Nokia 7700 - "Multimedia Terminal"

howler.fi writes "Nokia today announced a Series 90 -based "multimedia terminal", the Nokia 7700. It's not really a phone or a PDA, but something inbetween. The device sports nicely sized 65k touch screen and the usual features you'd expect from a device like this. Should offer interesting competition for the Sony-Ericsson P900, though the 7700 is not expected to ship until Q2/04."

Comments

Nokia design team needs to be fired

[KU_Fletch]

It might not be a phone, it might not be a PDA, but it shure as hell looks like the back of a pair of Etnies I used to wear.

Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[ChaoticChaos]

I keep waiting for a device that has the functionality of my T-Mobile Sidekick (IM, email, web browsing, phone, scheduler, notes, etc.) that is as thoughtfully made (screen flips up to reveal a solid thumb-board and every bit of data I enter is automatically backed up on T-Mobile's servers) that is anywhere close to the price point ($300).

I bet this Nokia device is plenty expensive and I could send out an email 10 times faster with my Sidekick thumb-board than you could peck one out with the stylus on this device (if you could find your stylus ;-) ).

http://www.t-mobile.com/products/overview.asp?ph on eid=195184

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[christopher240240]

For a guy called "ChaoticChaos", you sure are a marketing company's dream. By the way, I bet this 7700 doesn't play music anywhere near as well as my iPod ($299), nor does it sync with Outlook as well as my Toshiba e755 ($399).

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[DaveOf9thKey]

T-Mobile doesn't offer service in North Carolina, you insensitive clod!!!

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[ChaoticChaos]

That is certainly rude of T-Mobile. No question.

How could the Meca of the telecom industry - the Carolinas - not offer any device?????

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[isaac]

I keep waiting for a device that has the functionality of my T-Mobile Sidekick

And what, pray tell, will you do when you find such a device? There's no way to get your data out of your sidekick should you decide to switch. You're locked in, dude.

Next time, try a syncable device.

-Isaac

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[wilsynet]

I should sure hope it's no Sidekick.

The T-Mobile SideKick/Danger HipTop user forums detail the endless quality problems that plague this device. Some people have gone through as many as 6 or 7 different units because they just *keep on failing*.

Besides the awful quality control problems, it also makes an awful phone: the speaker is terrible and the radio performance is astonishingly weak. Some people actually need a phone that works well and reliably over the long term.

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[ChaoticChaos]

Sync software exists *today*.

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[ChaoticChaos]

Keep in mind that satisfied people don't post!

I purchased a Black-and-White Sidekick day **1** when they started selling. I never had one problem with that unit and carry it with me (and use it!) every waking moment.

I purchased a Color Sidekick about a month after they were available. Same story. Not one problem.

I have no idea what a person has to do to a Sidekick to cause it go out. Keep in mind that you can't do the following with a Sidekick and you'll be okay:
1) You can't roll a motorcycle with a Sidekick on your belt and expect it to work.
2) You can't jump out of an airplane and land on your Sidekick and expect it to work.
3) You can't operate a Jackhammer all day with a Sidekick on your belt and expect it to work. ;-)

Re:Nice try, but it's no Sidekick

[dk4]

Where? Puma has no mention of IntelliSync for Sidekick on their website, and the t-mobile site only provides a one-way sync.

"when" can I get one?

[slimak]

looks pretty cool...but will it still be cool in several years when the price comes down to where I can justify purchasing one? Something tells me these will be very expensive to begin with, which most likely will hurt sales.

Sega Game Gear

[rf0]

Does this remind anyone eles of the Sega Game Gear? It looks more like Nokia is going for a gaming stance. Get a TV tuner and put that onto it. Won't be able to tell the difference

Rus

Re:Sega Game Gear

[Anonymous Coward]

There already is a TV tuner for it..

The Nokia 7700 will also support the Nokia Streamer SU-6 accessory, the first mobile IP Datacast receiver designed to demonstrate the mobile phone television experience using the DVB-H network. The Nokia Streamer can be attached to the Nokia 7700 like a battery pack, and will be used in pilot projects to showcase the future of digital broadcasting on mobile devices.

This is from the press release .

Re:Sega Game Gear

[jacksonyee]

That's actually exactly what I was thinking of when I was looking at the picture as well. It would be horrible trying to hold a device of this shape to your ears or in a single hand like the Palm Pilots, but it seems ideal for games and multimedia. The 640x320 resolution would be great for small media files, and as much as I dislike Flash, being able to browse Flash-enabled sites could be good at certain times.

This isn't something that I would purchase myself since I like the combination of my cell phone and my laptop too much (not to mention that I type so much faster on a regular keyboard), but for people who don't have the space to carry a laptop around all the time, I can see it being very useful for them.

Re:Sega Game Gear

[10bt]

Does this remind anyone eles of the Sega Game Gear? It looks more like Nokia is going for a gaming stance.

what?! they've given up on their N-GAGE already?

