screen is so large that it had to be assembled, and watched, outside. The screen was hoisted up in front of a tower block, and held in place by two giant cranes while four XLM HD30 projectors, each weighing 140 kilos, projected the Prince of Persia movie onto it. Onlookers were amazed and delighted to witness this world record happening in their own district.

Day

Night

About 1,500 people turned up to see this massive movie and it’s estimated that another 1,000 local people simply watched it from their apartments or balconies. The previous world record was held by Pinewood Studios in Middlesex, Great Britain, with a cinema screen measuring 73.1 metres wide and 18.3 metres high and with a total area of 1,338 square metres.

Nokia introduces a powerful family of Symbian smartphones

Today the Symbian^3 family of devices is growing with the announcement of three new products across Cseries and Eseries. Joining the Symbian^3 based Nokia N8 are the all new touchscreen and QWERTY business device, the Nokia E7, a compact touchscreen C6 and the sleek touchscreen Nokia C7.

Billed as the ultimate business smartphone, the Nokia E7 boasts Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support alongside a luscious 4-inch touchscreen display, which uses Nokia’s ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility. The Nokia E7 also comes with a slide out four-row QWERTY keyboard making it the ideal mobile business device. Despite the addition of a full keyboard, the E7 is only a smidge deeper than the Nokia N8 at 13.6mm thin. The device also boasts an 8-megapixel snapper and comes complete with 16GB of on-board storage.

As a business device, the Nokia E7 comes sporting a raft of security features including business grade device lock and wipe functionality, secure intranet access and remote device management. These come alongside its connectivity and productivity prowess, with support for Mail for Exchange, Microsoft Communicator Mobile and Microsoft Share Point Server. Business folk on the move will also benefit from free walk and drive navigation thanks to Ovi Maps including premium guides from the likes of Lonely Planet and Via Michelin.

Like the Nokia N8, the Nokia E7 also boasts an HDMI connection and Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound. With the 8-megapixel camera, users will be able to shoot and edit HD quality images (including 720p video) and sound. As a Symbian^3 device, users can customise up to three homescreens and get live updates from the likes of Facebook and Twitter live on their homescreens.

Those on the move will welcome the Nokia E7′s travel-friendly 18 days of standby time and up to 9 hours of talktime. The device, which will be available in dark grey, silver white, green, blue and orange will be available in the last quarter of 2010 and is expected to retail for €495 before taxes and subsidies.

Joining the Nokia E7 and Nokia N8 as part of the Symbian^3 family are the all-new Nokia C6 and Nokia C7. Both of these devices raise the bar for design and social networking amongst their already good-looking Cseries brethren. Homescreen access to the latest updates from your favourite social networks are offered on tap for both devices.

First in the new Cseries lineup is the sleek C7 which boasts a 3.5-inch AMOLED display and is a hand-friendly 10.5mm thin. Like the E7 this device also sports an 8-megapixel camera with 8GB of onboard storage (expandable to 40GB with microSD).

The Nokia C7 will also shoot HD video in 720p and comes with free global walk and drive navigation and a digital compass. City users will welcome the active noise cancellation for clearer voice calls whilst the battery will keep calls going for up to 9.5 hours (in GSM mode) and stay on standby for an astounding 27 days (3G mode). The Nokia C7 is expected to go on sale before the end of 2010 and will be available in black, metal or brown for an estimated retail price of €335 before taxes and subsidies.

Like its big Cseries brother, the latest Nokia C6 (C6-01) is a compact little number that will also sport an 8-megapixel camera though with a more pocket-friendly 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. The latter sporting the same Nokia ClearBlack technology as the E7, offering much improved outdoor visibility. Like the C7, this new device will also be a social networker’s dream with live feeds from your favorite social networks available on your home screen. The C6-01 will support microSD up to 32GB and capture HD video in 720p. Users can expect to see up to 17 days standby time and up to 11.5 hours talktime from the C7 battery.

Expected to be shipping before the end of 2010, the Nokia C6-01 will be available in silver or black and is estimated to retail at €260 before taxes and subsidies.

Today sees the Symbian^3 family of products grow to four, all to be available before the end 2010. This latest version of Symbian is packing 250 new features and improvements whilst remaining familiar to the millions of existing Symbian users worldwide. With multiple homescreen support, multitasking and gesture-based interactions, this latest version of Symbian^3 is a big leap forward.

