Photo: RafeB / Flickr

When Nokia signed its industry shaking deal with Microsoft, many believed it was the end of Nokia’s Symbian mobile OS platform. The company itself implied that they would make Windows Phone 7 their primary platform marking the start of the Nokia Microsoft era, while letting all its other OS strategies fall to the wayside. Well, the company has since changed its tone, indicating that Symbian will remain on life support for the foreseeable future.

So, what is it really?

The confusion comes from Nokia’s commitment to constantly selling and updating the current crop of Symbian handsets throughout 2011, but committing to not releasing any more handsets on the mobile OS platform.

Now the words of Vlasta Berka, who is the General Manager of Nokia Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, have added a little more confusion to Nokia’s already opaque strategy. Speaking at the launch of the Nokia E7, he said: ‘just because we’re changing our direction in terms of smartphone platform, it doesn’t mean that the existing platform is completely broken.’ Oh, it doesn’t? Then why change the direction?

We owe it to customers and devs

His justification for keeping the Symbian mobile OS platform alive was Nokia’s duty to customers and developers. He said that: ‘We still have obligations to our users, developers, business partners, and customers. Symbian is here to stay. Symbian will still be around, but it’s just going to go somewhere around the corner’. Around the corner? What does that even mean?

Sorry, Nokia, it’s just…

We’ve been accused in the past of giving Nokia a hard time unduly, and perhaps its true. It seems to us that the company has trouble transforming, and we thought Nokia Microsoft deal was evidence that this was no longer the case. If Berka’s words are the thoughts company-wide, then we may have to rethink our position.

Nobody understands Nokia’s strategy. Where does the Symbian mobile OS platform fit into the grand scheme of things? And is the Finnish company all in or not with Windows Phone 7?

Photo: Nokia

For years we’ve known that Nokia was in trouble with regards to its smartphone strategy. Other tech sites knew it, too. Nokia investors were also in on it, as was the average consumer who paid attention to sales trends. It seemed, however, Nokia employees were either oblivious to this or just refused to acknowledge it – we venture the latter.

Now, with an amazing, no-punches-spared leaked memo Nokia CEO Stephen Elop sent out to employees, it seems leadership is no longer prepared to jump around the problem and pretend it does not exist. He says the company is ‘standing on a burning platform.’

The iPhone did it

When the memo was first revealed, many were sceptical as to how real it was, but various sources have confirmed its authenticity. The scepticism is justified, however, if you read the stark words Elop uses for a company that is so unfamiliar with defeat or struggles.

One of the more intense sections reads: ‘The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don’t have a product that is close to their experience. Android came on the scene just over 2 years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable.’ Saying more on the iPhone, Elop writes: ‘They changed the game, and today, Apple owns the high-end range.’

Android is killing us, too

As to the effect Google Android is having, the Nokia CEO admits that: ‘Google has become a gravitational force, drawing much of the industry’s innovation to its core.’ Why Nokia smartphones are struggling, irrespective of their great hardware is not lost on him, as he writes: ‘Our competitors aren’t taking our market share with devices; they are taking our market share with an entire ecosystem.’

Our own platforms aren’t holding the fort

To Elop’s credit, he addresses everything the tech world has been harping on about, admitting that Symbian is increasingly struggling to meet consumers’ needs, and that MeeGo is simply taking to long to get to market. He says ‘We have some brilliant sources of innovation inside Nokia, but we are not bringing [innovation] to market fast enough,’ before admitting that ‘at this rate, by the end of 2011, we might have only one MeeGo product in the market.’

Engadget has the whole memo available to read if you’re at all interested in what the Nokia CEO has to say, and what the Nokia smartphones strategy is likely to be moving towards.

Photo: warrenski / Flickr

We all know the Sony PSP Phone is on the way – the constant leaks in the, conjecture, video evidence and chatter surrounding the long-awaited handset has given that away. However, what many people did not know was that it was only one of a trio of Sony Ericsson Android smartphones to be released in the first half of 2010.

