29 September 2012

My Nokia Blog

My Nokia Blog

Lumia 800 Front & Center in Sherlock Holmes “Elementary” Premiere

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 11:39 AM PDT

Elementary is a new take on Sherlock Holmes, where the famous sidekick Watson is a female (played by Charlies Angel Lucy Liu). I decided to give the show a go seeing as Sherlock Holmes is usually awesome (Still haven’t come to a conclusion as I’m still watching the show while typing this post).

Less than 8 Minutes into the Shows Premiere the Lumia 800 pops up on screen with some decent screen time, showing for about a full 7-10 seconds; swiping through the gallery. However the screen time is shared with an iPhone (4 or 4S,  the 5 is yet to make its on screen debut), although it does admittedly look ridiculous with the attachable lens glued on (visible in the picture above). If indeed the the inclusion of the 800 was not a paid placement but rather an attempt at diversity then this is definitely good news for Nokia and the Lumia brand as a whole, where it’s getting “picked out of a line-up”.

Anyone else watched Elementary? Any thoughts?

Showdown: Apple maps vs. Nokia Maps

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 08:55 AM PDT

Last week we saw an interesting inphographic detailing how Nokia Maps matches up to it’s competitors (Google and Apple Maps); unsurprisingly it held it’s own and beat them in most stats (funny how that’s happening more and more now with the “new” Nokia, specs and graphs were always their downfall- where as a Nokia fan I would have to constantly say that it’s not the paper that counts, you have to USE the device).

Now with Tim Cook himself suggesting the use of Nokia maps as an alternative (Apple provided a link to the Web app in their press release); people are starting to realize how great of an alternative Nokia maps is (in fact it should be your main client not a backup). Back on topic, Nirave from UKMobileReview made a huge in depth comparison between the two clients looking it at from all aspects including Navigation, satellite imaging, Standard view and several other aspects; I’ll give you the short and sweet version but be sure to run over and check out the full review when you have a couple spare minutes:

http://www.ukmobilereview.com/editorial/apple-maps-vs-nokia-maps-iphone-5-vs-lumia-900-showdown/#.UGWy5k3MglQ

Apple maps location integration SUCKS, apparently it wasn’t even able to properly find Heathrow Airport… I was in London for 6 hours and even I think I could do a better job than that..

However whilst Apple Maps definitely does well in a crowded popular place such as Oxford Street, one of its key issues is the inability to find locations that many people are likely to search for. One such example of this is a search for Heathrow Airport

Satellite imaging on iOS maps is also one part that severely lacks; we’ve all seen the horribly rendered roads, and the surprise mountains on the highways.

That doesn’t look like any airport I’ve ever seen..

Over all score:

Nokia Maps – 43 out of 50

Apple Maps – 24 out of 50

UKMR

Tim Cook Suggests Using Nokia maps as an Alternative to iOS Maps

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 06:12 AM PDT

After the recent fiasco with iOS maps and the ditching of google maps on iOS6 and going with their own half-baked version of the maps, alot of people have been demanding they fix it. Earlier today Apple’s CEO made a statement regarding the maps:

While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

It’s worth noting that using Nokia Maps online is pretty awesome; opening http://m.maps.nokia.com on your Android or Apple device will prompt you to create a shortcut icon on your homescreen for quick launch. After which you can use their turn by turn voice navigation completely free (it even caches the maps so you don’t have to download them again).

All in all it’s nice to see that Nokia maps is getting some well deserved recognition, even if it was casually dropped in a press statement; personally I never saw the appeal of google maps; I always considered Nokia maps the clear winner, but I assume that the coverage in the US is much better than Jordan/MEA where most mapping companies haven’t bothered with (except Nokia/NavteQ).

Check out the full press release here

 

Ashgrey ‘Unicorn’ 920 pictures

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 04:34 AM PDT

This is one I had been wanting to see ever since the 920 was announced, live pictures of the grey color variant. Engadget comes through once again and has been the go to site for 920 news over the past few days.