We’re excited to see the Symbian^3 family of devices come to life and we can’t wait to get our hands on them after the keynotes have finished. Stay tuned for more later, meanwhile let us know what you think in the comments below.

Nokia as world's most sustainable technology company for second year in a row

Nokia is the world's most sustainable technology company according to prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Review 2010. Nokia was chosen as "Technology Supersector Leader" making it number one across the entire global technology sector for the second time in row.

More information on Nokia's sustainable practices can be found at http://www.nokia.com/environment and http://www.nokia.com/corporate-responsibility
Dow Jones Indexes press release: http://www.emarsys.net/custloads/125736536/md_301086.pdf

Microsoft's President will be Nokia's new CEO

Nokia has just gotten hold of soon-to-be ex-Microsoft employee, Stephen Elop, to be their new CEO as well as President from September 21st onwards. Currently, Elop heads Microsoft's Business Division and has had stints with Juniper Networks, Adobe Systems, and Macromedia. Hailing from the Great White North, we do hope that the leadership transition for the Finnish company will help them get back into the smartphone game.

Finally Nokia got what it was looking for ...American (Canadian) CEO!

Elop commented on his new Nokia position: "I am extremely excited to become part of a team dedicated to strengthening Nokia's position as the undisputed leader of the mobile communications industry, with a relentless focus on meeting the needs and expectations of customers. Nokia has a unique global position as well as a great brand upon which we can build. The company has deeply talented and dedicated people, and I am confident that together we can continue to deliver innovative products that meet the needs of consumers. The Nokia slogan clearly states our key mission: Connecting People, which will acquire new dimensions as we build our portfolio of products, solutions and services."


Let's finger-cross and hope he will shut critic's mouth and will able to reply straight to Apple and Android. For me, it means I won't need to leave always dream company :-)

Nokia Press Release
Microsoft Press Release
Stepen Elop Linkedln Profile

Nokia's hat-trick for Most Trusted Brand in India

Nokia has again ranked as India's Most Trusted Brand :)



Reference:

• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6469107.cms
• 2008

Queue for Nokia C3

The the lines form, the crowds assemble, the excitement builds. Sure, people are going crazy for the latest Apple and Android devices. But you see, three can play at that game.

Yup, let's not forget that there are millions and millions of Nokia fans out there. They may not be lining up on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, but rather, in Jakarta, the lines snake around and around to get a chance to get their hands on the Nokia C3

Nokia's first dual sim phone

At a media conference held today in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Nokia unveiled its latest Cseries mobile phones with three new products under the Nokia C1 name, as well as the new dual-SIM Nokia C2 which will follow at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. At the same event, Nokia also took the wraps off the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit, an alternative charging solution built especially for people with limited access to electricity.

The most affordable of the Nokia C1 trio (C1-00) is priced at EUR 30 before taxes and subsidies and is the first Nokia mobile phone to feature a 2-in-1 double SIM solution. "By simply holding down a key, people are able to switch between SIM cards. This enables them to take advantage of reduced call rates, flexibility when traveling from one country to another, or helps with sharing a phone within a family and still use their own SIM," said Alex Lambeek, Vice President at Nokia. "This is a great added convenience feature considering the low price of the phone."

Nokia C1-00

Nokia C1 owners will also benefit from a standby battery time of up to six weeks, the longest ever for a Nokia mobile phone, especially useful in those parts of the world where access to electricity is sometimes limited. The standard flashlight - often someone's only means of bright light - is paired with a vivid color screen and FM radio with standard headphone jack, meaning the Nokia C1 is as much about entertainment as it is about convenience.

The Nokia C2 features a dual SIM with dual standby capability. Along with the many capabilities of the Nokia C1, the Nokia C2 can also keep both SIM cards active; meaning calls and text messages can come to either number while the phone is on. The first SIM card on the Nokia C2 sits underneath the battery and the second is 'hot-swappable', a feature unique to Nokia which means it can be removed and inserted when the phone is on.

Nokia C2-00

Where available, the Nokia C2 also offers a wide range of information covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment via Nokia's Ovi Life Tools, as well as the email account for the developing world, Ovi Mail. In addition to Ovi Mail, people's favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. Listening to music is simple with the FM radio and music player, with a massive amount of music storage with the phone supporting micro-SD cards of up to 32GB.

