Nokia Cuts Outlook Again

After warning less than a month ago that the worldwide handset market would do worse than expected this year and next, Nokia on Thursday revised down its expectations again.


It joins a host of other companies and experts who say that the mobile-phone industry, which until recently was expected to be a rare bright spot in an otherwise dark economic outlook, will be hard hit.

In mid-November, Nokia said that collectively mobile-phone makers would sell 1.24 billion phones in 2008, rather than its earlier estimate of 1.26 billion. Now, Nokia says fourth-quarter sales will be lower than expected, dragging down the year's sales even lower.

Nokia did not offer a new overall sales figure for 2008, nor could it confirm its prior expectation that it would claim 38 percent of the market for the fourth quarter this year. That's the same share Nokia had in the third quarter this year.

Since it last made predictions, Nokia appears to have observed a downturn in emerging markets. In mid-November, the handset giant said that the emerging markets were faring better than developed markets. However on Thursday, Nokia said that most recently the impact in emerging markets has been more pronounced than other regions.

Nokia also had bad news for its expectations for next year. It now says that 2009 industry volumes are likely to decline 5 percent or more from this year.

Other mobile-phone makers including Research In Motion and Palm have also recently warned about lower expectations. Earlier this week RIM said that it expects to report 2.6 million new users in its third quarter, rather than the 2.9 million it previously forecast. That new figure is still 57 percent over the same quarter last year, it noted.

After laying off an undisclosed number of people, Palm recently announced that it expects a decline in revenue for its quarter ending on Nov. 28, due to a reduced demand for smartphones.

The expected declines are in line with those of many research firms, including iSuppli, which this week estimated that total phone shipments would decline 5.6 percent next year.

SOURCE:pcworld.com
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Nokia N97: No iPhone Killer

Nokia N97 fails as an iPhone competitor.
Seth Weintraub, Computerworld

This one from Nokia, the world's largest cell phone manufacturer. How can I be so certain that it will fail?

1. The product name is lacking. You can't fall in love with a "N97" or a "N810" unless your name is C3PO or R2D2. Nokia has gotten away with not differentiating their product names for so long because they've had great specs, an adequate user experience and some good marketing. In this new competitive smartphone field, you need to be able to form a connection with your device. Nokia isn't creating that. For techies this doesn't matter (I had a Nokia N95 and used to know their whole product line) but for the other 90% of the population, this is a big differentiator. Something like "iPhone" or "Chocolate" or "RAZR" will always beat a set of numbers and letters.

2. Nokia's specs are great but are also not absurdly better than iPhone. Nothing below will be a game changer for most consumers, especially when not integrated as well as they are on the iPhone. There is no killer app feature.

*5 megapixel camera with flash

*3.5", 640x360 resistive touch screen (not glass)

*QWERTY slide out keyboard

*3G, WiFi, GPS

*32GB on board expandable to 48Gb

3. Apps Store. While there are good apps available for the Symbian platform, developers are forced to, yet again, retool their apps for this phone, its screen size and its processor. Not nearly as many will as are putting out great Apple Apps Store content (10,000 apps and counting - about 1/10th are good). The Apps Store is a hit with everyone involved including webmasters who advertise apps on their sites and get commissions. You can't create a whole ecosystem like this overnight.

4. Nokia is no longer the de facto Smartphone. In fact, its numbers are dropping dramatically, while Apple's are skyrocketing. Google's Android platform is also capturing imagination while Blackberry is coming out with some (relatively) exciting models.

5. Symbian is no longer the hot platform. Apple is obviously hot, but the new kid on the block in the open source space is Google with its Android platform. Mindshare is waning for Symbian.