Yet Another Do_It_All item

[I8TheWorm]

Personally, I can't imagine wanting one of these. Once again, they try to stuff something into a technology that, to me, doesn't fit. Who wants a tv/phone? You already have digital video cameras that you can watch the output on a screen the size of this thing. Who wants to pause their viewing/recording to answer a call? There's already PDA phones to handle the rest of the applications that this will.

I just don't see this as any more than a toy, and not terribly useful.

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[KU_Fletch]

Who wants to pause their viewing/recording to answer a call?

Apparently people in Finland do...

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[dbarclay10]

bitch moan moan bitch toy bitch moan stuff moan moan bitch moan bitch not useful bitch bitch bitch bitch moan bitch phone moan moan bitch

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[watzinaneihm]

Well I'm still waiting for a device that plays MP3s (with a storage the size of iPod), a PDA which runs linux (and a pullout keyboard) and a cellphone, all in one. I want to be able to jot down notes while talking on the phone but dont want to carry around an extra headphone, so I want a headphone whose cable goes inside the device when Im not talking,spring loaded or something (I should be able to just pull it out and use it, kinda like a telescopic antenna on radios but with a flexible wire instead of a solid cylinder antenna) . I also want a small pullout keyboard, like sharp zaurus, but arranged with keys on both sides of the phone like in old Nokia 5510 (so I can use both my thumbs to type).A split keyboard on either side of the phone also means a wide aspect ratio screen which is excellent for reading text.
So there are people who want features, and since they can, i think they should keep making these stuff.
I was about to post an ascii picture of it, but slashcode wont let me.

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[I8TheWorm]

That's a much handier device than a tv/video camera/phone. Your description of it makes quite a bit of sense. But I have yet to hear anyone say "Man, I wish I could have a tv in my hand that shoots video, and also rings in phone calls. I'd like nothing more than to pause video footage of my son's football game to answer a telemarketer." Maybe I'm Abby Normal, but I think I would prefer that those two stay as two seperate devices. I suppose watching Nokia's sales on this item could prove me wrong.

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[watzinaneihm]

Thats true. I like to keep Video and photography for devices that are made for it. No matter how good the digital technology gets, you really cant substitute good (and probably large sized) lenses with software. I think this wave of cameraphones is because somebody thought "Oh, since we are putting a high res. LCD color display, why not slap in another photosensitive unit and a lens and I then have a cameraphone". And of course when somebody does it everybody else has to.

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[gl4ss]

it looks more like a new 'flagship', high-end product than your average consumer phone(for which nokia has a range of phones for), it's just evolutionary model in many ways anyways(communicator without flip, aimed at the young adults with money on their hands). they pretty much wouldn't except everyone to want one, but it makes a fine product for showcasing technology(which the previews suggest it to be used for anyways).

slap a 512mb mmc into the mmc slot(full of pr.. i mean.. documentaries).. should make it an intresting travel companion for nerds.

Re:Yet Another Do_It_All item

[Logerius]

I guess you don't really get the usefullness of this kind of phone/pda/whatever with your needs, hence aren't target group.

I think I'd rate pretty high for target audience, as I really don't like to drag around n+1 devices which I might or might not need with me daily.

I definately would like a device which at the minimum works as a phone, has good calendar and contact list, can run midlets (+ other series60/90 stuff), has a browser and as a bonus has a radio/camera and enough memory.

Damn good to have with you when you just happen to need to use some of these features, I definately don't see myself using each feature every day.
But definately, checking out where's the afterparty on a very late saturday night, is something that's pretty much priceless :) or while out there camping and you need to dig up something from www.

I'm currently using 7650 and I am happy except for memory expandability (or lack thereof) ... I'll propably upgrade sometime next year

And yeah, I do agree that these devices are getting a bit largish, but can't have a decent display without it being rather big... tough ...

Not quite a phone?

[Cyno01]

But it functions as a phone, so which side do you hold to your head, and does it look more or less retarded than talking on an n-gage?

The Form Factor is all wrong

[gsdali]

in common with the 3300 and the N-Gage you have to hold it edge on to your head to use the phone which looks silly, is counter intuitive and means you can't wedge the phone between chin and shoulder. It's also quite large. too big for a trouser pocket. Too much like the cancer bricks of the 80s.

It has a tiny memory capacity (64Mb) and only upgradable in cards of 128Mb and i assume like the N-Gage and 3300 you have to remove the back and the battery to swap cards.

I'm not averse to accessing all my data through my phone but currently the Sony Erricsson T610 provides the best way of accessing it. Small, light, good battery life. Both this and the P-8/900 are too big for me.

Mobile media, I'll stick to my iPod.

Re:The Form Factor is all wrong

[Kunta Kinte]

i assume like the N-Gage and 3300 you have to remove the back and the battery to swap cards.

To swap memory you mean?

I played with an N-Gage once. Note, you do not have to remove the battery to swap a game. You had to remove the back and battery IIRC to change the memory card. The the memory I think is understandable since I guess you'd only swap memory cards once in a while.