PSP phone to be an Experia handset

A source close to TechRadar has told the publication that what we know as the Sony PSP phone will likely be a part of the Xperia range. We’ve seen it referred to as the Sony Xperia Play elsewhere, so that isn’t that far fetched.

Anzu, and Vivaz

It will be accompanied by ‘refreshes of phones in the existing lineup, as Sony looks to build on its fledgling Android renaissance’, writes TechRadar.

The Anzu is mooted to be a refresh of the current Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and will, therefore, also run the Google Android mobile OS platform. Data previously dug up on this handset sees SE shipping a 12pm handset, with a 4.3-inch display and a very slim build.

The last of the trio of Sony Ericsson Android handsets is to be called the Hallon. It will likely be a refresh of the Vivaz, which was a handset released on Symbian, and it’s apparently ‘no secret SE wants to keep the form factor alive,’ which makes the Android reboot all the more likely.

Release date and specs

Apparently it has yet to be revealed which version of Google’s mobile OS platform will ship with the handsets, but we hope the trio of  Sony Ericsson Android smartphones ship with Android 2.3, at least. As for release date, SE is having a press briefing on the Xperia range in January, as well as a date at Mobile World Conference. In short, by February the latest, you’ll know more.

It has to be said, Google Android smartphones are being prepared left, right and centre!

Photo: Nokia

Ooh, Nokia, what is this? The Finnish mobile phones giant that has been having a hard time keeping unannounced products under wraps seems to be cooking up another mobile phone. It is believed to be called the Nokia X7-00, and in a video that has since been taken down by the company, is seen running Need for Speed. Well, how about that?

Strange source

The pictures and video of the supposed Nokia X7 were put up on the Modryzub forums (via Crave). While information on specs is understandably light, it appears the handset has a 4-inch display and a rather unusual (yet certainly interesting) form factor.

Hardware

Continuing with the trend set by the Nokia N8, the Nokia X7 places a huge emphasis on sound and picture quality. It supposedly has four speakers, and an 8mp camera. The Modryzub community says the device packs 245mb of RAM, with a disappointing 450MB onboard storage space. We suspect that storage space will be expandable, but that 450MB is still a bummer.

Let’s have that software conversation

The handset, in the videos Nokia have since had removed, is seen running Need for Speed very well, which is pretty impressive, since it is certainly an attractive and resource intensive title. Furthermore, the hardware looks awesome. But – and you knew there was a ‘but’ coming – it appears to be running the Symbian mobile OS platform.

And the world’s feelings about Symbian are pretty well documented. Even with all these clamours, the Finnish mobile phones giant perseveres still. In many ways, at least in the short term, Nokia probably doesn’t have an option. MeeGo may still be some months away from completion, even though Nokia and Intel both have teams working on it day and night, and Nokia’s product release schedule is so dense that it likely has to unveil new handsets in pre-defined time frames.

What do you make of the Nokia X7, especially relative to the Nokia N8? Is either handset something you’d consider buying, or are your smartphone interests elsewhere? Oh, and do you think the Symbian mobile OS platform is worth culling, or should Nokia keep pushing on with it?

Photo: RafeB / Flickr

Nokia recently announced it was taking development control of Symbian back, while leaving the Symbian foundation to do licensing. Some have hailed this as a good move on Nokia’s part and the final roll of the dice for the company if it intends on rescuing the ailing OS. We, on the other hand, think it’s a silly move on the part of a company reluctant to swallow the sunk cost and to move onto better things. At the very least, Nokia could rename it.

Symbian is Nokia

The first thing one needs to note about Nokia and Symbian is that, with Samsung and Sony Ericsson both abandoning Symbian in recent months, the mobile OS platform, as things stand, is supported almost exclusively by Nokia. As such it makes sense that the Finnish giant takes manufacturing in-house. And, respectfully, as things stand, it’s unlikely other handset manufacturers are going to embrace their offerings.