6. The user interface is clunky. Just watch the video below. It seems way more complex than necessary, and slow.

7. It is a third thicker than the iPhone. Probably due to the QWERTY keyboard, this won't feel nearly as good in a tight pocket or even on the ear for a long call. Also the iPhone is one piece of hard material while the N97 is the flip variety. While these aesthetic issues may seem minor, the difference in feel will be significant. (Thanks commenter)

Dimensions:
Phone 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm
N97 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9mm

8. There are websites devoted to the iPhone interface. The N97 is just another face in the crowd mobile platform that won't get specialized webpages developed like the iPhone.

9. It will be available during the middle of next year. By then the next iPhone will be right around the corner - likely with a lot of the N97's differentiating functions and more.

10. All of the other iPhone and iPod killers before the N97 have failed. This isn't much different. Look at the Toshiba G900 released last year. Better specs all around, but barely noticable. I don't want to be a Ballmer here: "No chance!" but I really can't see where this Nokia phone hopes to differentiate itself. I am sure you Nokia fans can help me in the comments.



SOURCE:pcworld.com

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iPhone Beware, The Nokia N97 Is Coming

After months of waiting, Nokia finally announced the N97, the company's second (unreleased) device to challenge the iPhone and revive to the N-series to their former glory. With a 3.5" touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and 32GB of memory, the N97 is one phone worth waiting for in the New Year.


Expected spring next year, the N97 features a kick-out QWERTY keyboard that is hidden behind the phone's 3.5" - 16:9 aspect ratio - touchscreen. As a worthy iPhone competitor, the N97 rocks a 5-megapixel camera on the back with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and dual LED flash. Also, unlike the iPhone or the T-Mobile G1, the N97 can capture video in DVD quality in 16:9 aspect ratio.

Storage-wise, the N97 does very well also. The phone comes with 32GB of on-board memory - that is twice the amount of memory the most expensive iPhone brings. As an extra, the capacity can be extended with microSD cards of up to 16GB, ranking up to a potential 48GB of storage on the N97.


Priced at around $700 before carrier subsidies (simfree), the N97 is a 3G phone that can also do HSDPA speeds of 7.2Mb/s (obviously, if your carrier can handle it) and Wi-Fi. The usual flavor of A-GPS with an electronic compass is present, and if you plan to keep yourself entertained with this phone, Nokia says that the N97 can deliver up to 37 hours of music and 4.5 hours of video playback.

Now, even with all these high specs, a good mobile phone would be nothing without software - and Nokia seems to deliver a good offering in this category. The N97 runs on Symbian S50 5th Edition and brings the familiar interface from the (yet unreleased) 5800 Express Music, previously known as 'Tube'.


What's new from Nokia in the software side of things is the ability of having home screen widgets on the N97. Nokia says that these widgets will enable you to update social networks automatically with your status and location as well as related pictures or video.


Nokia will also start competing with Apple's MobileMe service by launching new features for Ovi - the company's social portal. N97 users will be able to have their own free Ovi email account and will be able to enjoy push-like email as well as calendar and contacts synchronizing - T-Mobile G1 style.


Check out this video Nokia released if you want to get a taste of how the software on the N97 will work.

SOURCE:pcworld.com
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Nokia Wants to Automate Your Home

Nokia is developing a device to link mobile phones to home automation systems. Using a mobile phone consumers will be able monitor and control security, heating, and ventilation systems via its gateway Home Control Center, Nokia announced on Thursday.
With appropriate equipment, users will be able to see who is ringing the doorbell at home, via the mobile phone. They can then talk to the person, and for example open the door to a handyman, according to Nokia.

Nokia's first systems are expected to become commercially available by the end of 2009, said Toni Sormunen, director for the Smart Home Program at Nokia.

The heart of the Nokia system is the Home Control Center (HCC), a piece of hardware which will act as gateway between different systems for home automation and the mobile phone, or any device that is equipped with a browser.

Phones will talk to the HCC via an Internet connection or Wi-Fi. Nokia has developed a native client for phones running its Symbian S60 software, and a browser-based client for other devices.

