Tag: Comparisons

Nokia N8 Vs Nokia N900-Which one you want?

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The looks that will make you believe in things like Love at first sight, the price that make you fear that will you be able to get one before the stock runs out, the big amoled multi-touch shiny screen that find you only dreaming that how will be that like touching to it and a 12 MP with amazing build, which keeping you on toe that when you will get that one to make others envy. Yes!! I am talking about Nokia N8.

Beauty_girl_sketchNokia-N8-02

But hey!! wait a little, there might be another news in the corner, something else coming to India sooner than that. Yes!! that thing is known to be Techie’s best dream and opening new possibilities by each next day. Yes!! You guessed right, its Nokia N900. I already wrote that there are strong hints that it might land to India very soon and someone also said that price might be around 26-28k. So, which one you will buy? Nokia N8 or Nokia N900?

update: Nokia N900 got released in India on June 04, 2010. Though we got a price Rs. 30, 369/- not any lesser. Current market price of Nokia N900 in New Delhi as on June 30, 2010 is Rs. 25, 900/- and as this is Nokia Priority Dealer price, sure they must be better deal than this with HotSpot etc.

Interesting is that I haven’t seen a single person that might be ready to change his Nokia N900 for any other phone, either it be iPhone or any Android. Its really something that is growing like some wild fever without being hyped or even without that much backing by the manufacturer itself (unfortunately). We were really tired of hearing thing around iPhone that I got this app, I bought that app, how cool this app is and blah blah … but with Nokia N900, some new and real world seems to be opening. With a closing of around 3-4k price difference, Nokia N900 seems to be all set for keeping consumers highly confused about the choice between the two flagship models once N8 arrives.

I thought that its right to compare the two around the features offered and possibilities here as definitely a new debate is just around the corner that which one should be bought now?

1. Design, Build and UI: There will always be views that what is better, having a awesome physical keypad with you to make most of typing or having a shiny touch screen, that keeps your fingers always etching to slide on? Nokia N8 so far sure ride on the best build from Nokia so far, sure rising the bar much higher than the last Flagship Nokia N97 MIni. More of it, nothing seems more solid than a closed one piece build like Nokia N8 has. But at the same time, you can’t write off the tough male look of Nokia N900 as well. Nothing seemed as solid before. I guess it’ll be left over the choice of individuals.

Nokia-N8-06beauty n900

Note: Beautiful pictures of Nokia N900 are courtesy @arun8GB

On the other side, Nokia N900 houses such a nice keypad that people even might crave for something like same on now days Netbooks. It will be seriously interesting to watch that how will a touch screen keypad will fair against something this much awesome, when currently Nokia seems not support multi-touch of keyboard (No Ctrl+C).

Take a look, I am comparing Touch UI’s of Android and iPhone with Physical Keypad of Nokia N900.

keypadnexusiphone keypad

Definitely, for many its not a pleasant sacrifice provided the studies that says touch keypad are less efficient than physical ones and it keeps the rumors on for the next NSeries device Nokia N98 with Symbian^3, probably the same 12 MP camera, but incorporating physical keypad with same sleek design (Check the pics).

Nokia N98Nokia-N8-10

Well! personally I really wish to see that how touch UI keypad of Nokia N8’s big screen will fare against Nokia N900’s real convenience that kept me writing many blog posts directly from Nokia N900 only.

Next is about UI, honestly speaking, we haven’t seen much of exciting things about Symbian^3 except that multiple desktop thing. Reason is, it was the Russian site that prompted Nokia to go for announcing the half baked phone, otherwise when Vladislav Savov of Engadget visited Nokia HQ, then he was not presented with a proto-type with NOT working UI, sure a sign that the OS not fully operational yet.

Accept it, till now Symbian^3 might have excited the world in conversations only, yet it remained much to show off in pictures and video, where if we compare the same with Maemo, then we already seen that what wonder could be done with a mere Non-Capacitive UI. Definitely Symbian^3 needs to surprise us hard, if wanted people to forget Maemo for Symbian or MeeGo.

I will say even if lighter weight and sharp build Nokia N8 catches the eye instantly, Nokia N900 keeps the trust with majestic keypad, while Symbian^3 yet to show its full glory, definitely its gonna be hard to ignore N900’s magical Maemo.