What’s next

Reclaiming development control of Symbian suggests Nokia could throw more resources at making the mobile OS something remarkable and that consumers, resultantly, respond well to it. That is, of course, the ideal case.

The next scenario a degree down in desirability is if Nokia gets the Symbian OS right, but consumer response is tapered due to the bad associations with the OS. Worst case scenario is if Nokia’s mobile OS platform continues to be a trainwreck and consumers continue to ignore it.

We fear it’s likely to be the second scenario, with Nokia pulling an unlikely turnaround of the mobile operating system, only to find that consumers couldn’t care less due to the baggage associated with the name.

Sixth has a terrible taste to it

In essence, if the Symbian OS has a future, it either needs to be killed or have its name killed. Clearly the Finnish giant fully intends on supporting two operating systems – MeeGo and this one – but something as simple as changing the mobile OS platform’s name could make the world of difference.

Objectively, in terms of overall quality, factoring in ease of use and attractiveness, Symbian is widely viewed as being in sixth place on the mobile OS platform desirability list. iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry OS 6 and HP Palm webOS – and not necessarily in that order – are thought to be better, and this perception problem will take some overcoming.

The Symbian^3 based Nokia N8 is the latest phone released running the OS.

Photo: Android

Last year this time, Gartner predicted that the growth of Google Android would put that mobile OS platform in second place overall come 2012. Gartner was wrong by two calendar years. Android is the second most common smartphone platform in the world already, behind only Nokia’s fast ailing Symbian mobile OS.

Yes, folks, for a mobile OS platform that has barely been around three years, that is absolutely jaw dropping.

Gartner revise research

Gartner Research reported that global smartphone sales have increased 96 per cent year-on-year, to reach 19.3 per cent of the total smartphones market. The folks at Gartner were quick to point out that this is the third time consecutively year-on-year smartphone growth has been in the double digits, which is simply remarkable.

But what the whole industry is achieving pales in comparison to what the frontrunners are doing to their competition. Gartner says that 25.5 per cent of smartphones sold this past year carried Android OS, with only Symbian topping it at 36.6 per cent. Sure, Symbian seems to have a healthy lead, but it’s only when you put these numbers in perspective that they become unreal. This time last year, Symbian had 44.6 percent of the global marketshare, while Google Android OS had 3.5 per cent. Just wow. It’s been growing like a weed all year.

Takeaway: mobile OS fluidity

While the Android team’s growth achievement is unbelievable, one takeaway from the meteoric rise of this mobile OS platform is that the smartphone industry is very much in flux, still, and is highly fluid. What that means is that even though analysts world over have predicted that 2011 would be a blowout years for Android and Apple’s iOS, expected to take the one two spot by some distance, nothing necessitates this will actually be the case.

From extensive hands-on time with Windows Phone 7, I can say I prefer that operating system to Google’s – and that’s saying something. Personal preference isn’t indicative of sales trajectory, no doubt, but it was superior operating systems that helped both iOS and Google Android leapfrog RIM, and gun down Symbian at a dizzying pace. It could be the same that sees rank outsiders like Windows Phone 7 and HP Palm webOS rise through the ranks fast.

Also, 19.3 per cent for smartphones is still a comparatively small percentage of the overall mobile phones market. Expect that market share to change dramatically in the coming years, leaving room for growth for everybody.

Photo: Dan_H / Flickr

For those of us who read and write about mobile OS platforms daily, the differences between Google Android, BlackBerry OS 6, webOS, Symbian, MeeGo, iOS and Windows 7 are obvious. But there’s a huge portion of readers who are unsure what all of this means, firstly, and secondly which mobile OS is best suited for their needs. This guide answers that question.

So what is a mobile OS?