All in all, the machine was a lot cooler than the impression I got from slashdot.

Re:The Form Factor is all wrong

[FRiC]

N-Gage games come on the same type of cards as the memory card (MMC). So to play these special N-Gage games, you not only have to remove the battery, you have to swap the memory card with the game card.

Re:The Form Factor is all wrong

[watzinaneihm]

As i mentioned in my other post, this is an excellent form factor for reading books.

Re:The Form Factor is all wrong

[haunebu]

If you really need to wedge the thing between your shoulder and your chin, you're screwed. In such case you really should be using a handsfree (Bluetooth or wired), or the speakerphone anyway. I haven't seen anyone wedge their mobile phone like that in the last few years anyway, since most are too small to hold that way. That's like trying to hold your wallet between your shoulder and your chin - not gonna work, and extremely uncomfortable.

64MB of internal RAM is plenty for a Symbian device! It's far more than any other has had to date, and four times as much as the last Nokia Communicator (9210i) had. 64MB is par for the course when using a Pocket PC, but that's absolutely massive for a Symbian unit. You're right about the 128MB MMC cards though, that stinks. Nokia should really be using the SD card format - which is cheaper and more expansive.

Your iPod is far and away the best mobile music player out there, but this thing is in a different league. It's got EDGE (384Kbps) capability, and a full Opera browser. It's got a digital TV receiver for Christ's sake. Nothing else compares at the moment.

Re:The Form Factor is all wrong

[gsdali]

Clearly you've never seen me pace about the room with a tiny phone inconveniently wedged between shoulder and chin. I've never really been convinced by handsfree not least because the things either fall out of my ear or look far to Britney Spears for my liking

(call me an old fuddyduddy if you like, but it's mainly that I like to keep the number of pieces of kit i carry around with me to a minimum, now if someone could make a handsfree kit that worked inline with the headphones i use with my iPod)

The feature set and screen on this device are excellent but for a media player to only have 64Mb of memory to store MP3s etc. (there's a separate 25Mb of system and PIM memory). The Browser and other interface look great. Digital TV i can do without, why not DAB? (To answer my own question, DAB is less universal than DVB). That feature set in a P900 style enclosure would be better, but probably still wouldn't tempt me into purchasing.

Interesting form factor

[binaryDigit]

I guess bluetooth might be the tech that opens up the phone market (at least on the high end). Looking at all the info, you scarcely see anything related to using the thing as a phone (or maybe it's too early and my bleary eyes missed something). I'm assuming that you HAVE to use a bluetooth headset with the thing, lord knows the form factor doesn't exactly lend itself to putting it up to your head like a traditional phone.

Re:Interesting form factor

[haunebu]

Yep, it's a taco. But it's not that bad, actually.

From the site

[dolo666]

The Nokia 7700 will also support the Nokia Streamer SU-6 accessory, the first mobile IP Datacast receiver designed to demonstrate the mobile phone television experience using the DVB-H network.

Sounds great! What would be really cool, is if you could set up tivo at home and phone it!

Re:From the site

[gsdali]

Might be worthwhile, but I'd rather DAB on a phone just because I am less bothered about watching Tv on the move than listening to the Radio.

Should've focused more on appearance

[Xeth]

The bottom line that a lot of companies seem to be missing is that most people don't want to put something that looks like a big shoehorn, or otherwise bulky object, next to their head to talk. This is why people are going for sleeker, slimmer phones. I really think that these sort of hybrid devices won't sell well unless the manufacturers heavily stress using a small hands-free headset for actual use as a cell phone.

Phones.. now with television

[Anonymous Coward]

According to Reuters there's television as well..

TheFeature's coverage

[haunebu]

There's a bit more info about the Nokia 7700 available on TheFeature as well.

Re:TheFeature's coverage

[vo243]

Hmm....at the bottom of the page:

(c) Nokia

No biased coverage there, eh?

Why?

[secondsun]

Why would someone want one of these? It costs more than a cell phone or PDA separatly and has less functionality than both.

Yet another case of a company abandoning its roots

[Talez]

Nokia used to make really solid mobile phones. The 5110, the 3210, the 3310 and more lately, the 6610. Then came the completely silly models. Like the 3530 and the 3300. Nokia's designers seem to have been smoking crack with all the money they've earnt.

640x320 is pretty good!

[jeroenb]

First thing I checked was ofcourse the screen's resolution and it turns out it sports 640x320. That's very good! Especially since close competitors (like the P900) only have 320x208. Even some of the big-screen PDA's currently out like the Palm Tungsten T3 and the clamshell Sony Clie's only have 480x320. Even Sony's latest UX50 has that resolution and if I'm not mistaken so does the latest Zaurus.

640x320 is finally something you can seriously browse the web on!

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[pointwood]

Well, the P900 is available more or less now (or *very* soon and the P800 has been available for a long time). It'll be another 8 months before that thing is going to be available (if they make it - who knows if it will be delayed?). Basically, it's vaporware and who knows what Sony Ericsson and others have come up with then?