2. Connectivity: One of the first phones to support Bluetooth 3.0, USB on the Go, HDMI and all of the other connectivity options that Nokia N900 supported, Nokia N8 is sure ready to hit the competitors big time. Many people says that Nokia like to tick all the checks in specifications and even after doing all end up doing things just ok or badly. But this time, its something seriously to be watched out. It sure beats even Nokia N900 in this department and sure lovely because at least on Symbian, we could expect a perfectly working Radio App for receiving/ transmitting and may be my personal favourite Google Maps app.

bluetooth-3-0USB-on-The-GoNokia-N8-HDMI-Port

For me, I wish to see that how much battery will fair using all these connectivity options as in case of Nokia N900, I have seen that if I keep on using 3G on full go, then it ended up draining the batteries even if being continuously charged by being connected to Laptop. What about the 1200 mAh battery of Nokia N8 in comparison to 1320 mAh of Nokia N900?

3. Touch Vs. Multi-Touch: Nokia definitely has surprised many by announcing Nokia N8 in a price of around 22, 000/- even when packing other first in world features like Bluetooth and a 16GB memory. Fight will be with now more equipped iPhone 4G touch experience, but many expect Nokia be more ready this time through considerable inputs from touch design of N900.

Resistive Screen             VS         Capacitive Screen

Nokia N900 sure came to re-define the touch for Nokia and it has to move further with Nokia N8 even if that might be an entirely another OS. Multi-touch really re-defines the meaning of touch and the same kept iPhone ride on market big times. Sure, Nokia N8 with good things added from N900 will come to provide more lighter feel of Multi-touch. Perhaps much of reasons to buy it.

4. Maemo Vs Symbian: Maemo is probably the biggest reason behind the new hopes with Symbian^3, otherwise many had given up over Nokia that inspite of good hardware and best of the prices. Experts and bloggers called it Nokia’s obsession with Symbian that’s making it loose the grounds in front of revolutionary Android or iPhone OS.

maemosymbian3

Arrival of Qt was to bring some hopes and probably with Symbian^3, we could expect to see that in full glory, but still Nokia N900 will stand tall with its Open source and very much user familiar Maemo in front of Nokia N8 and Symbian^3. Probably one of the biggest reason that we are calling for some kind of comparison here. Openness of Maemo is something that couldn’t be compared with anyone. In spite of early bugs and complaints about immaturity at places, only Maemo has bring the scenario that at each next day, we hear about new people doing new things with their Nokia N900.

Many will voice my concern that they fear if with Meego, they gonna loose the same flexibility that Maemo provided and so have their reasons to stick with Nokia N900. Not only Geeks, but even normal people love Linux based Maemo, because its the only place in Smartphones, where you could expect some multimedia player playing all kind of multimedia files, where you could expecting getting some free program to record the calls as easily as you were on some Desktop, only thing that could let you check the logs if something went wrong.

Yes!! we want capabilities of Nokia N8, but still we love Maemo’s openness more. It remains to be see that who will win?

Lots could be said about these and I just wished to point the debate that would take place over web very soon, when Nokia N8 trial units will be out and people will get a feel of real things. Let’s see, who will go more strong? Will after the early excitement with Nokia N8, Nokia N900 will still keep world’s interest in it or Symbian^3 will come to change the game?

Waiting for your comments, more things that could be compared between the two, more things that could have been mentioned here.. anything that you wish to share about the two… you are most welcome.

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Nokia N8 bringing class to mass- Nokia N8 Vs iPhone 4G?

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In our Hindu Mythology, there’s a saying that whenever the nature starts loosing the balance, the God arrives to make sure that nature may regain the balance. May not be exactly the same, but probably Nokia’s next product lineup seems to be doing something sort of that 😉

For me technology designs two kind of products; for mass or for class and the actual growth of the society comes with a proper balance of these two. Unfortunately, in recent past, we seen the balance going much of disarray kind of. Apple iPhone 3G not less than 30k, Nokia N900, probably around 34k and similar were the case with HD Mini or others.