Using the native client users will be able to plug the phone into the HCC with a USB cable, and everything is installed automatically. The native client will also be more responsive, and users won't have to log in when they access their HCC, according to Kari Rantanen, director of sales and marketing at Nokia's Smart Home Program.

The HCC will then be able to talk to security, heating, and ventilation systems via home automation systems. Nokia will initially support only one, Z-Wave, but is opening up its system to enable partners to implement support for other home automation technologies such as ZigBee or KNX (Konnex).

It chose to start with Z-Wave because the number of available products. The members of the Z-Wave Alliance have already introduced 300 products to the market, according to Sormunen.

It will also be up to third parties to integrate different solutions with the HCC, using an SDK (Software Development Kit), which at this point is only available to selected partners under a non-disclosure agreement, according to Rantanen.

"Partnering is very important. We understand our limitations; we are good at creating communication technologies, embedded devices and software platforms," said Sormunen.

Nokia is currently working with German energy company RWE to distribute the system. Their first joint product will focus on home heating management, and be sold by RWE to its customers by the end of next year.

The system will consist of a central control unit together with remote-controlled thermostats for radiators. The user interface will be the PC and the mobile phone. In addition, a separate display will be available, according to Nokia.

Nokia is also working with a number of other companies, including Zen-sys, the inventor and manufacturer of chips for Z-Wave, and Delta Dore, which develops energy management, safety and control systems.

"This is an interesting market," said Sormunen. "There is a consumer interest and need, and the technology is maturing." Equipment prices are coming down as the technology becomes more common -- but success won't come overnight; it is still a few years away, said Sormunen.

The Finnish phone giant is far from the only company that wants to be the center of home automation systems.

"Nokia have been quick on its feet, but there are other companies who are doing similar things," said Johan Stråkander, marketing manager at Swedish company Manodo, which has developed a home automation gateway of its own.

But Nokia entering the market is giving it stamp of approval, according to Stråkander.

SOURCE:pcworld.com
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Nokia to Pull out of Japanese Handset Market

The world's largest cell phone maker is pulling out of one of the world's biggest cellular markets. Nokia said on Thursday that it will stop developing handsets for NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile, effectively ending a push that began five years ago when Nokia re-entered the Japanese market with the launch of 3G services here.

The current global economic conditions pushed Nokia to withdraw from the Japanese market, said Thomas Jonsson, a company spokesman. Faced with lower demand for cell phones the company is examining its operations worldwide and decided that development for the Japanese market is not a priority.

"We've not reached our own internal targets over a sustained period," he said but declined to say what those targets were.

Nokia will keep a research and development center open in Japan and continue its procurement activities, said Jonsson. The plan also won't affect its high-end Vertu brand handsets. A recent press report, which Jonsson declined to comment on, said Nokia would launch an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) next year through which it would provide service for Vertu.

The company was active in Japan in the 1990s, supplying handsets for the country's proprietary second-generation PDC networks, but pulled out of the market. It reentered earlier this decade when 3G services began and has had one or two handsets on sale ever since through NTT DoCoMo and Softbank, which both operate WCDMA (wideband code-division multiple access) networks.

Nokia's decision probably says more about the Japanese market than it does about Nokia. Handsets from NEC, Fujitsu, Sharp, Panasonic and other domestic makers, which are typically developed in close cooperation with carriers and highly tuned to local tastes, are most popular here and no foreign phone maker enjoys the same level of popularity here that it does in other major markets.

For example, the recently announced new line-up of 22 phones from NTT DoCoMo includes five from Panasonic, four each from Fujitsu, Sharp and NEC and then two from Taiwan's HTC and a single handset each from Nokia, LG and Blackberry.

Coupled with a highly developed yet proprietary mobile Internet system, the Japanese market is sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos Islands" of the cellular industry -- a reference to the Pacific islands where a vast number of species have developed differently from most of the rest of the world.



