Nokia (NYSE: NOK) just issued a press release announcing a 2% reduction in research and development staff located in Oulu, Finland and Copenhagen, Denmark:

Nokia continues to streamline its R&D operations

Espoo, Finland — Nokia plans to align its research and development (R&D) operations in Finland and Denmark to be in line with the company’s focused portfolio of future products. The planned changes are expected to affect up to 230 employees at Nokia’s Oulu site in Finland and approximately 100 employees at Nokia’s Copenhagen site. The total number would represent approximately 2 % of Nokia’s R&D personnel globally.

Nokia aims to support the employees with alternative solutions, such as finding new positions within the company for as many employees as possible. Nokia will begin consultations with employee representatives about these plans where voluntary severance packages among other topics will be discussed.

Nokia maintains a strong R&D presence in both sites; the company has over 2 000 employees in Oulu and over 1 000 employees in Copenhagen. Overall, Nokia has more than 17 000 people employed in its research and development activities.

That’s pretty sad considering that now more than ever Nokia needs to innovate. Then again as a former employee I think the actual problem is not the amount of research being done, but the difficulty of getting said research to market. Finding someone to fund your idea, and then bring it up to higher management, all before the next yearly reorganization, is not an easy thing to do.

[Photo above is of the Toripolliisi (English: The Bobby at the Market Place) statue located in Oulu]

This week in Paris at the Cartes exhibition, Visa was showing off what they’re working on for mobile payments. They demos a native iPhone application, along with a Visa application that is embedded on a SIM card. The most exciting stuff, NFC, is shown off on a shipping Nokia (NYSE: NOK) device. Payments under 20 EUR are just tap and go, useful when you’re in a crowded bar and don’t want to fiddle with credit cards or hard currency, while payments over 20 EUR require a tap, a PIN code, and then another tap to confirm. The sad thing about all of this is that we’re unlikely to see it for at least another year or two. That’s just enough time for Nokia to start rolling out Nokia Money to customers and operators around the world. Here is hoping that rumour of the next iPhone having NFC is true. I’m tired of having to sign little pieces of paper.

[Via: Recombu]

Bill Perry, Senior Services Marketing Manager for Forum Nokia (NYSE: NOK), posted some statistics from the Ovi Store which has now been open for 5 months. The Ovi Store is available on over 100 devices, with users from over 180 different countries, and developers from 65 countries. There are 8 countries that have an Ovi Store in their native language and support operator billing: UK, Spain, France, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Italy and Russia. By the end of Q1 2010, that number should rise to over 20 countries. The top 10 countries accessing the Ovi Store are Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Russia and the UK. In most of those countries the top 2 devices used to get to the Ovi Store are either the Nokia 5800 or N97. Each registered user downloads an average of 8 pieces of content, and the number of downloads in October compared to September is up by 70%.

Couple that data above with the information Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo gave during the Q3 2009 financial results conference call held on the 15th of October, where he said:

We grew our active users from 46 million to 61 million.

61 million users x average of 8 pieces of content per user = 488 million downloads?

Why isn’t Bill Perry providing any figures such as number of applications? The media would take that number and compare it to the massive 100,000+ applications in Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s App Store and claim Nokia is failing.

Why isn’t Bill Perry providing any figures for the number of downloads? Same reason as above.

[Via: All About Symbian]

I wrote a piece yesterday about first impressions the N900, which really seemed to upset some people – chief amongst the objections were the fact that not everyone believed I have the N900 – well it’s picture-time, check it out:

Other objections included black-and-white statements that resistive screens don’t support multi-touch – with a couple of minutes Googling, I think you’ll find that multi-touch on a resistive screen is entirely possible – it just happens not to be on the N900 – shame …

Others were of the opinion that I must be an Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) Fanboi – something I strenuously deny. Oh, BTW, the pictures above were taken using an iPhone 3GS

Ben

Last night in London there was an official Nokia N900 meetup. Several members from The Really Mobile Project were in attendance and have learned, from Maemo’s Marketing Team, that by 2012 there will no longer be any Nseries devices powered by the Symbian operating system. They’ve also learned that there are no plans to bring Maemo to Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s Eseries lineup.

The Nseries lineup, for those unfamiliar with Nokia’s portfolio, is composed of devices that have the highest specifications and the “best” technology that Nokia has to offer. The most famous Nseris device, the one that made the world fall in love with Nokia all over again, was the N95. The most damaging Nseries device, the one that made the world think Nokia employees have their head shoved up their asses, was the N97. The Eseries lineup is supposed to be for enterprise customers, but just about everyone and their mother has a Nokia E71 where I live (Helsinki, Finland) since it’s recognized as the last great device to come out of Nokia.