Many questioned from my circle over the price and I guess many others also might be wishing to voice their concerns. A price over Rs. 30, 000/- for smart phones? I mean however advance they might be, whatever the technology might have topped, but its a phone man!!! You could get a Netbook in the same price easily with bigger screen, then why spending this much over a phone only? I dreamed for not only better equipped but a better priced smart phone.

Yes! technology is good, the convenience it brings is good, understand that what it takes to bring the same in hands of people, but still it needs to reasonable and affordable to call it “buying a phone”. Were people thinking to buy computers, when they were of house like sizes and prices like even businesses can’t afford? Were ACs made their places in every third home before prices went low?

There was a race between Smart phones not only about features and bigger processors, but about prices as well like who can place a more higher priced phone than other. It really seemed to have lost focus about actual buyers. Being the biggest cell phone manufacturer in the world, it was sure a call for Nokia first and I am glad that they finally took it. Nokia seems to all set for bringing class to mass (C3, C6, E5 and now N8).

Two leaked flagship phones, the lost Apple iPhone 4G prototype and then mysteriously leaked Nokia N8 prototype and it was clear that Market is all set to see another battle even before a MeeGo device could actually arrive (only that should have been actually compared with an iPhone for real). Nokia kept it reputation of being a company for community and made the official announcement for the next Camera Flagship for whole industry, Nokia N8 (probably there was no option left).

500x_iphone4_01n8-2

While still a long wait before we will be able to actually see these two flagship model from two different “cultures” (expected to be released almost at the same time), its sure going to be a hot topic for blogs to compare both of them. Being different price segment device, it wouldn’t be fare to compare them, but still mentioning a 10 points comparison between Nokia N8 and iPhone 4G for people exactly looking for it…

1. Connectivity: When it comes to connectivity, then on papers, it seems to be a tie as most of the advance connectivity options seems to have became a standard now (except HDMI port in Nokia N8). What seems new to Apple’s iPhone 4G is introduction of Micro-SIM in place of standard SIM (it was already there in Apple’s iPad). Still its not clear that what it might be offering in terms of functioning, but as the manufacturing company ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) has been offering increased control and security features in its chips, many might be expecting that in place of being some ground breaking technology for connectivity, its more about the compactness, control and security. Apple! why cant you be open?
 
I don’t think that Apple would have thought about providing HDMI port (till now at least), definitely it would be a selling point for Nokia and more convenience for users.
 
2. A-GPS: I tried, but still unable to find that if Nokia N8 is going to sport Digital Compass built-in, most probably, it will not. Here we find Apple better as iPhone 4G has no reasons to go below than 3G version. Digital Compass technology might be a little tough or costly to implement, but people who have used it, know that its a blessing.
 
Apple get marks over this one, but still Apple’s GPS software doesn’t matches Nokia’s and Google not ready to give voice guided navigation to iPhone. Yes! Apple’s attempt to improve its own map software seems to be right step in the road ahead. But still I didn’t seen anyone enjoying navigation over iPhone that much, as we see people with even cheaper Nokia sets.
 
3. Display: Nokia is bringing 3.5” multi-touch capacitive screen in a flagship model finally (I don’t call the others as flagship ones). While its a matter of excitement, but its true that like in case of GPS, Nokia’s experience win, with multi-touch and capacitive screen, iPhone OS4 and its apps are expected to win the battle. More of it, Apple completely dominates due to fact that its expected to sport a much higher resolution than we ever might had seen.
 
Higher resolution does wonder that we had already seen with Nokia N900, even then I could understand Nokia’s concern of keeping price low. Probably that became the reason for lower resolution, but still I will say Kudos to Nokia!!! I am with you.
 
4. Sound: Dolby surround sound!!! are we really talking about smart phones. Technology changes a lot and making many things affordable. Apple’s products always known for their sound quality and as both of them going to sport second microphone for noise cancellation, we are all set to move into dream world of music soon. Expecting it to be a tie.
 