SOURCE:pcworld.com

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Stylish Nokia E51 Business Smartphone launched

Nokia has expanded its Eseries line of business devices with the introduction of the new Nokia E51 mobile phone. This all-round device would be perfect for businesses professionals, who require reliable and real-time access to business and people, and need to manage time effectively.

This because the Nokia E51 phone combines mobile telephony, mobile email and messaging, office phone functionality, cost savings, one phone number, one voice mailbox and one dial plan into a single device.

Here are the prominent business-related features of the Nokia E51 mobile phone:

*A home screen including user-selected icons to the most used applications
*One Touch keys with one-click access to key functionalities including email, contacts, calendar and the home screen
*Set-up wizards offering step-by-step guidance for setting up email accounts, configuring Internet calling and accessing wireless local area networks
*Integration witha wide range of business email solutions, including Nokia *Intellisync Wireless Email and Mail for Exchange to communicate with Microsoft *Exchange Server, and consumer email
*Streamlined email reading experience with easy access to attachments
*Dedicated Email key on the front cover, indicator light for new email, and a preview window to the latest email on the home screen to help keep up with email when on the move

But, if you’re a business professional and are also a fun-loving person, then the Nokia E51 will transform itself in an interestingly device as well.

The Nokia E51 phone features a 2 megapixel camera, an FM radio, music and multimedia player.

The Nokia browser serves as a gateway to a variety of Internet services such as interoperability with Windows Live. The Download! Application provides access to Yahoo Go! WidSets, and a number of travel, personal productivity and entertainment applications.

The Nokia E51 business phone will be available in Q4 2007 for a price of 350 EUR (around Rs.19,564).


SOURCE:techshout.com

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Nokia Unveils Dual-Mode E51

A revamped interface joins GSM and Wi-Fi functions in Nokia's newest business model.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

Nokia Corp. released on Tuesday the newest addition to its E-series lineup of mobile phones for businesses, revamping the user interface for easier navigation, executives said during a London product launch.

The E51 is a dual-mode model, working with GSM networks and Wi-Fi hotspots for businesses eyeing or already using so-called "converged" services -- VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) technology alongside traditional phone networks.

Nokia is hoping to spur businesses to adopt its E-series phones by convincing IT managers they'll save money over the long term by using the mobiles in combination with VOIP software. The unsubsidized price of the E51 will be ,350 (US$485) and should be available in the last three months of the year.

Cost savings through converged fixed line and mobile networks are a "door opener" for IT managers, said Mary McDowell, executive vice president and general manager of Nokia's Enterprise Solutions division.

Expensive data plans -- which increase the total bill for companies every time employees read e-mail -- remain a barrier, although Nokia has brought the issue up with operators, McDowell said.

Still, Nokia sees big opportunities, as 44 percent of businesses still lack plans for mobile usage by their employees, said Antti Vasara, senior vice president for the mobile devices unit of Enterprise Solutions.

Nokia simplified the E51's main navigation window and added setup wizards for functions such as e-mail to make it easier during the initial set-up, Vasara said.

Those improvements came to address user complaints that those functions were "more difficult" than on other models, Vasara said. Another improvement lets users access frequently used features, such as e-mail or their calendar, with the push of only one button, he said.

The E51, which runs the S60 series operating system, may be built for business, but it's shiny, slim and attractive, forgoing a fattening QWERTY keypad to keep its figure. It has a 2-megapixel camera and an FM radio.


The device will perhaps fill the void caused by Nokia's E70 mobile. Despite the full, fold-out keyboard that extended to the left and the right of the main screen, the E70 has not been very popular despite doing well in initial user trials, McDowell said.

The E51 is compatible with Nokia's Intellisync Call Connect software for businesses using equipment and software from Cisco Systems Inc. and Alcatel-Lucent SA. The Intellisync software enables desktop phone functions -- such as call forwarding, extension dialing, hold and conferences, among others -- for mobiles.

BT Group PLC will test a client version of its BT Corporate Fusion software next month on the E51, with expanded trials by the end of the year, said Rakesh Mahaja, global director of mobility for BT Global Services.