Anyway, enough with the letters. On with the pictures. (Ow, and the unicorn reference is there because there are no real life pictures to be found anywhere apart from these apparantly)

Eventhough I was liking this grey color initially it seems a lot less ‘impressive’ in these photos. It looks like someone forgot to put the color on it and just put it out there with just the base coat of paint. So, what do you think? A good addition to the already rich Nokia color pallet (yes, grey isn’t a color, yadayada) or just kill it with fire?

 

Lumia 820 Q&A- Your Questions Answered

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 02:04 AM PDT

A couple days ago we asked if you had any questions for the Lumia 820 product managers, well here’s the inside scoop regarding everything 820 related:

Q: I’d like to start off with the actual design of the 820, the 800 was the first Lumia device to carry on the N9′s “Fabula” design, as well as the curved glass; yet the 820 has none of those; which are present in the 920, any specific reason for switching up the design language?

A: Fabula is more a mindset than a specific design style. The Lumia 820 incorporates the same elements as the Lumia 800, Lumia 900 and Lumia 920 which are attention to detail, quality material and craftmanship.

Q: Is the camera module of the 820 the same as the 900′s 8MP or is it closer to the 920 minus the OIS?

A: The Capture and Relive experience is made out of 3 different elements: the hardware module, integration between hardware and software and the user interface for the camera. In the Lumia 820 we are completely changing the camera UI and the integration between the HW and SW. while the camera module will be the same, the experience for our consumer will be greatly improved and new.

 Q: I didn’t see the Micro SD slot in 820 . Does 820 supports hot swappable Micro SD cards ? or the slot is located under the battery ?

A: we have MicroSD card support in Lumia 820. the card slot is placed so that you need to remove the battery in order to access it

 Q: Will the Lumia 820 support 64GB SD cards or is there a maximum limit set?
A:  Yes, the Lumia 820 will support 64GB microSD cards.
Q: Since the Lumia 820 uses an Amoled screen will we see a comeback of the standby clock/ sleeping screen present in the N9 and Symbian devices?
A: For the standby clock and sleeping screen, we are definitely looking at the possibilities in that area
Q: The Lumia 820 looks like a redesigned Lumia 900. So is it a successor to the Lumia 900? I mean how are you going to differentiate between the two.
A: Both the Lumia 820 and Lumia 900 use similar design principles, so in that respect there are similarities. However if you compare the Lumia 820 and 900 from a technology perspective, there are bigger differences: the Lumia 820 has global LTE capability, NFC, wireless charging, memory card support and the list goes on.

Q: Any comment on Pricing/availability/carrier support in the USA and other regions?

A: we don’t have anything else we can say on that right now I’m afraid!

Q: We know from sales data in the nordic regions the NL 800 is having good uptake in business. Is the rugged case part of a strategy by Nokia to get into that market?

A: For the rugged case and business: through the versatilty we gain from the interchangeable shells, we are able to address different needs, be those consumer or different channels

Q: Does the Lumia 820 sport Corning Gorilla Glass?

A:  the glass on 820 is scratch-resistant, but it’s not Gorilla Glass.

Q: Does the Lumia 820 comes with free wireless charging shell in retail package?

A: That’s really a decision that will be made at the retail level and we can’t speak for our retailers I am afraid

Q: Will Qi wireless Charging be standard in all future Nokia products from now on? (optionally as a 3rd party accessory at least like the snap-on covers for the 820)?

A: Unfortunately we can’t comment on future devices… Sorry!