The second and third devices in the Nokia C1 family (C1-01 and C1-02) are both single SIM products, and Nokia's most affordable devices offering microSD compatibility, enabling people to store up to 32 GB of music, photography, or whatever other media suits them. Both new devices bring very individual designs and exciting colors, bright color screens, web browsing over GPRS and access to Nokia web services such as Nokia Messaging. In addition, owners of the Nokia C1 (C1-01) will also be able to take video and photographs using the built-in VGA camera.

Nokia C1-01	Nokia C1-02

New alternative charging solution debuts
Providing free and environmentally friendly electricity for mobile phones, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit consists of a charger and dynamo, as well as a holder to secure the phone to the bike. When the kit is installed, the dynamo - a small electrical generator - uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through the standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia mobile phones. Lambeek continued, "You must look at a number of things when it comes to power management - such as ensuring the phone's operating system is as power-efficient as possible. Now, with our innovative bike charger, people get even more freedom to use their Nokia without worrying about battery life. Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing. This is a great solution to a real challenge, whether people will use it due to limited access to electricity, or to be more environmentally responsible." The kit will be available before the end of the year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retail.

The estimated retail prices of the new Nokia mobile phones, before taxes and subsidies, are:

Nokia C1 (C1-00)	EUR 30
Nokia C1 (C1-02)	EUR 35
Nokia C1 (C1-01)	EUR 39
Nokia C2 (C2-00)	EUR 45

The Nokia C1 (C1-00) is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2010, with the Nokia C1 (C1-01) in the early fourth quarter, and the Nokia C1 (C1-02) and Nokia C2 towards the end of the fourth quarter 2010.

Symbian Bug Squad invites you!

The Symbian Bug Squad has been a great success in terms of testing and bug reporting. The Squad has raised over 40 bugs raised over the last few weeks. Now it's time for the Squad to take the next step and start fixing bugs. We will therefore run a Fixing Week starting from May 10th.

We invite developers of all skills and interests to take part in fixing week. This is a great way to make a valuable contribution to Symbian, get your name into the Symbian code base, get to know our tools, learn about industrial software development, get Gecko Gold (which can be turned into real goods) and much more.

To contribute to bug finding and fixing, you will first need to learn build package.
Here is online session on how to build package.
The session is on 28th May 2010.

Do you want to contribute to SF Location Package?

If you wish to contribute to SF Location Package but not sure about how, please go through Roadmap for Location

If you have potential ideas, you can discuss them here.

If you wish to contribute to defects, please have a look current defects here

In general, we found out potential opportunities [though not restricted] you may like to contribute:

WLAN and Cell ID adaptation modules (Effective positioning)
We are very keen to discuss contributions concerning new positioning technologies based on improving device capabilities to obtain a fast fix in urban and indoor environments which complement A-GPS.

Satellite ephemeris projection services (Effective positioning)
Services that extend the "life" of satellite orbit data to more accurately determine positioning without requiring the device GPS hardware to re-establish a new positional fix can be beneficial in enriching many types of mobile applications. A standard protocol module would exist to specifically support extended ephemeris data supplied by the chipset.

New GNSS assistance data classes (Effective positioning)
The SUPL v2 specification allows up to 6 different classes of GNSS to be supported. Galileo, GLONASS are planned to be supported plus other constellations are potentially available so contributions are welcome which enable any class of GNSS to be supported.

API libraries available for preferred runtime environments (Vibrant developer community)
The present roadmap features a number of interesting APIs which are available to application developers as native enablers. These enablers can also be available to many other application developers if bindings can be defined for different runtime environments. Contributions are required to define these bindings to support application developers who are unfamiliar with Symbian's native programming environment.

Map and navigation framework (Mapping provider services)
The existing Map and Navigation API is available for any mapping content provider to contribute an adapter module to more easily allow service providers to access 3rd party content which supports mapping applications. There is an opportunity to contribute extensions to the framework to enable any content provider to more easily make its services available to application developers.

Location updater defined for 3rd party applications and location service platforms "(Vibrant developer community)"
The Symbian platform is capable of updating 3rd party applications with occasional positional data without requiring any action from the user. This enabler can improve the performance of applications that need to be "location aware" and we are interested to define different use cases that use this feature.

If you have an idea not listed, kindly leave me comment here.

Create design prototypes, no coding required

Have you seen Flowella? Flowella allows designers and developers to create design prototypes — without writing a line of code.