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[pez]

The Zaurus c7XX line has a 640x480 resolution. The screen is superb.

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[geschild]

Yes it is. Unfortunatly, it has a camera. I'm wondering when that hype will go out again because I'm unable to find a decent phone to my specs:

Good colorscreen (65k colors) with good resolution

Simple, clean and clear customizable interface (forget siemens, unfortunatly) with good performance (read: fast reacting)

Long battery life

Decent keyboard (no odd, flashy layouts, easy to touch type)

Light (less than 100g)

Bluetooth and IR

Good phonebook (with fully customizable groups, lots of info fields per entry, group grouping: don't want to react to groups 1-4, silent for 5,6, full ring for 8)

Good alarm/reminder (no need for a full calendar, as long as it syncs with the major apps)

GPRS

Triple band

last but not least: durable.

Nice to have, willing to pay extra:

Ssh client... (not kidding either)

Browser

Mail-app

Good calculator

Notes/mini-text-editor

Nice to have if free:

IRC client

Fax capability (send mostly)

Timezone /extended clock

Absolutely not on/in there:

Camera

Radio / Mp3 player

Other strange bolt-ons that suck power and give little if anything in return in the way of usability

Such a phone would fullfill my day to day needs as a telephone and organizer quite well.

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[BagOBones]

The p800 and p900 also make better phones. I really don't like the form factor of the new Nokia devices such as the N-Gage and this thing.

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[flipo.org]

No Big deal... the "old" 9210 already had 640x320... so as the even older 9110 (altough this one didn't had a colour screen)

Re:640x320 is pretty good!

[geschild]

Thanks for the tip. You are right, it comes close. Since I probably won't be able to hold out much longer (my current phone's battery is almost dead) I may even go for it. Pitty about the camera and associated ilk, it's pure waste. (For my rant on that topic, please see my reply to another poster's comment on my 'wish-list', if it interests you at all.)

Re:Its also not really a BlackBerry

[diersing]

I agree. Its not really many things.

Am I the only one getting tired of all-in-ones? It seems they fail at each componet, but collectively we're suppose to be in awe when in fact you now have 4 lame fuctions in one, easy to carry device.

Function should dictate success and I'll happily carry a backpack to tote my functional if not easy-to-carry-all-at-once devices (Palm, Blackberry, iPod, SprintPCS phone, laptop).

Tech Specs

[MoeMoe]

I just took a look at the technical spec.s on this thing and apparently it can use MP3's for ringtones... It also is tri-band (though most GSM based phones are now-a-days) which isn't too bad either, the A/V quality (spec. wise) seems to be pretty impressive, as well as the camera built in. All in all, if this thing had a decent way to talk into it (like holding it up to your ear) , and it wan't to cumbersome, I'd get it for sure

Re:Tech Specs

[exhilaration]

the A/V quality (spec. wise) seems to be pretty impressive, as well as the camera built in

You're kidding, right? Camera: 640x480 pixel resolution; 2x digital zoom

I have the Nokia 3650 with a 640x480 camera, and I'm happy with it. But my phone was free after rebate - good luck finding the 7700 for under $400. For that price, can we PLEASE get a decent a camera???

Internet Connectivity Via ... ?

[jot445]

I RTFA'd and also read the InfoSync article. Despite clues being all around me on the ground, i can't seem to determine how this device would connect to the internet. Is it via cellular, or do I have to have a wi-fi network lying around?

Re:Internet Connectivity Via ... ?

[rsmeds]

Pity. WLAN would really make perfect sense in a device like this.

And I still can't quite figure out how you're supposed to hold that thing in your hand when using the stylus, considering the horistonal form factor.
Looks lika a wrist-killer. Unless you put in down on a table, which sort of ruins the whole point of a mobile device, of course.

Maybe what the Ngage should have been

[wobedraggled]

UGH, Nokia is on smack latley.

Ah, well happy with my new MOTO/Nextel i730 :)

N-Gauge for business?

[Tetsugaku-San]

Looks like that dodgey N-Gauge thingy to me - don't realy fancy a phone that makes me look like a prick when I hold it to my head tho :( Don't people realise hands free has one use only - driving.

Re:N-Gauge for business?

[more]

I fail to understand why people would look stupid talking to an n-gage or 7700. I can talk to an n-gage or any phone and look completely normal.

It is no more or less stupid than talking to any other phone, or talking in general. People who think it is stupid would have had to gasp for more air if they would have seen the first person talking to the first phone in the world, finally bursting into manic laughter, "look, how stupid!" -- or the first singer singing to a microphone, "oh, how stupid can that be!"

Nokia has had quite good success with 9110 and 9210 in some markets, and this looks like a good successor for those phones.

Call me a nerd...