5. Camera: Forget it Apple, you are not even going to get even proper mention in this segment. Nice if you added flash, nice if you added a better camera, but you can’t even dream to tally with a Camera like Nokia N8. 12 MP Camera with HD Recording and Xenon Flash!!! Are you insane? Any iPhone including 4G can’t even think of competing even my beloved Nokia N82, leave Nokia N8 aside. Not mentioning much about Camera as there is no fight at any level.
 
You may check AAS article to go into a little more details, Nokia N82 been a king and the successor is going to make even hard core cameras envy 😉
 
Apple!! You need to move up till 7 generations at least to get par with Nokia N8’s Camera.
 
6. Processor: iPhone 3G supposed to have a 620  MHz processor under the hood and iPhone 4G probably coming with a Dual Core processor. People are wondering if the same would have 1GHz or more. A lot of expectations are here with iPhone and same has to compete with 1GHz processor of Google’s one, Apple sure could not afford to go low. But still Nokia really making me smile by introducing Nokia N8 at this point, in place of introducing some big successor for Nokia N900. Its already been hard for Apple to sell their phones in Asian market and now …. Apple is on double axes.
 
Definitely a better processor makes you capable of doing much more thing and providing developers a better platform to think more, but at the same point its about being reasonable as well. Nokia does an excellent job with Multi tasking all the time and Apple just seems to be introducing a mediocre multi tasking at this point. Why can’t you achieve that level of multi tasking that Nokia seems to have with even early 300 MHz processors? Many might have seen Nokia N82 running more than 60 apps at a time and they will sure be asking that what’s important? what you do or how you do?
 
Definitely, Apple seems to have a better processor with iPhone 4G, but still it doesn’t seem that Apple will make use of the same for real things. Nokia has ruled with multi-tasking and I think Apple will take one more generation to understand that.
 
7. Memory support: 16GB eMMC mass memory + micro SD card slot (support up to 32GB memory cards), 135MB internal memory, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, Nokia seems not leaving a place for complaint. I am sure, Apple going to do better with RAM and Application memory, but still there seems to be no place for a memory card slot even now. Being a close technology didn’t served better in past, still Apple seems to chose being worse than Microsoft.
 
Apple!! definitely, till you don’t reconsider this, you will be loosing points. Include MicroSD Card support please. Nokia rules in this department like always.
 
By the way, why I am missing USB-on-the-Go? You can completely travel without PC and transfer files to open drives or external hard disks. I have to see the maximum support though, may be I will be able to connect with my 1TB External USB HDD and watch any movie while travelling.
 
8: iPhone OS4 Vs Symbian^3: There has been big talks around iPhone OS, a number of developers are running after their lives for designing apps day and night for “The most advance mobile OS of planet”. Still openness of Android and Maemo shown the way that what could a more flexible and attractive platform for mass rather than serving profit needs of some company.
 
It nothing like I hate iPhone OS, in fact, I love the innovations it does and understand the Enthusiasm with which developer die for it, but still I hope much more from a Symbian.
 
Only obstacles in Nokia’s way ahead is obsession with backward compatibility. The same probably been biggest reason behind Windows Vista under the hood and fear is if the same happening with Symbian. Sometimes complete overhauling may be required than sticking with older rules only (We have seen in case of Maemo), issue is that overhauling should not be half baked like Nokia N900 missed Ovi Maps and Ovi Store miserably.
 
A MeeGo would be more suiting to stand in league of Android or iPhone OS, but still I believe Symbian^3 will stand tall even if doesn’t win against iPhone OS4.
 
9. Openness and Easy updates: I loved the way Nokia releases firmware updates for their smart phones ‘frequently’. Yes!! they are not that frequent like Microsoft does or like Maemo started doing, but still having free updates over the air is something so amazing for me and others out there for the convenience it brings to users.
 
Apple!!! people hate you for creating the term “Paid updates”. Nokia will be beloved for the same always as I don’t seem that Apple will bow down to remove its arrogance.
 
10. Battery Life: Nokia N8 going to sport a lesser battery (1200 mAh) than Apple, but its replaceable. Definitely Apple and Nokia get their advantages in terms for that.
 