BT's Corporate Fusion software uses Wi-Fi to let mobile devices communicate with the fixed network, and runs applications and other calling management functions through an IP network.


SOURCE:pcworld.com

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Nokia 7900 Prism and 7500 Prism Mobile Phones unveiled in India

Nokia has launched its Prism Collection of mobile phones in India. Nokia’s latest series includes the Nokia 7900 Prism and Nokia 7500 Prism, which are primarily aimed at the stylish and fashion oriented users.

Devinder Kishore, Director Marketing Nokia India maintained, “Mobile phone as a style and fashion accessory is gaining increasing importance in India. We have pioneered the concept of fashion phones and are happy to launch our latest offering in this space - the Prism collection.” Adding, “Nokia Prism Collection comprising Nokia 7900 and Nokia 7500 is an ode-to-architecture with its sharp-angled lines, geometric patterns and graphic light-refracting colors.”

The features of the Nokia 7900 Prism mobile phone are:
*3G technology
*Quad band GSM capability
*2 MP Camera
*1GB of internal memory

The Nokia 7500 Prism mobile phone incorporates the following:
*Glossy black exterior with bright, interchangeable color accents
*2 MP Camera
*Optional 2 GB microSD card
*Strong battery offering nine hours of playback music

Speaking on the details about the unique form factor and look of the Prism collection, Silas Grant, Senior Designer Manger, Focused Appeal, Nokia stated, “At Nokia we realize that mobiles are very personal items and the design has to reflect this intimate status. Nokia has been continuously innovating to bring iconic products that combine aesthetics, technology and ease of use in a sophisticated fashion.

Speaking about fashion, one name that comes to the mind of any fashion aficionado in India is that of Rocky S. Nokia has kept that in mind too, and joined hands with India’s leading fashion designer Rocky S to create a special collection that seeks inspiration by the Prism collection.

Commenting on the partnership with Nokia, Rocky S said, “I am delighted to be associated with Nokia, India’s leading lifestyle-technology brand. This partnership is a great opportunity for me to design a modern collection that reflects the independent attitude of the Indian women. My collection will draw its inspiration from the soul of the Prism collection and will be futuristic, daring and mysterious, brazen and in your face to fascinate the stylish women of today.”

And indeed, Rocky S’ display of the latest clothes collection at the ongoing Will LifeStyle Fashion Week had a true reflection of the new Prism devices in it!


SOURCE:techshout.com
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Nokia Launches 6555 Clamshell

Nokia has announced their new 3G enabled WCDMA and Quadband GSM handset – The Nokia 6555. This clamshell features a QVGA 16 million color internal display. The resolution of the screen is 240 x 320 pixels. It has an internal memory of 30MB and supports external memory through microSD cards.




"Mobile-savvy consumers expect superior quality and design. We understood that need, and so created the Nokia 6555. The Nokia 6555 is a sophisticated accessory delivering the outstanding features that you expect from Nokia," said Markku Suomi, Product Group Director, Mobile Phones, Nokia.


Nokia doesn’t mention what type of camera is present but they did mention that it has 6x zoom. It also has an option for self-portrait and video sharing. The 6555 also has Bluetooth capabilities.

It’s priced at just around Rs. 11,100 (€200) and should be available next month.


SOURCE:tech2.com Read More!

Nokia E90 Communicator Smartphone Review

In the recent past, a flurry of new and advanced mobile phones has made their pompous entry into India. And the latest one to join the bandwagon is the Nokia E90 smartphone. But hey this is not just any ordinary mobile device, but a smartphone as it incorporates some truly ‘smart’ and intelligent functions. Undoubtedly an owner’s delight and a neighbor’s envy, that’s what the Nokia E90 exactly is. Read on to know why we seem to be so awed by this multimedia device. But before we throw the light on the E90, let’s speak a little about the journey of communicators, from what it was to what it now is.