With Flowella you start by creating a series of screen mock-ups, using any image-editing package you like as long as it produces PNG or JPG files. Then define links between the screens. Flowella uses your images and defined links to create an Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 application or Web Runtime (WRT) widget. Now you can walk through the Flash Lite or WRT prototype, show it to your supervisor or client, and make sure everybody buys into the basic operation before you commit the time to actually coding the app.

• Start with the Introducing Flowella video
• Read the tutorial
• Check out the example Flowella project file and images for the prototype of a podcast widget.
• Or jump right in and download the free tool.

New Mobile Video Apps Innovation Challenge - $10,000 Prize!

Dialogic Corporation is calling upon mobile application developers to participate in the Second Annual Dialogic Innovator Challenge. The theme of this year’s Innovator Challenge is to create the ultimate sports application based on video. The grand prize winner of the Challenge will receive a cash prize of US$10,000, while the first runner up will receive a cash prize of US$5,000 and the second runner up will receive a cash prize of US$2,500. More details are available at: www.dialogic. com/innovator. Submissions for the contest will be accepted from April 21^st through August 31^st. Winners will be announced at the end of September.

Applicants are also invited to download software from the Innovator Challenge portal to develop their video applications. The developer platforms include Dialogic IP Media Server, Dialogic Host Media Processing Software and the DiaStar Server, as well as to use the Dialogic® Vision™ Servers and Gateways. Dialogic is also offering access to a developer network that will allow developers to use and test Dialogic products for the development of trial applications. Additionally, in-person or online training courses are available to help developers gain proficiency in evaluating, developing and deploying solutions based on Dialogic products.

The contest is open for developers who are ready to trial, go to market or have recently deployed a new video or social networking application, for any kind of smart mobile device, that is sports related. All entries will be featured on the Innovator Challenge web site, where the general public will be invited to rate the applications. The winners will be determined by online rating in conjunction with a global judging panel of independent representatives from telecoms, media, analysts and industry institutions.

Ovi Maps Racing Game Lets You Speed Around Your Neighborhood

A sneak preview of the Ovi Maps Racing game (coming soon to the Ovi Store) was unveiled at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by Nokia earlier Thursday.  

In a truly unique experience, you use the GPS in your device to find your location (or use Ovi Maps to choose any location in the world), then customize a track around your neighborhood, and finally fire up those engines! --Nokia Conversations 

As pictures are better than a thousand words, check it out below!   Enjoy!  Leave me a comment.

Industry analysts' first take on the Nokia N8 and S^3. "Pivotal device" but "UI still has much of a legacy feeling"

Thanks to the Industry Analyst Relations team for compiling and sharing this analyst feedback on Nokia's latest flagship product, the N8. The device is already being put under the microscope in this hyper-competitive environment, so this early input is extremely valuable to get a feeling of coming sentiment. Surprises are for birthdays.

Compiled by the Nokia IAR team:

Dear All,

Nokia Industry Analyst Relations briefed 30+ leading industry analysts in Europe and North America face-to-face over the last two weeks including a hands-on demonstration of the Nokia N8 and S^3. This is the summary of the key industry analyst feedback and recommendations to Nokia.

Positives:
-Pivotal device in Nokia's effort to make its high-end phones credible again.
-'Good foundation stone for Nokia as it tries to get back on its feet in the highly competitive high-end smartphone market.'
-Beautiful device, extremely elegant. Analysts applaud the design, overall look and feel and form factor.
-+++Amazing display, capacitive touch, high def video capture and playback a huge plus.
-Extremely feature rich and demonstrates all the things Nokia does well - fit and finish, core, battery life, camera.
-Performance VASTLY improved.
-Significant improvements in the UI. 'It's not quite where you need to be, but going in the right direction.'
-Excellent camera quality.
-'12 megapixels with Carl Zeiss optics - wow!' 'This is where you clearly beat Apple - they can't catch up with you on the camera side anytime soon.'
-Analysts also very impressed by the multitasking ability of N8 involving heavy computing (e.g. running simultaneously 2 email accounts, Twitter and FB with live streams, music player, Maps and video).
-Good move with implementing social client so that the users are in control.
-Web TV - 'this is where you can make big deals!'
-Very competitive and attractive price point.
-Compares favorably with many Android and Windows devices.
-'In all frankness, this is the first device from Nokia that I've seen for a while that I consider a lot more competitive. It's not on par with iPhone yet, but it will get you a lot closer.'