I wonder if Nokia could produce a separate more power battery on additional cost. Why can’t the same device had two different kind of batteries in same shape? Would be a more flexible option for people asking for more.
Update: After observing Q&A session of Nokia, feeling a little disappointed to know the fact that for keeping the slim looks, Nokia did the biggest compromise ever, Integrated battery with the device that could not be replaced by users themselves. Not happy with this fact at least. Not able to digest as it was deal breaker to many. Nokia goes Apple way in this case. 

 
A lot could be talked about and would be talked about these two device in next days. I am just doing my bit. 🙂
 
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Nokia 5800 XpressMusic – A real iPhone for mass

In view of my ‘recent active days’ with blog posts, its been a ‘pretty long’ gap of more than a week. Thought to write many a times in this while, but always….

“ Finally bought a Touch Screen all of a sudden, when there was no prior plan for buying the same. Yeah did a through study of the same before buying and as exciting it was that I made the last purchase at 9:30 PM from nearest Hotspot. “

Nokia 5800 is not the first ever attempt of Nokia entering into touch screen market (Nokia 7710 since 2004, Nokia 6208 since early 2009 for example), but considering phenomenal buzz around Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Arnoid, it was expected to be a serious one and it is a sweetheart indeed. Lots of good reviews with finer details are already around, so I am not going into details and keeping this post as a personal comment only.

First of all, why I am comparing it to iPhone?

nokia5800_iphone back

Both are touch screen devices, both has perfect connectivity options (Bluetooth, Wi Fi, 3G), both comes with lots of storage (8 Gb+), both has built in A-GPS, both have YouTube Support … in all both are the very capable devices.

For a detailed point-to-point comparison between Nokia 5800 and Apple iPhone 3G, you can check out the GSMArena Link.

What special about iPhone? 

Many times in Technology History, it had been proven that more than the capabilities themselves, what matters is that how we use them. Ajax was a literally less known technology till Gmail made use of it. Similar case with iPhone, iPhone making biggest buzz around world, not due to what it is capable of, but due to how developers are making use of it and how its being marketed.

In technical specifications, iPhone only has advantage in Multi Touch technology otherwise Nokia 5800 offering much better specifications in less than half the price (Rs. 13, 200/- in Delhi as on 9th Feb 2010), but the way, its apps store bursting with new apps daily, has made it most happening thing around the globe. One should credit the way Apple market things.

How I find Nokia 5800 still better and potent device?

nokia-5800-061 nokia-5800-xpressmusic

Price: I don’t think that even 2G model of iPhone is standing anywhere lesser than Rs 22,000/- in India, leave 3G and 3GS model apart (no where lesser than Rs. 25, 000/-) and Nokia 5800 is offering you everything is less than half the price Rs. 13, 200/-. Can you believe it? Just an included 8GB card, 3G/ Wi-Fi Support worth it, leave Touch Screen a side.

Size: Something I don’t like about most of Black Berries and iPhone is their size. They are trying to redefine the size constraints of normal cell phone, but the basic limit will always be that it should come to your hands easily. iPhone is slimmer than Nokia 5800 for sure, but almost 1 cm wide as well.

Screen Resolution/ Camera: iPhone 3GS has 320×480, while Nokia 5800 has 320×640 with same 16M colors. Yes! better with iPhone is its PowerVR MBX-Lite graphics, but still it doesn’t offer ground breaking eye candy in front of more than enough decent Nokia 5800. iPhone matched the resolution with Nokia 5800 only with the latest model 3GS otherwise it was lesser in 2G and 3G models.

Storage: Both offer 8G+ storage, but iPhone has it as internal storage with no support for more card slots. Nokia 5800 kept the price down by keeping internal memory low as 81 MB and providing 8GB as external card slot (could be extended to 16GB). Obviously, one could keep as many card as required and could keep on swapping if much storage is required. Sure, the later one is more flexible about storage.

Processor & RAM: If I should keep the comparison between Nokia 5800 and iPhone 3G then Nokia has better processor (ARM 11 434 MHz in comparison to ARM 11 412 MHz) and same amount of RAM (128 MB). Yes! Latest version 3GS has doubled the RAM and proved better processor (ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz), but price is skyrocketing to be more than Rs. 35, 000/- in India. Why one should afford such a price for a phone?