-The Qi standard is an open standard for wireless charging, but we can not really comment on possible 3rd party plans in the wireless charging area. But going forward, we hope to leverage on Qi being an open standard

Q: What are the improvements done on the battery life of the Lumia 820 over Lumia 900 as the Lumia 820 comes with a lower capacity 1650mAh battery and still give higher Standby and talk time

A:  Battery life improvements: we are improving in 3 different areas. Firstly, we have the Snapdragon S4 engine with improved power management capabilities. Secondly, we are adding Nokia know-how & expertise on the power management are starting from Lumia 820 & 920 and thirdly with wireless charging people will have a convenient and intuitive way to keep their devices charged

Q: What prompted you to get the snap on covers for the L820.

A:  In Lumia 820 we took the challenge to design a device that looks like a unibody device but would be much more versatile. With the Lumia 820 we are going beyond color and smart functionality with the covers, so you make the device more rugged with the protective shells, a wireless charging device or just a beautiful product with the design shells.

Q: With the release of the Lumia 820 we also saw a new range of accessories; (including the new JBL PowerUp and PlayUp as well as the fatboy pillows)- is this part of Nokias new strategy to involve itself in other “additives” besides phones that enhance the Smartphone experience? Since other Smartphone manufacturers tend to “tie-in” consumers with the additives such as their own marketplace and accessories?

A: @Ali: we are always looking to work with the best partners in areas we have mutual interests. If we talk about JBL and Monster, they are market leaders in their industries and tie is obvious to our Entertainment offering with Nokia Music and Mix Radio being the most obvious ones. With that partnership we can provide experiences to our consumers that are not available anywhere else for example providing a accessories that look and feel like your phone, can be connected easily using NFC and can charge your device wirelessly while playing music

Q: Can we expect the Lumia 820 to launch in the Middle east & Gulf areas alongside the rest of the world or will there be some delay issues (keeping in mind that the original set of Lumias never launched here due to the lack of Arabic support).

A:  we don’t have any specific details on that we can share right now (re; gulf areas)

Q: Not really a 820 specific Q, but: Are there any plans from Nokia/MS to integrate Whatsapp/LINE within the SMS app as right now it is only FB

A: we’re working together with Microsoft to provide the best possible 3rd party integration and experiences into the WP8 platform but we don’t have anything specific to say right now RE: Whatsapp

Q: There is a rumour that the location of the USB charging port has been standardized in Windows Phone 8. Can you confirm this? Related to this, can we expect USB charging cradles as a 1st party accessory?

A:  afraid we can’t comment on rumours like that!

Q: Is there a reason besides keeping the pricing down of using a lower resolution screen on the 820 (480*800)?

A: when we are looking at display resolutions, we need to carefully consider resolution together with the display size. for the size of the display we have for the Lumia 820, we chose the “standard” WP resolution due to the facts that it provides a much better readability for our consumers on the display size and due to the fact that the performance, mainly FPS, is something amazing in the new Lumia 820 OLED display with that specific resolution. The display experience is much more than resolution as we see on the Lumia 820 ClearBlack display and Nokia specific features like Sunlight Readability Enhancement

Q: Will there be an appreciable difference between Windows Phone 8 on 512 RAM such as on the 820 vs 1 GB on the 920?

A:  both Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 have 1Gb RAM because we want to offer the best performance in these specific product categories

Q: Does Lumia 820 supports USB OTG ?

A: it doesn’t have USB on the go specifically, but it does have a great USB experience including browsing files etc.

Q:  about the NFC Wireless charging cradle – will it launch a different app for each different cradle?

A:  with the NFC Wireless charging stand, the consumer can select which app is opened with NFC

Q: Are there any apps/uses being made of NFC besides wallet? We’ve heard of being able to launch a specific app when placing the phone on the dock, can you give us a clearer picture of what we can use the NFC for? (Bluetooth sharing?)

A: The WP8 platform is strong in the NFC area. In addition to Wallet, we have NFC support for several use cases like sharing links, and contacts, in addition to initiating pairing of Bluetooth accessories.

That’s about it; we only had 45 minutes, so we had to make the best of it; hope you guys found it useful.