So I just received an N900 in the post today, and one of the things I do like to do with new hardware, is to give it the ‘five-minute fiddle’.

For those of you that are not familiar, the aim of the five-minute fiddle is to spend a very short period getting first impressions of a given handset/service, and then write things up with a summary ‘gut feeling’ about it.

Unpacking

My N900 is a full retail model, and so I got a good feeling for the real end-user experience when opening up the packaging of this little bad boy. It’s an understated box, with a good amount of accessories included – and of course, the device itself. One thing I did ponder as missing was a case for the N900. Now I’m not suggesting some kind o’ freaky faux-leather belt-holster affair (that was SO 90s!), I am talking just about some kinda simple slip case, to protect the decent size screen – and the fact you are carrying a 500 GBP/Euro handset around with you!

Hardware form-factor

Although in my opinion Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has dropped the ball in a big way on software in recent years, their hardware design is usually (I say usually, to exclude things like the N96) pretty good – overall, I think the N900 has good hardware. It IS a chunky monkey, make no mistake, and it’s certainly not ’sleek’ – much more blockish than I was expecting. However, it is clad in various types of black material – now given black is my favourite colour, this is no bad thing!

The Slide mechanism and keys are okay – keys possibly a touch small, but it’s going to take some time typing to find out if emails/texts can be knocked out with ease. For right now, it’s certainly all very satisfactory, and at a push I would say it’s ‘good’. One thing I really wasn’t sure about is the kickstand that surrounds the camera – it seems VERY flimsy indeed – to the point where I wouldn’t want to stand the handset up on it. That’s quite a surprise, since one of the good things (and there weren’t that many) with the N96 was it’s cheeky little kickstand!

The (touch)screen is well-lit, a decent size, and … er … resisitive – darn! I personally cannot stand resistive screens, because it’s difficult in my view to regulate your pressure when scrolling lists etc on screen – and this often means you end up accidentally selecting things – unfortunately it’s the same here, which is a such a shame – this device could potentially have been a killer with capacitive screen (maybe that’ll be the N901 or similar probably….!).

Software / UI

So this is really where it’s at with the N900 – does the UI/software cut the mustard? Well, with my five-minute play, I have to say I’m not convinced one way or the other. It did take me some time to orient myself with the Menus/UI, and try out some things which I thought would work on the device (notably one thing that didn’t work was two-finger pinch/squeeze for zoom in/out. Shame.

So apart from the time needed to get used to the UI, overall I think it’s reasonably clear – the four or so homescreens work out well, and to my mind borrow heavily from the iPhone – but they don’t animate between them as smoothly.

As regards programs that are installed, it would appear that Nokia has included web-links as ‘application icons’-  and in fact you have to download apps once you have pressed the icon  which is simply a link to a website. I can’t help but feel this is a weak approach for building out menus, and also the tedium of waiting for an App to download and install is not good.

Other Apps that work well are the standard ones you would expect – email, calendar, contacts, phone. There’s nothing revolutionary about these, they just do their job well.

Conclusion

I’ve yet to spend some serious quality time with the device – but my initial thoughts are that the hardware (excepting the resistive quality of the screen) is better than the software. Although I’m wary about judging too quickly, my gut feeling is that the software isn’t quite at the level you would expect as a power user of the device. Going forward, it may be that the OS is upgraded and bug-fixed, and that usage improves significantly. For now though, my rating would be somewhere between ‘average’ and ‘quite good’.

A new mobile virtual network operator named Simple Mobile has launched today, making some tall claims about how they’re going to change the U.S. wireless market. Here’s the pitch; you can judge for yourself:

Today the chaotic wireless industry just got … Simple. Executive leaders from some of the nation’s largest wireless mega giants have come together to revolutionize the unlimited prepaid wireless market by launching the new MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), Simple Mobile™.
How will Simple Mobile change the market? Simple, by offering the nation an unheard of SIM card program that instantly delivers affordable, unlimited access with everything wireless has to offer. Unlike other programs with corporate agendas, Simple Mobile customers are encouraged to B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Phone). Service is obtained by placing a Simple Mobile SIM card into over 180 approved cool GSM phones. Customers will immediately get access to a national network that offers Unlimited Nationwide Talk, Unlimited Global SMS, and Wireless Internet Access (IM, MMS, Email & social networks). OMG! This is a game changer.

Simple Mobile (http://www.mysimplemobile.com) promises an affordable way of bringing the nation a much better wireless experience. Their promise of no compromising includes no minimum term lengths in contracts, no credit checks, no hidden fees, and unlimited plans starting at $40 a month.

