From the S60 Browser Blog:

Open http://www.operamini.com/ to get our main competitor: Opera Mini!

I wouldn’t call Opera Mini a competitor at all. It is more of a complimentary browser for people who are still paying for data by the KB or for people like me in America who have 3G, but on the wrong band.

I use both the S60 Browser and Opera Mini on a daily basis. Sometimes I need the full desktop browser based experience, but thru out most of my day I just need to consume content as fast as possible. Opera Mini helps in reducing those load times.

I’m just glad that a Nokia (NYSE: NOK) employee is actually recommending that people try out competitors stuff. You rarely see that on corporate backed blogs.

PS: I know a few Opera people read this blog, could you please, pretty please, let me review Opera Mini 4 before everyone else? I took over 50 screenshots when I checked out 3.0!

With the newly opened 700Mhz wireless spectrum going up on the auction block soon, smaller players like Alltel and MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) are making their intentions clear. Alltel has filed a petition with the FCC to keep the auctioning fair and open to bids for smaller, regional licenses. The FCC is planning to set aside a chunk of the spectrum for public safety/service communications, which could put the small-fish at a disadvantage.

In their filing, Alltel states that they are “very interested in the upcoming 700 MHz auction and the enormous potential of the 700 MHz spectrum to bring innovative new services to rural areas given the exceptional propagation characteristics of this band,” further requesting that the FCC “should consider imposing ‘bid premiums’ in this auction on bidders affiliated with incumbent local exchange carriers that hold significant CMRS [commercial mobile radio service] spectrum.”

Alltel also wants to block a “last-minute, self-serving” move from Frontline Wireless, LLC. to set aside a 10Mhz block for setting up an interoperable, broadband network that is to be built by the buyer for public-safety use.

MetroPCS is putting their name on the list of interested bidders with their Security and Exchange Commission filing that detailed plans to offer $300 million in notes, in addition to $1 billion in notes offered last fall, for corporate use, “which could include financing participation in and acquisition of additional spectrum in the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming 700 MHz auction.”

via: rcrnews

The 8600 Luna, 6500 Classic and 6500 Slide were announced today. The marketing department probably didn’t think this one thru since consumers now have to remember a 4 digit string and a suffix. The Enterprise and Multimedia Division (E and N Series) have better naming conventions, but enough bad mouthing for now. Let us dive right into these beauties.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 8600:

• Quad band
• 2 megapixel camera
• 107 x 45 x 15.9 mm
• 143 grams
• 320 x 240 resolution screen with 16 million colors
• Series 40
• 2Q 2007 release date
• Microusb port that handles charging, data transfer and audio
• 700 euros

I was not expecting that price tag, at all:

The 6500 Classic:

• Quad band + 3G on the 850 and 2100 MHz bands
• 109.8 x 45 x 9.5 mm
• 94 grams
• 320 x 240 resolution screen with 16 million colors
• Series 40
• 2 megapixel camera
• 1 GB internal memory
• Microusb port that handles charging, data and audio connectivity
• Q3 2007 release date with a price of 320 euros

This is now the S40 phone to lust after:

Lastly we have the 6500 Slide:

• Quad Band + 3G on the 850 and 2100 MHz bands
• Series 40
• 96.5 x 46.5 x 16.4 mm
• 125 grams
• 320 x 240 resolution screen with 16 million colors
• 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and autofocus
• TV Out
• Microusb port that handles charging, data and audio connectivity
• 3Q 2007 release date at a cost of 370 euros
• Fully stainless steel body

The spec sheet is beautiful, but I’m not really digging the two tone color scheme:

The 8600 just went from the top of my shopping list to being completely taken off, 700 euros is insanity. The 6500 Classic on the other hand, I predict will be the most popular selling Nokia device this holiday season. I’m not so sure about the slide, I was never a big fan of sliders and I know the majority of Europeans have the same attitude. We will have to wait and see.

By the way, if the picture of the 6500 looks familar it is because I posted it a little over a month ago. Back then I mislabeled it as the 6110 Slide.

Update: Does the 8600 have internal memory or not? It isn’t listed in the fact sheet. Ricky says that the 6500 Slide supports microSDHC, can someone at Nokia confirm that?

In the Chinese’ mobile equivalent of the Million Man March, citizens of the Chinese province of Xiamen used 1,000,000 (1 Million) SMS text messages to organize a protest to halt the construction of a $1.4 billion industrial facility, by Tenglong Aromatic PX (Xiamen) Co. Ltd. The plant was slated to produce paraxylene - an eye, nose, and throat irritant to humans under the slightest exposure. Paraxylene is used in the manufacture of plastics, polyester, and film - and is known to cause central nervous system damage and even death from chronic exposure. 

Chinese officials stopped the plant’s construction after the flurry of SMS text messages prompted them to step back and actually consider more than just the economic benefit. The plant was planned to be built just 10 miles from the center of Xiamen, with homes only 1 mile away.

Deputy Mayor, Ding Guoyan, told Xinhua News Agency, “The Xiamen city government has decided to suspend construction of the PX (paraxylene) plant in Haicang District.”