[Alkonaut]

But I don't want a tv in my phone, heck I'm not sure I want a tiny camera in my phone. If something isn't really needed it means that space/weight could have been used for something better. Is there no phone that just meets the average nerds requirements? All the manufacturers just seem to push unecessary technology to feed a non-existing hype. -If my phone must have a huge color screen, it's gotta be able to browse the web in some way -If it's got a web browser it needs at least a couple of ways of connecting to the web (gprs/802.11/bluetooth, depending on range) -If it has a processor that all but beats my desktop, then I don't want it to just play tunes. I want java for example. And by java I mean api:s to all hardware, not a game api for the screen. (like the T610 where the java-bluetooth is not included) Further, it should be small, relatively cheap, have long battery time...and let's see what else...yeah, occasionally I want to call people. Has anyone seen such a phone?

Re:I don't want this.

[DNS-and-BIND]

Nimrod, it's because there are a hell of a lot of people out there who don't pay for their own gadgets. You bottom-feeders who save your paychecks to buy all your own stuff can get whatever you want. The cognoscenti with expense accounts can do better than that. Get a job in marketing(for a real company, not your dad's firm) and we'll see who can predict product lifetimes.

Re:I don't want this.

[Anonymous Coward]

For crying out loud. Nokia makes how many models of phone? Must *each* and *every* of them map 1:1 to your needs and demands? Stop being so self-centric and realise that maybe you *aren't* the market for this device.

If you want to get a decent phone that just dials numbers then you are not wanting for choice. (ummm, try the 2100, 6300, etc.)

240x160?

[jeroenb]

That's not really a resolution you want to browse the web on. I do it on a Clie at 320x320 regularly and even that's painful - and that's more than 2.5 times the amount of pixels on a Sidekick.

Another Gadgetphone *yawn*

[mwood]

Anybody following _Cathy_ this week? I think there's a lot of pent-up demand out there for *simple* phones with a small feature set -- you know, dial number and get connected, someone dials you and phone rings, when connected you can talk and listen, that's it. A telephone. Remember telephones?

I'm treating this StarTac *very* carefully, because if it breaks I'll have to accept a monster with 10x as many features as the set I don't use 10% of now.

Re:Another Gadgetphone *yawn*

[Viol8]

These gadgets are for 2 types of people:
1) Posers:
Oooo , look what I've got , look what it can do , arn't I a sophisticated going places dude owning this gadget?
2) Losers:
They need something to be able to occupy them 24/7 to take their mind off the fact that they have no friends and no life. What better than
a portable all in one gadget. Ok it has a phone section they'll never use other than to call mummy@home but its got everything else your
Aspergers syndrome sufferer could ever need.

Oh god , not another Phone/PDA story

[Viol8]

Why is it the editors at /. seem to think every new phone come PDA that "is due out real soon" is a story? Does anyone really care?

A) They're dull , boring gadgets for geeks with too much money.
B) They never live up to the hype, the gaming/viewing experience is still a joke.
C) They're all the same bar a few extra megs of memory or yet-another-app-you'll-never-use-but-sounds-kool

Stories like this should be relagated to a special gadgets section , NOT be on the main page , especially if they're popping up every
damn week.

Yeah , mod me down , see if I care.

Re:Oh god , not another Phone/PDA story

[more]

>They never live up to the hype, the gaming/viewing experience is still a joke.

I enjoy playing mobile chess and reversi, and my children like Zoe's adventure. I like Morus, a in-progress multiplayer server-based medieval wargame.

You seem to be expecting wrong things about gaming. There is more gaming than just shoot-em-up.

Re:Oh god , not another Phone/PDA story

[Smallpond]

Because the kickbacks from Nokia pay for this site. What did you think? Next you'll be telling me there were compelling story reasons to have Coca Cola and Camels in every movie.

Q for Nokia/Cell geek

[SubtleNuance]

What does "Series 90" mean? What are the different Series? What does it mean if a model is of the same Series as another?

I *just* bought a 3300, love it -- BUT it has no accompanying sofware suite (contrary to salesperson (never make impulse decision, why this time.. oh well)). I am looking for apps for the unit so I can *not* carry my E100 for simple notes / pword lists etc. How do I know what software runs on my model -- all from the Same Series? how do i identify the series of a model?

Re:Q for Nokia/Cell geek

[Acrobat]

The term 'Series XX' refers a specification that groups frameworks which provide a common programming base and physical similarities. That way a developer who wants to make an application or service will develop it according to the Series specification, thus making his software compatible with all the terminals that follow that specification.

So, all Series 60 devices wil have the same operating system (Symbian OS), same screen size and same user interface. Series 60 is recognized as the "Smartphone" specification.

Series 40 and 30 refer to devices with less capabilities. If you want detailed specification in this subject I recommend you go to: http://forum.nokia.com

Re:Q for Nokia/Cell geek

[ecki]

Here you go:

• Series 40: Nokia proprietary OS
• Series 60: Symbian OS based, one-handed operation, UI developed by Nokia, licensed to other OEMs
• Series 80: Symbian OS based, keyboad-centric, closest to the original Symbian/EPOC world
• Series 90: Symbian OS based, PDA-centric (pen input), UI developed by Nokia

As you see, everything but Series 40 is Symbian-based. That means that applications which are UI-independent can be used across S60-S90. Otherwise, a UI adaption layer is necessary.