A mobile OS is much like a desktop OS, only it lives on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. What this means is the way you interact with your device’s software is determined by the mobile OS. This is further exaggerated by the fact that software developed for one mobile OS will not work on another mobile OS unless a version supporting that OS was built, too.

Which is the best mobile OS

This question cannot be answered without stirring some controversy. The most widely used mobile OS – in terms of the number of smartphones that have it currently installed – is Nokia’s Symbian mobile OS platform. But this number is declining rapidly. Google Android, which is being adopted by many third-party handset manufacturers, is quickly gathering momentum and traction, with Gartner predicting it’ll be the world’s leading mobile OS by market share come 2014.

If we consider the best mobile OS, from an applications perspective, iOS, the mobile OS that powers the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, would have to take the cake. With over 250,000 apps in the store already, over $1 billion paid out to developers, and what many consider to be the best apps on mobile devices, Apple runs circles around the competition at present.

So, should I settle for iOS?

Should you settle for Apple’s devices? Yes and no.

Photo: geehall2 / Flickr

Yes, because the popularity of the iPhone – and its standardised platform – is mind-boggling in places like the US and the UK. And the knock-on effect of that is the ability to share things easier with friends as a result.

No, because the alternative platforms are viable. The HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S are two of our top three favourite phones in the world right now, and both of those phones are Android devices. Furthermore, we love Palm’s webOS, but were just disappointed with how buggy the Palm Pre was. And on top of that, we’re quite excited for Windows Phone 7, and whether Microsoft really has a Rocky-esque moment in them, with respects to the smartphone space.

So there are good alternatives, but right now, for ease of use, accessibility, scaling and multi-purpose functionality, iOS has the leg up on competitors. But that won’t last for too long.

Photo: Nokia

Geez! Technology will leak. This is fact. And when it does, companies who enlist the authorities to get their devices back are clearly not after their consumers’ hearts. But still, this is exactly what Nokia has done, sending in Russian authorities to get the prototype Nokia N8 Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin caught, reaffirming the smartphone industry has become super cut throat.

Apple-Gizmodo all over again

This harks back to a similar case this year where the iPhone 4 was lost in a bar and ended up in Gizmodo’s hands. Police raided the Gizmodo editor in question’s home and there has been a whole host of legal back and forth since then. The case of the Nokia N8 involves Eldar Murtazin, editor of mobile-review.com, who first reviewed the smarthphone weeks early on 26 April using a working prototype. Nokia asked that ‘one of their missing children’ be returned but, clearly, Murtazin has not obliged.

It’s mobile phones espionage, we tell you!

Nokia accuse Eldar of being a consultant for other smartphone manufacturers in a blog post, saying, ‘Whether Mr. Murtazin’s actions were as a blogger, or whether he is acting in the capacity of a consultant in order to provide information to his clients is an open question’. Fighting words! Murtazin, in his defense, claims he has attempted to make contact with the Finnish mobile giant for weeks to no avail.
Why this matters

Photo: Nokia

In an age where tech bloggers and buyers – you, the person reading this now – are desperate to use early information to drive traffic to their site or inform their buying decisions as early as possible, tech companies who would rather announce on their own timeline get rather uptight. It’s a push and respective push back. And the big question is, do we, as journalists, have a right to this information on the smartphone industry big boys early on if we can obtain it, or are companies like Apple and Nokia in the right for using the long arm of the law to bring us to order?

On the phone in question

The Nokia N8 itself – the actual release, not the prototype – has been at the centre of tech discussions recently and for the wrong reasons. On release, the handset itself got a lukewarm to decent response, but the reason it’s so talked-about is that it is the only Symbian^3 powered smartphone Nokia intends to release. From hereon in they will use MeeGo exclusively for their N-series devices (or not). There is a lot of confusion regarding product strategy in Nokia’s focus on the smartphone industry, but we hope this particular incident ends well for everybody.