Video: Nacho Pop Nokia Lumia soundtrack #NokiaAustralia

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 11:43 PM PDT

From Nokia Australia is a dance soundtrack to Nokia Lumia. Why? Hey it’s Friday.

 

Nokia Location gets huge NAVTEQ deals with Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Hyundai, Pioneer and Garmin

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 11:37 PM PDT

 

Kudos to Muerte who noticed some pretty significant Nokia Location news was missed.

Volkswagen Group, Mercedes A-Class, BMW, Garmin, Hyundai and Pioneer.

 

Press releases available below:

http://press.navteq.com/Garmin-selects-Nokia-s-Transit-and-Pedestrian-Content-to-power-Urban-Guidance

http://press.navteq.com/Hyundai-infotainment-strategy-includes-NAVTEQ-Map-data

http://press.navteq.com/2012-09-27-Pioneer-chooses-NAVTEQ-Maps-to-power-aftermarket-systems

http://press.navteq.com/2012-09-27-Volkswagen-Group-powers-new-infotainment-systems-with-NAVTEQ-Map-data

http://press.navteq.com/2012-09-27-Mercedes-A-Class-navigation-to-feature-NAVTEQ-Map-data

http://press.navteq.com/Nokia-Location-Commerce-provides-NAVTEQ-Maps-and-content-to-German-OEM-for-new-generation-navigation-system

 This one is for the Volkswagen Group:

 Nokia today announced that its Location & Commerce business is supplying NAVTEQ® Maps and data to the Volkswagen Group for its new Discover Media and Discover Pro infotainment systems.  This significant move means systems for brands throughout the Volkswagen Group will be powered by Nokia Location & Commerce content.  Both the Discover Media and Discover Pro will offer global, premium quality NAVTEQ® Maps with drivers opting for the high end Discover Pro also benefitting from advanced features such as 3D visual guidance and a real-time traffic service.

NAVTEQ Traffic™ provides highly-accurate, up-to-the minute traffic information in over 30 countries to in-vehicle navigation systems, personal navigation devices and cell phones to enable drivers to save time, fuel and frustration.   The traffic data is aggregated from a vast wealth of sources, including the world’s largest compilation of both commercial and consumer probe data, the world’s largest fixed proprietary sensor network, event-based data collected from government sources and billions of historical traffic records.

“NAVTEQ® Maps are known for automotive grade quality and, with the addition of innovative 3D content and a real-time traffic service, Volkswagen Group drivers around the world can look forward to a first class navigation experience with our new systems,” commented Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger, Head of Electric-and Electronics Development at Volkswagen Brand.

By delivering the right portfolio of products at the right time, Nokia Location & Commerce is developing an extensive location ecosystem built on content, platform and services.  With 3D imagery integral to the future of location, the company has already established a strong foundation with a range of highly realistic products.  The Volkswagen Group, for example, is enhancing its offering with 3D Landmarks and 3D City Models which are designed to help orientation in unfamiliar surroundings.

“The decision by the Volkswagen Group to implement our content in systems across the Volkswagen Group clearly underlines our leadership in the automotive location space,” added Bruno Bourguet, Senior Vice President Sales and Business Development, Nokia Location & Commerce. “Building on an established legacy in in-vehicle navigation, we have developed a Location Platform offering high quality, global content to support innovation in not only the automotive sector, but also across a broad range of industries.”

 

Nokia will be exhibiting at the Mondial de l’Automobile show in Paris at Hall 3, booth #213

Nokia Location & Commerce demonstrates its ‘location’ leadership in the global automotive space via numerous OEM collaborations and comprehensive partner demonstrations at Mondial de l’Automobile.  Delivering on the needs of the ever-connected consumer has long been a focus of the in-vehicle industry. The ability of Nokia L&C to serve the expectations of today’s ‘connected driver’ via fluid location-based products and services whether at home, walking in the city or in the car will be on full display and showcased to show how both customers and consumers alike benefit from smarter data and multi-screen, multi-modal choices.
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