Within say Series 60, applications should in most cases be binary compatible between models from different vendors.

The naming scheme for Nokia cell phones is not helping here at all. It seems rather random to me, the only thing you can count on seems to be a zero at the end.

Re:Q for Nokia/Cell geek

[FRiC]

3300 is Series 40.

See: Nokia Developer Platforms

Re:Q for Nokia/Cell geek

[Kumiorava]

Nope, Nokia 6108 for Chinese market.

To make this post more useful I have to add that you forgot to count Series 30, which includes majority of sold Nokia devices.

I vote for one device

[Anonymous Coward]

Most people don't seem to mind carrying a backpack full of gadgets around wherever they go. For a longer trip, they need another backpack for chargers and other accessories. Lucky them, they are sure to get the best quality for all functions.

There's also no point for them to cry about cellphone manufacturers making these devices which combine several functions into one device - all they want from them is a phone for making calls, and there's A LOT choice in that category! There's also very little more to do (make coverage a bit better, make the battery last longer, and other uninteresting, trivial enhancements) - a regular cellphone is in the end of it's evolution.

But I for one don't want to carry around anything extra. One device is all I can stand.

I need a phone, PIM, e-mail, SMS, a way to write notes and a web browser. A camera is a nice extra (I'm afraid that in this device it's the same kind of crappy excuse for a camera as in other cellphones). For a web browser a big screen is a must.

Among this kind of devices there's so little choice that every new device is exciting and a step to right direction. This category is where the innovation and real development are. The perfect device doesn't yet exist, but they are getting closer day by day.

Wonderful but ...

[rosewood]

Until I can go to Nokia and buy a phone and use it on T-Mobile and then switch to AT&T or Cingular and keep my phone, B-F-D :(

Re:Wonderful but ...

[angusr]

Um... you can. If you buy a phone direct from Nokia it won't be locked to a network, and you can swamp SIM cards as much as you like. And if you get one via a deal with a network you can get the phone unlocked relatively cheaply at any slightly dodgy local phone emporium.

(I'm assuming that T-Mobile, AT&T and Cingular are all GSM, of course - if they aren't, then forget I said anything...)

Re:Wonderful but ...

[WWE-TicK]

I was able to unlock my Nokia 6800 which I got from AT&T by using one of those Nokia unlock code generator apps. At least, when I entered the code it said "Phone restriction off" on the phone. I haven't tried swapping in another SIM card yet tho to be 100% sure. Assuming this really worked, unlocking your Nokia is a breeze.

They running Hancom Office?

[meeas]

From the Technical Specifications on Nokia's site: "Word, Sheet, and Presentation Viewer; Word & Sheet converter" That sure sounds alot like Hancom Office to me (think Zaurus). They use the same names as Hancom for the three applications. Anyone know for sure? Also, is the underlying operating system *nix based in some way. If they are talking about Hancom Office it must be somewhat similar for such a port, not the mention the port of Opera. Asuming this is true, think of the hackability of this device...............(drool)

Re:They running Hancom Office?

[andyclap]

No, it's Symbian. The Word/Sheet applications are part of the Symbian package, and have been around since the Psion/3s. They're not bad - better than the PPC's pocket versions.

Er, yeah.

[DrEldarion]

.. and I bet it'll sell just as well as the Nokia N-Gage, which isn't really a phone or a portable game console, but something inbetween.

Slightly off topic

[aliens]

Had to replace my motorola v60 vlip cell phone. Got a new ericsson t2260 something on the new AT&T GSM network.

KNow what? Fuck all the bells & whistles give me an intelligent UI and let it do the damn basics of what a phone should do.

Until the cell phone companies get the basics of making and receiving calls down to a science don't start throwing in a thousand useless extras.

Pictures and MMS? Sounds? Useless. Color screen? again, useless eats up batterylife

Another Devil Consumers' Tool for Piracy

[Archalien]

Wow. From the look I see on Nokia's site, they expect this to play movies and Nokia seems to be playing "the whole 10 yards" on their website which is a sequal to "the whole 9 yards" that isn't even rated yet.

MPAA be advised: the devil consumers are about to have yet another tool to steal food directly from the mouths of set painters, grips, make-up artists and stuntmen of the world. Quick - sue the Internet for providing the infrastructure for pircay.

(...sarcasm...)

Re:the opera guys might be making real money now..

[wheezer]

operas strange position in the browser market has already had a negative effect on open standards development, just ask any of the w3c members that have had to trek up to oslo to negotiate...

as the primary mobile handset browser, they are not really interested in implementing anything past css-2.

Needs better design

[PurplePhase]

Where's the GBA.. er, Nokia SDK?