Music: Disappointing that iPhone didnt thought to keep multimedia side in primary concern and pleasant that Nokia didn’t missed that. In contrast to iPhone, Nokia 5800 offering Stereo Speakers and they perform exceptionally well even when you hear without headphones.

Usability: Have you heard of a smart phone, you cant copy text, cant forward SMS/ MMS, cant send data via Bluetooth, cant put a new battery in it or cant add a memory card in it? Yes! you are guessing it right. Its iPhone and all these troubles exists even in 3GS.Can we really change our phone habits this much.. that too after paying more than double the price?

My experience with Nokia 5800 in last three days: My first Smart Phone was Nokia N70 and I am still carrying Nokia N82 and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, obviously, the camera quality of Nokia 5800 cant match excellent picture and video recording quality offered by Nokia N82, but for my disappointment, I felt it even lesser than Nokia N73 (but sure better than 2 MP cameras). May be settings issue or I was too much used to of excellent pictures. For me, its the only major drawback with this set. In next, if I find something like complaining then its the internal memory, which is 81 MB, decent enough, but could have been increased.

Rest everything was so amazing to me, may be its the excitement of a perfect touch screen device, but it serves me everything, which a hard core user like me could wish for. Exciting was playing YouTube directly from Internet (Idea Edge Connection) like the video is inside the phone itself. Waiting for Flash 10 to be unfolded for Symbion.

Either it be typing experience, browsing experience or connecting to PC, its been a perfect ride and I am looking more and  more into it to explore its potential.

The minimal set of apps, one should have in it:

1. Fring: I was looking for an IM to cater Gtalk and I got the almighty. It caters MSN, Gtalk, Yahoo, Skype, Facebook, Twitter and other leading IMs. For me, exciting was to make calls from my cell to Gtalk Friends or Friends on Skype sitting somewhere abroad and also to receive them on my cell like normal GSM calls. Not tested yet, but having video calls via Gtalk or Skype or Yahoo without 3G Network would be rather more exciting than anything ever I would have done with Smart Phones. Now, its not even needed to install something else (earlier I am using snaptu in Nokia N82, that’s also good enough) that this so cool app. Just waiting for 3G to be affordable and I will be having an amazing range of connectivity with friends online and offline.

Download | Website

2. Gmail: Obviously, I cant be without it. Even if I wish for more evolvement of this kind of basic Email Client, its still my favorite out of any question. I guess not much to say about it.

Download | Website

3. Google Maps: Although Nokia 5800 is already bundled with Ovi Maps, but still services like Latitude and Buzz now are something I cant think of doing without. Its kind of default app for any of my A- GPS enabled cell.

Download | Website

4. Opera 10 Beta: I already marked it my favorite in my earlier post and I was already waiting to experience it on Touch Screen. My Feelings are still the same. One should make it as their default browser like most of the people do like changing to Firefox or Chrome just after installing Windows. I am thinking that if ever, Firefox or Chrome get released for Symbion, then how will they perform?

Download | Website

5. Mail for Exchange: That’s an interesting application launched by Nokia for its business users to fill the gap Blackberry has created. Its push mail from Nokia and configuration instructions with Gmail could be found here. Why I am talking about Gmail not Business Mails? I face troubles with my office account and this apps, so I chosen a a work around. I placed a forwarder in Office Email ID to forward all mails to a new Gmail account and configured Mail for Exchange from that Gmail account. Now, not only my mails are safe in an practically unlimited storage account and they are in sync with me on the go (I will receive the mail and its notification on my cell within minute).

Some might complain about security of passing Office Data to Gmail, but has anyone doubt over Gmail Security yet?

Download | Website

6. JoikuSpot: As I am talking about minimal set of apps, so I was trying to avoid it, but thought to add it as last minimal app. Its a very promising and interesting app, which converts your device to a Wi Fi Access point means yours laptop and Laptop of your friend could make use of Edge/ 3G connection over your Nokia 5800 on the same time to use the internet as a Wi Fi connection. Although I still have not looked more into it that how it could be secured for use, but even then its a great piece of software.

Download | Website

Its not end of story and many more things might come about my experience with it. Other users should try to explore the options more with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

photo of Nitish KumarNitish Kumar