“I have a dream…” of a perfect Nokia smartphone
By Dusan Belic on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 10:31 AM PST In Devices, Ideas and rants, Nokia
As I already said it before, after using the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E71 for two weeks, I fell in love with it. The full QWERTY keyboard and the overall look and feel are two key factors why I think it’s the single best Symbian S60 smartphone released to date. However, something’s always missing and it’s a result of Nokia’s (and any handset maker’s for that matter) product differentiation. What is missing is the better multimedia experience, primarily a better camera.
That being said “I have a dream” of a perfect Nokia smartphone, which will merge all the features of N and E series. An NSeries device with full keyboard, or an ESeries device with powerful camera with Carl-Zeiss optics. A new device that will blend differences between the two Nokia series of devices. A touchscreen is a plus, but not a must as far as I’m concerned. That would be a single device everyone would want. The price may be steep, but after buying it, one wouldn’t have to buy another smartphone for quite some time. Alternatively, Nokia could create a whole series of such devices, each having a different form factor. Naturally, I would expect a larger screen on a slider or clamshell-shaped (Communicator-like) phone, than on a candybar. And all this goes in line with my previous “I need the E61i with VGA screen” post. The device I talked about previously could be one of these. Not that I wouldn’t be interested to buy the E61i even without an NSeries-like camera, it’s yet another compromise I’m unfortunately willing to accept as part of the mentioned handset maker’s product differentiation scheme.
Now comes the part where I try to predict the future. I do believe such a device will appear during next year. The introduction of the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone and Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s Android platform pushed consumers’ expectations through the roof. This is not to say the product differentiation will die. Quite the contrary, there will be more options than ever before. However, at the very high end of the spectrum, my belief is that we’ll see not one but few devices that match the criteria mentioned above — to combine great multimedia capabilities with ready-for-business functionality. Question is whether Nokia will release such device(s), or some of their competitors. We know Samsung is very familiar with Symbian OS and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them releasing such a device before Nokia. After all, it was Samsung not Nokia which made the first 8 megapixel S60 smartphone (INNOV8) and the first S60 smartphone with 5 megapixel camera and optical zoom (G810).
There’s another company that also has a compelling offering. It’s HTC which Touch Pro and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) G1, as well as the Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) with its Xperia X1 smartphone (also made by HTC) look very promising. All these handsets lack is a better camera, but it’s something that looks easily upgradable in future models.
Back to Nokia and you? Have any comments? Do you love/hate their E/N series product differentiation? Don’t hesitate to drop your two cents in the comments form. We (and I hope Nokia, as well) are listening…
P.S. Now I remembered. I want a built-in FM transmitter, too! 
I have been eyeing the new Nokia phones for a while, especially the N85 and E71. I think the N85 looks like a great phone with good multimedia capability, but I really love it when I have a nice keyboard to quickly type messages on. Sure you can get pretty fast at T9, but it’s not the same. The so-so camera and lack of 3.5mm headphone jack are dealbreakers for the E71 in my opinion.
I’m STILL waiting for that ultimate high-end phone. And there are some sick phones out there now or very soon, but they’re STILL missing the full package. What Apple and Google have done, most importantly, is raise the standard for OS and usability experience. If you combined the usability of those phones with the features of the N85, N96 or INNOV8, you would have one snazzy device.
Perhaps Nokia can wow us all with the 5800 and subsequently similar devices. Not that touch screens are important, but they do add to the usability if done properly.
Dusan Belic, well said! You definitely speak for the entire Symbian Freak community, as we’ve been at odds with Nokia’s product positioning, too.
How does the S40-powered 6290 have a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, and the low to midrange 6220c S60-powered smartphone has the same, yet the premiue E71 has this embarrassing camera.