If it is supposed to be cell-phoneable, it should have a retractable earpiece/mic line. Gods, why hasn't anyone done that yet? It leads to so many fools driving while holding a phone to their ears...

I don't think I could take this one, though, unless purely as a game machine. Does the screen act as the keypad too? Ugh, there goes battery life as you hit the backlight display to figure out what to dial...

8-PP

rearly announcementt

[h4x0r-3l337]

... though the 7700 is not expected to ship until Q2/04.

And the reason they're announcing this so early is of course that Nokia is scared that the Zodiac will lure people away from them.

Re:Stop complaining

[poot_rootbeer]

You don't have to buy it, some tech freaks will

Not even the tech freaks are buying the N-Gage, though.

To me this looks like another unsellable Nokia monstrosity. If I owned any Nokia stock, I'd be selling it.

Re:How do you...

[otis wildflower]

does it poop ice cream?

Visual Radio

[avkon]

http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,47568,00.html Checkout the innovative radio listening experience. It's not just about playing games and scrolling through the phone book now...Listen to radio and participate in contests, shop etc. Cheers! Avkon

I will never call you a nerd.

[more]

It is quite nice being able photo your children when you are on summer picnic - even if you forgot the camera. I really like my Nokia 3650.

You seem to be igonrant about the browser, just use Nokias browser or download Opera.

On your last remark on batteries, the main difference between PocketPC and phones is that phones have better battery time, with an expense of some 30-50% less CPU power.

It seems that many people are whining about these new Nokia phones, and mostly because they are not sufficiently geekish. But they are. You can develop stuff - be it games, apps, graphics, or something else - to them with free toolkits, download it over the air (from your webserver) or infrared and use. These are truely wonderful machines that obsolete your old geeky-pdas. Ok, I would feel better if they run Linux, but still I am glad that it is not Windows CE!

[OT] Another Slashvertisement

[billstr78]

Hey I wanna know why Slashdot has singled out the mobile device market for it's Slashvertisements. What If I want to read a thinly vailed "news" article about every single disk drive, USB device or iMac looking translucent thingy. Is anyone fooled into thinking this is actual news? The link does not even point to a review or a FAQ on how to get linux on it. W T F?

The 7600 looks much more interesting

[mark2003]

Cool looking device and 3G - finally something that might help 3G take off in a big way...

operator lock-in

[more]

You can change the operator, keep your phone number, and the operator change is free (as in free beer) and the zero cost of the operator change is enforced by the law... umm ...but only in Finland. I hate to see you foreigners fooled by your mobile operators, and feel sorry for you.

Re:operator lock-in

[angusr]

We can do that in the UK too - in theory the network operator can charge for a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) but most don't (as this page says, "[if they charge then] that may be as good a reason as any to switch".

Of course, if you're using the same phone on the new network then the locking problem applies. However in the case of moving network it's usually a case of calling the existing network and asking for it to be unlocked - again, they may charge but I believe most don't under those circumstances, as long as the phone is out of any minimum contract period. And of course there are the slightly dodgy local phone emporiums.

OFTEL, which controls telecommunications in the UK, has a bunch of publications covering network switching - part of their remit is to encourage competition and so they are very much against anything that prevents consumers having a free choice, in theory.

Re:Yet another case of a company abandoning its ro

[toriver]

Nokia used to make rubber boots ("Wellingtons"). I'd say any mobile phone is an abandonment of those roots.

The Taco Hold

[avkon]

Its' cool the way the N-Gage or the 7700 are held when used as a phone. It's a unique way of holding a mobile device which is a fashion entity these days and holding it uniquely is analogous to wearing a cap in different ways! Once you get used to it you won't miss not being able to hold it like a wedge between ur chin and the shoulder. Infact you'll enjoy being the unique one unless you don't dare to be different! Try the N-Gage/7700..and do the Taco Hold with some Attitude dudes! Cheers Avkon

Re:competition for the p900?

[more]

I have written several programs for several different phones. Nokia's phones run the program fastest, most reliably and with the least number of system-related bugs. P900 is also okish, but you should not compare P900 against 6310i, they belong to different classes.

Re:infoSync's coverage

[Anonymous Coward]

OK other stuff... This uses an OMAP CPU/DSP it will have hardware accelerated video, sound and OpenGL graphics. The MMC is hot swappable from the side, MP3, 3GPP, and Real Media plus the TV Adapter. Mobile Opera rocks. Touch screen is nice. Its multitasking it good. This is the n-gage done RIGHT.

I work for the elves, and I have used an early hardware version.

will sell for $584

[illegalien]

According to this CNN article, the phone is expected to cost about 500 euros ($584.00).

Re:Yet another case of a company abandoning its ro

[WWE-TicK]

I dunno .. I really like my Nokia 6800. Flip out keyboard makes text messaging a breeze. It's also GPRS and Java enabled. Basic PDA functionality like an organizer and to-do list are included (or you can download and install other PDA-like J2ME apps). Only problem I've had with it so far is that the IrDA on it doesn't seem to like to play nice with the IrDA USB adapter I got for my desktop or the IrDA port on my laptop. And no bluetooth support. I finally ponied up for the data cable. $50 retail, but $30 off ebay. Still kind of expensive tho.