This could be the first case of a text message protest, not to mention a successful intervention into the Chinese government’s plans - which isn’t easy, by any means.

via: bbc

When publishing a press release announcing a new device, could you please publish the spec sheet on Forum Nokia (NYSE: NOK) for us enthusiasts who care about things like weight, Bluetooth profiles, dimensions, which version of which OS it runs, etc?

There seems to be a disconnect between your two groups. I’m sure it could be easily fixed.

Thanks!

PS: Great job on the 6500 Classic, it looks amazing!

Update: I just found the "fact sheets" listed at the very bottom of the two press releases that were published today, whoopsy daisies! This post should now be called: "Why are the fact sheets not on Forum Nokia?"

You read correctly! One of the world’s most infamous, and prolific, spammers has been arrested and faces a litany of charges - including from fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. Robert Alan Soloway has been indicted by a Seattle, Washington Grand Jury on the aforementioned charges and awaits trial. The “Spam King” has been pursued by various federal agencies for quite some time now, and we’re glad to see that they finally got this guy pinned down.

You might be asking yourself just how this relates to mobile technology, so here’s the link. Aside from our collective loathing for spam on our desktop and laptops, the problem of spam on our smartphones is equally, if not more, aggravating.

UK anti-spam firm, Spamhaus first blacklisted Soloway in 2001 and upgraded his status to their worst of the worst list in 2003. Over the years, this scoundrel has been sued over and over again, only to skip out on his trials or fail to honor judgments against him.

It makes us happy to think about how this low-life will be spending the rest of his natural life being harassed by a different kind of nuisance gunning for his “inbox”.

via: theinquirer

Aside from Luna, today Nokia (NYSE: NOK) also announced two interesting mid-range devices - Nokia 6500 classic and Nokia 6500 slide, touting them as easy to use with “ergonomically correct dimensions and surfaces.” Both devices sport QVGA screens, media players, dual-band 3G and quad-band GSM radios, and use the familiar Series 40 interface…

Read the full article »

No more pre-ordering, spy-shooting anticipation folks. Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has announced their Nokia 8600 Luna to start shipping this quarter! This thing just oozes so much sexiness that we just had to dedicate a whole separate post to this super-slick handset. The translucent black slider, crafted out of steel and glass, rocks-out like the high-end designer phone that it is. We love the incredible display paired up with the smooth, clean lines and that 2 megapixel camera!

The melding of nearly opaque smoked glass with unique, soft-touch stainless steel makes the Nokia 8600 Luna as enchanting to behold as it is a joy to touch. Adding to its mysterious allure, a gentle keypad illumination pulsates from beneath the glass case while the phone awaits a call. Combined with the warmth of its glass and stainless steel body, this “heartbeat” transforms the Nokia 8600 Luna from an inanimate object into a trusted companion with an organic, virtually alive form. When a call does beckon, the signature slide movement is carefully balanced to smoothly raise the ergonomic keypad from within its glass cocoon.

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves! The Luna’s “heartbeat” feature gives this thing that living-art feel that only 700 Euros could buy.

And, here’s a quick rundown on what that kind of cheese can get you:

• S40 Operating System
• Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 Mhz)
• 107Ñ…45Ñ…15.9 мм
• 143 g
• 240×320 TFT screen @ 16M colors
• 2 Megapixel camera
• microUSB
• Bluetooth
• 900 mAh battery

Nokia 8600 Luna glamor shots on the link! (be warned, they might be more “sexy” than you can handle!)

Read the full article »

Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s launched a new high-end handset, and a couple mid-rangers, for its 2007 lineup. The much anticipated and highly praised Nokia 8600 Luna is finally upon us! The beautifully slick and shiny slider takes its place as the high-end designer phone in this year’s Nokia offerings. The steel and glass-clad handset features 2 megapixel shooter and hugely bright display - with the first microUSB port to be implemented by Nokia. Pricing for the Nokia Luna will be around 700 Euros for the stand alone phone - and will start shipping this quarter.

The mid-range front is now bolstered with the introduction of Nokia’s 6500 Classic and 6500 Slide. As the names might suggest, the Classic features a traditional candybar form-factor, while the Slide rocks that cool keypad slider. The Nokia 6500 Classic sports a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 Mhz) GSM radio with 3G and microUSB in a 9.5mm super-thin package - now that’s thin! The Nokia 6500 Slide also boasts a 3G radio and features a 3.2 megapixel camera in a stainless steel body.

The Classic will be available for about 320 Euros and the Slide is expected at a 370 Euro price-point.

Our favorite little Windows Mobile ODM-turned smartphone manufacturing powerhouse has a major announcement in the pipeline for this June 5th. We’re not sure what the super-secret launch will be, but Smartphone Thoughts has it, on insider tips, that the new device from HTC will be based on the as-yet unannounced HTF Elf platform. Further speculation lends to the HTC Elf being endowed with the holiest of holy interface features these days - the multi-touch screen. An HTC Elf with multi-touch could indeed be an Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone “killer” as it will allow the same two-finger scrolling and zooming gestures while being released globally; while Apple’s iPhone will be limited to a single carrier, US launch.

Keep you fingers crossed for some multi-touch action in the HTC Elf, come June 5!

via: smartphonethoughts