Concerns:
-Surprised that Nokia is announcing so far ahead of actual shipping date ('thought this would be something you would have learned not to do after N97').
-S^3 is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. UI still has much of a legacy feeling. It doesn't look 'fresh enough' - it still looks like Symbian.
-Nokia's biggest challenge will be to get users to pick up the phone and play with it, because the -UI looks just like the 'old' Symbian which so many users dislike. It is only by using the new OS that the improvements can be seen. 'Couldn't you at least have change the icons to make it a bit 'different??'.
-S^3 UX might not be enough to get you on par with the iPhone - that brings more and very high expectations for S^4.
-The delay (3Q instead of 2Q) gives Apple and Android camps more time to develop their OSs, solidifying their positions in high-end.
-With the binary break from S^3 to S^4 - how are you going to position N8 and S^3 platform to developers. Qt will clearly be key here and needs to be evangelized.
-You still don't have enough focus on US. You should launch a device like this first in the US because that's where the buzz and innovation in mobile currently is.

Recommendations:
-Continue UI improvements urgently, competition will not stand still while you catch up.
-Going forward you also need extreme attention to detail in UI. You need to be super-consistent (number of clicks etc.).
-With N8, pick a right angle when you market/position this to consumers. It is critical that you differentiate from all the smartphones out there.
-HDMI is such a cool feature that you need to sell it proactively to consumers. Offer concrete use cases and drive it in explicitly.
-With respect to the social client, disappointing that you have not signed up more partners. You should have at least 10 at launch. Talk more about how your social client implementation puts you in control of your social networking contacts.
-'Really, really hope you'll get this in with a major US carrier.'
-After the N97 fiasco (which did serious damage to your brand), it is crucial that the quality of the N8 does not disappoint. With N97 you over promised and under delivered. Don't make that mistake again.

Microsoft Communicator on Nokia devices

Microsoft and Nokia have launched the first application of the mobile-productivity alliance the two companies formed last August. The new application, Microsoft Communicator Mobile for Nokia, is a unified communications client that connects directly with a company's communications systems to streamline mobile collaboration. Owners of Nokia E72 and Nokia E52 smartphones can download the English version now from Nokia's Ovi Store. Looking ahead, the two companies plan to deliver Communicator Mobile for Nokia pre-installed on select Nokia smartphones; they also plan to support additional devices, including the new Nokia E5.

Learn more about the application’s debut.

Facebook to use NFC?

Rumors from Facebook’s F8 developer conference have it that Zuckerberg & co. may be adding NFC-based features to the social networking site, says pocket-lint.com.

Visitors to the April 21st conference were issued tags to tap in and out of exhibits. Some believe this is Facebook’s way of testing the technology to develop a location tracking feature for the website.

Pocket-lint imagines a scenario in which a Facebook user’s NFC phone would communicate with the site’s server to tell your friends Google Latitude-style where you are and what you’re up to.

If that sounds obtrusive, consider that, if taken to the extreme, the technology could allow Facebook to trace your NFC mobile transactions to tell your friends, say, that you just bought a round at Hooters.

Read more here.

Congo to all LBS Challenge Winners!!

The 2010 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge has announced five winners for the North America competition and 12 finalists for the India region. The Challenge is a worldwide competition for developers building innovative location-based services (LBS) using dynamic positioning technology and NAVTEQ maps.

The North American winner is Cypress Solutions of Vancouver, Canada; its VUE application tracks tugboats, barges and log booms for marine fleets. The first runner-up is ZOS Communications, whose zhiing application creates a universal in-box for location communications and interaction. Second runner-up is Spriv, whose application prevents the fraudulent use of stolen credit cards and user/password information. Also, two special-recognition awards were given to 3D Arts, publisher of Hile Arcade; and Cell Storm, publisher of Cell Storm Real Estate.

For the India region, 12 applications have been selected to advance to final judging. These include location-aware applications with the latest features in fitness and tracking services, enterprise solutions, location-based advertising and mobile couponing, social networking, navigation, search and news services. Among the 12 finalists are Ariose Software, maker of Hobby Lobby; Genesys International Corp., developer of GenesysGolf; and Ninad Majumder, developer of LooLoca. The winners of the India region competition will be announced on 29 April.

NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge winners in two additional regions will be announced soon: South America on 22-27 May; and Asia/Pacific on 14 June.


Meet the 2010 NAVTEQ LBS Challenge North American winners.

Learn more about the 2010 NAVTEQ LBS Challenge.