The first phone in the Communicator series was the Nokia 9000 that debuted in 1996. After that Nokia released a slew of phones in that line. Phones such as the 9000i, 9110, 9110i, 9210, 9210i, 9290, 9300, 9300i and the 9500 made an appearance. They were called the 9xxx series. However, it has to be noted that 9300 and 9300i were not considered as Communicators.

Earlier phones in the communicator series were dubbed as Bricks (sorry iPhone, but your misnomer was taken long back) and even as bad as bulky compass boxes.

To begin with, the E90 smartphone is the first device, which is not a Nokia 9xxx series’ model that has been given the tag of Communicator. Coming to its appearance, it comes in two colors, mocha and burgundy (in layman terms, black and red!). As James Bond would say it, ‘first things first’. Yes the first thing that you notice about the E90 is the size. And what a breath of fresh air that seemed to be for sure! It essentially looks like an N70 enclosed in a shell! And if you’ve ever held the old communicators, then you would exactly understand how compact the E90 actually is.

Now coming to the main features of the Nokia E90 smartphone, the device features one of the fastest RAM in a Nokia phone, 128 MB coupled with a faster processor. This enables the phone to work efficiently. You can run several applications in the background without making it slow or freeze. The Nokia E90 is the first communicator to run on a single platform. It has S60 3.1 platform running on Symbian OS 9.2, which allows you to continue with the same action even when you flip screens.

It has a cool QWERTY keyboard that makes web browsing a true delight on this phone. And of course the inner display which is 800 x 352 pixels of size only adds on to the pleasure. The large screen makes the web pages look just as though you are surfing the internet on your PC monitor.

Normally to browse the web from a mobile phone, users have to use a GPRS connection, which sometimes can be expensive depending upon the carrier and the plan or 3G capability, which ironically is not available in all countries including India. However, the Nokia E90 communicator has Wi-Fi capabilities and all you have to do is go into a Wi-Fi hotspot and start surfing.

And of course it does include other basic features such as FM Radio, Media Player. The QWERTY keyboard makes sending SMSes and writing notes very easy. The Nokia E90 has a 3.2 MP camera with which you can click photos and also record videos. It features various different modes and settings that you would normally find in a digital camera. You can also make video calls with your E90. Besides these functions the smartphone has a host of other functions such as Clock, Calendar, GPS, Calculator and Converter. It also comes with a QuickOffice and Adobe PDF that let you view all your office documents. And if you have a printer nearby, you can use the Wi-Fi functionality of the phone to print documents. In addition, it also has a Barcode reader which scans barcodes.
Though the Nokia E90 is close to flawless, but as the old adage goes, “Nothing is perfect,” this device also cannot be given a perfect ten on ten.

Firstly the keys, especially the ones next to the Menu buttons on the front side could have been perhaps a little bigger. There is a lot of space at the bottom and instead of squishing the keys on the top; they could have ergonomically designed the main keypad. Secondly, we would have loved it if there were some more games included in the device. And here’s probably the biggest drawback, or may I say lack that I found in the Nokia E90. After having so many plus points one wonders why the Finnish mobile giant compensated on its memory capacity. Ironically, the phone supports and expandable memory of only up to 2 GB, which we feel is very low considering the fact that these days people do carry a lot of data on their phones. However, here’s some bleak ray of light that we see as there is a possibility of Nokia coming out with a newer version that would support up to 4 GB of expandable memory.

The Nokia E90 India price is Rs. 38,000, (that is around US $940, when converted) which seems like quite an affordable device for such a plethora of features and suave to its look.

Our Shout: We are giving the big black beast 9.5 out of 10 as we feel that Nokia E90 Communicator is one of the best phones available in the market and it is a steal if you are paying just Rs. 38,000 for a phone that has two screens and a QWERTY keyboard. We would recommend the E90 not only to higher level executives but also anyone who is an office goer or a B-School student as it would be a nice return on investment.


source:techshout.com Read More!