Nokia enters PDA market

[theolein]

While Nokia should be commended for innovation in developing the nGage and this PDA (because the functionality is almost exactly the same as similarly sized high end PDA's out there) I doubt that these will sell well. The idea of holding the thing on edge to phone with is simply not practical (Did they do usability testing?) and I really fail to see advantages in functionality in this device, compared to other PDA's in that ailing market. Nokia's only advantage is in it's brand recognition, which is huge in Europe. They would be wiser to explore features such as voice recognition or gestures or easier usability in their devices.

I just remembered that Nokia also has the plus point of good connections amongst the telcos, which helps them to push features such as MIDP gaming amongst their clients.

This is true..

[nycsubway]

I am currently browsing the web on my IBM AT, and I have 640x480 resolution. And it is entirely acceptable. I have only one eye, however.

It Looks Ass

[EvilMagnus]

Jeesh, what's with Nokia recently and Ass designs? I just want a phone that looks like a phone, is GSM, and can play MP3. This means it should also be able to take, at a minimum, a 128MB stick of MMC / SD or CF memory.

So the only question that remains is, will this design crash and burn as fast as the NGAGE?

Re:I don't want this.

[fondue]

...And to carry them all you have a Bat-utility belt, right Bruce?

Sidekickin' it

[metamatic]

I keep waiting for something like the Sidekick that isn't tied to a single GSM provider, and doesn't turn into a paperweight if I decided to switch phone company. No way am I paying $300 for something that locks me to a single company. Either unlock it, or give it away for $50.

Re:Sidekickin' it

[Urkki]

Or, you could move to a country that doesn't allow such anti-competitive practices as lock-in ;-)

"something you can seriously browse the web on"

[metamatic]

Not necessarily. The Sony UX-50 has a 480x320 screen, but it's such a tiny 480x320 screen that the text is pretty much unreadable even if you have good eyesight. The Palm T3, while only slightly bigger, is a lot more visible at the same resolution.

So the first question I find myself asking about this Nokia is, how big is the screen?

It had to be said...

[Niomosy]

"Imagine a beowulf cluster of these"

P900 is old news

[TecraMan]

Comparing this to the P900 is like comparing next year's BMW to this year's Merc... By the time that the 7700 is on the market, the P900 (which is little more than a restyling and update of the P800) will likely have been replaced by the real next-generation P-series phone.

Rumour has it that this will also be in a new form-factor, will have WiFi built in alongside the Bluetooth and GSM/GPRS/EDGE/whatever and will also include a much better 1 Mpixel camera (the one which the P800 fanatics wanted to see on the P900).

Of course, this is all unsubstantiated techno rumours, which we know are 90% wrong, but it serves to illustrate that this phone will not go up against the P900 but whatever comes next.

Re:Stop complaining

[BraveSlice]

Nokia is saying that 400 000 N-Gage phones has been sold. Not small number in 2 weeks, after all it is a phone WITH gaming. Some doubt about the sales number has been presented (http://www.nordicwirelesswatch.com/wireless/story .html?story_id=3379) , but I doubt Nokia would lie. Anyhow, the point, 400k tech freaks already covered a big part of the development expenses and so the show goes on.

too few devices

[Jonathan Platt]

This intergration is all good but I still get much better devices if I keep sepperate ones. I then also have the option to go out with just my phone, not my phone/laptop/cammera/mp3 player which is 10 times the size.

Re:competition for the p900?

[Ian-K]

I didn't.

I compared it to my T610. Generally I spoke from my experience with models from both brands. I have owned a 6150 and a 6310i, but I have *used* many more phones.

Phone programming, I'm getting into it now. I spoke from a user perspective.

The troll... :-/

Re:Your specs are absurd

[geschild]

Obviously I need to clarify since you are quite right on being unreasonable given the current language.

A good screen needen't be heavy. A high amp battery is heavy. Solution: consume less power during normal (eg: phone) use. A decent keyboard doesn't have to be big, as long as the keys aren't too slick, tiny (don't try to squeeze more into it than nescesary) or dome-shaped (see SL55 for example of bad design on slick/domed).

Durable, btw, to me isn't the same as rugged. Durable means that quality components are used and the thing doesn't go to shreads from normal usage. Too many phones do that nowadays because manufacturers seem to believe you must buy a new phone in a year or so anyway. Good bussiness for them, not such good bussiness for the customer.

On the camera issue: before you had a phone with a camera, did you always lug a camera with you wherever you went? Did you miss it much? If you did carry a camera everywhere, you would probably want a real one to take real pictures anyway so the point is moot. A camera means more things to damage, more components to go bust, more space/weight taken. Kill the bleeding camera's already! For that space/weight/powerconsumption give me bluetooth or batterylife.