Photo: Nokia

Though we would rather stop writing about Nokia’s woes – and this is likely to be our last post on the subject – nobody could ignore the recent passionate blog post by Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia’s Mobile Solutions bigwig, regarding Nokia ‘fighting back’ against the competition. In it he confirmed that there would be no Nokia Android device, Symbian^4 is likely for Nokia N-series devices, and that he aims to take a good swing at putting Nokia back at its rightful position – the very top.

Cross-wired? More Symbian on the way?

Though the Mobile Solution’s chief post reads like a rally call of the truest kind that Nokia fans (or any smartphone fans, for that matter) want to believe, there’s just a slight issue – his message and that of his colleagues is getting crossed.

You see, last week the company announced that moving forward, all their high-end smartphones – most notably Nokia N-series devices – would be powered by MeeGo exclusively. Thus the Nokia N8 would be the only N-series with Symbian^3, or any Symbian for that matter. Now, Anssi backtracks on that statement, reaffirming the Nokia N8 being the only Symbian^3 device, though adding, ‘Of course, we never comment on future products, but a Symbian^4 N-series device is a strong possibility. A very strong possibility.’

Not only does Nokia have a challenge from a PR perspective, but more importantly from a strategic perspective if, as in the case here, both hands aren’t speaking to each other.

Nokia fans unimpressed

Photo: Nokia

Taking a read through the comments section of Anssi’s post, it is clear even Nokia’s most impassioned fans are beginning to treat everything the company says with a pinch of salt. One commenter in particular, ajmqrst, had an interesting take on MeeGo and why he believes it could fail the same way Symbian has, saying Nokia and Intel are both great hardware companies trying to build great software – a feat the pair is incapable of. Though we tend to disagree about their capability to build great software based on what we’ve seen elsewhere, it’s an interesting perspective.

And, even if said commenter were correct, Nokia have made it absolutely clear they plan on building their own software, killing the rumours of aligning with third-party software vendors, saying: ‘Despite rumours to the contrary, there are no plans to introduce an Android device from Nokia.’ Done deal, then.

What do you make of this Symbian^3, MeeGo N-series and Symbian^4 N-series back and forth? Which strategy do you think the company should adopt, in general, and more specifically for its Nokia N-series devices? And, for Nokia N8 owners, how has your experience with your new handset been?

Photo: Nokia

As Nokia’s transition to the new generation of smartphones continues, the company is finding itself in an increasingly difficult position. To their credit, though, the Finnish mobile phones giant is beginning to show signs of a clear strategy, announcing MeeGo will become the sole mobile OS on high-end phones.

N-Series all MeeGo

Nokia has announced that its entire N-Series lines of phones will be powered by MeeGo only. This puts the recently released Nokia N8 in the unusual position of being the first and last N-Series Nokia handset with Symbian^3 as its mobile OS.

Symbian pushed into feature phones

As such, Nokia’s Symbian OS will be increasingly used throughout the company’s feature phones lineup and pushed down to lower scale devices. This move will unify the oft-fragmented (and widely differing) mobile OS solutions in the Nokia feature phones lineups.

Why’s this important? Well, Nokia feature phones are the company’s current money-spinners, an area where Nokia is the out-and-out leader. The problem is this market is shrinking fast as smartphone growth explodes. Considering Nokia are struggling in the growing smartphones market, the company needs to eek out every cent of revenue it can from its feature phones category to bide it time while it’s much talked about smartphone turnaround happens.

Smart strategy for a big problem

Photo: Nokia

The latest build of Symbian has been received well, while a video demo of MeeGo for tablets was inspiring. This suggests that Nokia is at least alive to the problem of fragmentation it has at the top end of its devices, as well as at the lower end. And it has software engineers capable of building a highly competitive mobile OS.

Whether this will be enough against companies that sell 1.7 million units of their new handset in three days is yet to be seen, but based on our experience with the great hardware meets so-so software that was the Nokia N900, the Finnish giant certainly has it in them. Especially if they give the software the attention it deserves and is seemingly getting now.