It’s a simple approach based on their strong belief that wireless can be made less complicated. Simple Mobile plans to cut through the noise and offer a flexible handset solution on a high quality network with a full suite of web capabilities, at a crazy low price. Finally, today’s wireless customers will get what they have always wanted: EVERYTHING – NO MORE COMPROMISING!

While you’ll be able to bring your own GSM phone, Simple Mobile will be offering the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Pearl Flip, the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) razr V3, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 6030, and three Alcatel phones: the OT-800, OT-363, and OT-303.

Now, the idea of cheap unlimited access sounds suspiciously familiar to Zer01, only Simple Mobile is much more concerned with voice. Their $50 plan only includes 20 MB, with the option to double it to 40 MB for $5. Still, no contracts is sweet, and an ideal situation if you’ve already got your hands on hardware you like. As for coverage, it’s hard to tell if these guys are partnering with AT&T (NYSE: T), T-Mobile (NYSE: DT), or some combination thereof, but you can compare their coverage maps with Simple Mobile’s (I’m inclined to think it’s AT&T based on similar CA coverage in the north), and draw your own conclusions. It’s a tempting proposition, and I think there will be many customers out there interested in unlimited plans with no contracts. If you’re one of them, check out Simple Mobile’s home page for more info. I really hope wind brings something similar to Canada soon…

[via BusinessWire]

The Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E72, successor to the much loved Nokia E71, was supposed to ship in Q3 according to a press release issued on June 15, 2009. Today, 5 months and 1 day after the E72 was announced, Nokia issued a press release saying the device is in stores.

5 months + 1 day.

Specifications for those who forgot: 5 megapixel (versus 3.2 on the E71), 600 MHz ARM 11 processor, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, 1500 mAh battery, 3.5 mm headphone jack, WiFi, GPS, and if you need to know more then click here.

Update: Slash Gear has an unboxing video:

DVB-H, the technology that provides television broadcasts for mobile phones, has reached a new price point today with the launch of the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 5330 TV Edition. For 155 EUR ($230) you get a 114 gram slider that measures 101.2 mm x 48.5 mm x 14.25 mm, has a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G, and a 1000 mAh battery good for about 6 hours or soul crushing, mind numbing, corporate sponsored programming. The screen measures only 2.4 inches across and has a resolution of 320 x 240, so try not to stare at it for too long, or else your eyes will go bad and you’ll wish you actually did something more meaningful with your life than attempt to sit through an entire “My Super Sweet 16″ marathon on MTV.

Erik Sylvestersson, Vice President Sales & Marketing at DNA Finland said: “Live digital TV broadcasts over DVB-H networks is becoming more accessible to more people. In Finland, we have found that sport and news are the key drivers for broadcast mobile TV consumption among consumers. People want to be able to watch the action as it happens – rather than settle for highlight shows once they get home. Consumers expect an exceptional on-the-move TV experience at an affordable price, something the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition is fully equipped to deliver.”

Erik has obviously never been to a sports bar during a Formula 1 race, or saw a Finland vs. Sweden hockey match. The people of Finland watch sports outside of their home as an excuse to get away from their wives, meet their friends, and pound back some beers while staring at a 60 inch HDTV and stuffing their faces with hot wings.

Before purchasing this device, make sure the country you’re in provides DVB-H service.

[Via: Nokia Press Release]

Update: This is the 5330, not 5530. Thanks to @Not_Al for noticing the typo.

Update: The product sheet [PDF] notes that there will be two versions of the device. Both will have quadband GSM, but one version will have triband 3G on the 850/1900 and 2100 MHz bands, while the other has 3G on the 900/1700/2100 MHz bands. Think we’ll see this on T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA with that 1700 MHz 3G band?

Sygic has extended its Mobile Maps application coverage to include the Maemo 5 OS – adding to the existing iPhone, Symbian, Android and Windows Mobile support.

All the current regional versions of the app for other operating systems are in the progress of being converted for Nokia Maemo:

• Australia & New Zealand
• South East Asia (incl. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia)?Brazil
• Colombia
• North America (incl. USA, Canada & Mexico)
• Europe
• UK & Ireland
• Russia?Gulf Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates)

“We are happy to announce the compatibility of Sygic Mobile Maps with Nokia’s new Maemo 5 OS. Currently we are in the phase of quality assurance performing final tests. We are working hard to launch it for sales by the end of 2009, but we won’t hesitate to make this sooner anytime when ready.” comments Anna Hurbanic, Sygic’s PR Manager.

I’ve tested the Sygic Mobile Maps app on iPhone and it’s a good one – it will be interesting to see how it ports to Nokias high-end device…