I wrote about this in an open letter to the Nseries director on the Symbian Freak site. While we all like options, we believe these should be a clear entry level, midrange, and premium models, with certain expected hardware and features. I’m completely fine with a high end feature finding its way into low to midrange devices, but Nokia keep the Eseries and Nseries closer to high end. Otherwise, the 6220c’s, 6290’s, N81’s, and E71’s will all detract from one another.
A more clear cut differentiation and positioning would breed loyalty, incite low end users to upgrades by keeping certain features in all E and Nseries models, give an entry point for young new users, and an upgrade path for previous users.
I hold the N95 8gb in high esteem myself, and think it is the best S60 mobile media convergence computer since the N90. I see the N96 as a sidegrade or even downgrade. Nokia had it spot on when the N95’s/82 were released. Now they’re throwing everything into a tasteless soup that’s not refined enough for the high end I’m now accustomed to from Nokia. I await a suitable N95 8gb replacement to this day. Since they can’t deliver, for the first time, my new-Nokia Nseries-device-every-four-to-six-months has ended, and I’m seeking a replacement of any brand.
Nokia needs to reposition its devices. They seem focused on fashion and design instead of making better, more powerful computers. This could spell suicide with their geek userbase, but Nokia thinks the mainstream market needs more attention. I think a clearer differentiation and positioning strategy would lower costs, increase sales, AND cover the mainstream and gadget enthusiast/geek demographic.
@ BenS,
I hear it all the time how people claim to be faster with mini QWERTY than T9, but tests have proven this totally untrue. You should give T9 a real speed test over a 2 or 3 week period. The results will surprise you, and using one hand to do what you do slower with two will always be an advantage. Business users just don’t want to conform or learn anything new, and multilingual users like mini QWERTY for lack of multiple dictionary support, but its still proven a better solution.
Mini QWERTY isn’t good until it gets too big and less portable. Even the E90 was slow to type compared to my N95 8gb. It was my only other issue with the E71 besides the camera.
take the oled screen from the n85, put it on the e71, and give it 5mp camera with 30fps video from the n95 as well as built in 8gb storage. Would need a decently faster processor and more onboard ram as well. Also toss in stereo surround sound and a tv out jack, n-gage since the screen is already in landscape mode, and lastly some type of handheld device like the n93 has for video recording (your hand gets really uncomfortable when hold the n95 for more than about 10 min of recording).
That would be the perfect phone for me. I wouldn’t mind a touch screen but, until the morph comes out in like 50 years, a non-touch with actual keys would be just fine.
i want:
i) N82’s camera
ii) Touch Screen and usability like iPhone
iii) built in ShoZu
iv) built in ViNes
v) built in Qik
vi) Quad band GSM
vii) European and North American 3G
viii) Big Screen 640×480 or at least iPhone size
I don’t need email and I also don’t need a QWERTY keyboard which is a major departure from my N999 vision:
http://www.rolandtanglao.com/tags/n999
After using an iPhone for a year, touch screen keyboards are “good enough” for me.
#Ben , the only I can say ,
I belive your dream will become true soon.
Nokia have some amazing devices upcoming.
Just one short question: why would it be in the interest of any mobile manufacturers that you don’t change your phone to a better one in the foreseeable future? That’s the whole point of differentiation between Nokia E and N series …
what we need is a Nokia E90 Communicator with touch screen. It would be nice if Nokia announces its future plans any time soon. With the new devices coming to the markets, e.g. HTC Touch HD, Sony X1, that are competing directly with E90, the floor is slipping away from under Nokia’s stand. Nokia, hurry up and announce new phones, customers would go away to other competitors if you don’t act quickly.
I hate touchscreens. It may be fine for many, but not me. I had an iPhone for 3 months and got rid of it. I love my E71. I just wish it had a better camera with xenon flash. 30fps video would be nice.
Even a thinner, more stylish version of the E90 would be nice. Just make it have the same keyboard feel as the E71.
Anyone seen the announcement about the N97? That thing is hawt. Really wish it had some enterprise features like push email that I could justify to the boss.