Yesterday saw Nokia unveil two new things.  Firstly, the Nokia C5 smartphone, and secondly, with it, the start of the C-Series range of devices.

The Nokia C5 is a T9 candybar smartphone sporting a 2.2 inch screen, and Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2.  Whilst this is nothing new to the world of mobile devices, the fact that the device is running Symbian, and will retail for 135 Euros before any operator discounts marks a definitive stage in the Nokia product cycle of bringing a smartphone to market at a previous featurephone price point.

So let’s have a look at the specifications, after the jump.

The C5 has a 3.2 Megapixel camera, using the new EDOF technology (which I was actually quite pleasantly surprised with on the E52) and VGA video recording capability at 15 frames per second.  3G, GPS, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a 1050 mAh battery can also be found packed into the featherweight 90g device.

Battery life should be pretty good with a standby time quoted as 28 days, or up to 12 hours talk time.  Real world scenarios will probably get close to 4 or 5 days operational time under normal conditions.

The software has also been improved over previous Nokia devices, including greater integration of social networks into the operating system, and the latest Ovi Maps with lifetime free navigation.

The Nokia C5 will be available in Q2 2010, in either white or warm grey.

If you want the full run down of specifications, check out the DATA SHEET.

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I’ve just received a Nokia N97 Mini on loan from the great folks over at WomWorld Nokia, for me to review.  The N97 Mini will be a difficult device for me to review, mainly down to the fact that I was an actual N97 Classic owner, and really didn’t get on with that device.

So, has the N97 Mini changed my initial impressions?  Lets find out.

The box that the N97 Mini comes in is small.  And I mean, really small.  I haven’t done any maths, but in terms of volume, it’s got to be getting close to the same size box as the Apple iPhone.  I think this really shows Nokia’s push towards the greener and more efficient side of life.  There is still a bit of empty space in the N97 Mini box, though, so there is always room for improvement.  I have also got plenty of micro USB cables and chargers, so i would like Nokia to move towards an option policy of say getting a £20 reduction in retail value of a device for example if you opt out of having a wall charger and/or a USB cable included with your device.

Another thing which is small is the N97 Mini itself.  It really doesn’t do it justice in the photo’s.  Even when sat next to another device, the full story is not told.  The ergonomics of the relatively minor reduction in size over the N97 Classic are exponentially magnified.

The keyboard feels good in my first couple of tests, and there is definitely more space between the keys.  Although, I actually quite liked the D-pad on the Classic, so I feel the direction arrows on the Mini to be a slight irritation, and find I actually have to look at the keyboard to check I am hitting the correct arrow sometimes.

The great Nokia build quality is apparent from the moment you first snap the device open and closed.  The edges seem slightly more rounded, and the addition of some extra metal in the construction is much appreciated.

It is not overly clear how to insert your SIM card when first setting up the device.  However, Nokia have printed a small diagram in the battery tray to assist with this.  It still doesn’t make the process any less fiddly and unnecessarily cumbersome.

It’s also a shame to see that Nokia haven’t managed to squeeze to BP-4L 1500 mAh battery in this time, and have instead opted for the BL-4D 1200mAh version.  I have yet to test it’s endurance though, so will hang fire on a judgement, and am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.  The reduced overall size of the device has had to come from somewhere though, so it may ultimately end up being a price worth paying.  We will see.

Overall, so far my first impressions are good.  I look forward to giving the N97 Mini a good workout over the next couple of weeks, and writing my review accordingly.

If you have any specific areas you would like me to investigate for you, then please feel free to leave a comment, or shoot me an email to steve@thenokiaetwork.com or twitter me.

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This morning brings news of yet more cost trimming by Nokia in the form of around 285 jobs at their manufacturing plant in Salo, Finland.  The reason for this is quoted in the PRESS RELEASE as a new operating mode.

The new operating mode essentially means the investment in new, faster, more efficient hardware and more automation, thus reducing the need for skilled workers on the job floor.

Now the press release doesn’t specifically define whether or not the new machines will be installed in the Salo factory, or another lower cost factory around the world, such as in Brazil or China.  It does seem to read that the hardware upgrade will be invested in Salo, but it is an open jury on that.

The current state of temporary rotational job losses at Salo are hoping to be brought to an end by June 2010.  Ultimately I would guess this means yet more redundancies at Nokia.

What do you think of this latest round of job losses at Nokia, especially considering the positive Q4 2009 financial results?  Let us know in the comments.

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This morning Nokia announced a refresh to their very popular 6303, in the form of the 6303i.  This process of adding an ‘i’ to the name of a device has usually meant a general specification overhaul, and this one is no different.

The Nokia 6303i is running the S40 feature phone operating system, has a 3.2 Megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and HSPA 3G connectivity.

Priced initially at 105 Euros, expect this device to be free on most pay monthly contracts from operators very soon.

Other highlights include a fairly respectable battery life of 8 hours talk time, or potentially 3 weeks of sitting in standby powered by a 1050mAh battery, with both USB and the old style pin charging available.  A 3.5mm headphone jack, a 2.2inch QVGA screen, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1 all wrapped up in a package weighing just 96g.

Initially this device will be available in two colour options, either silver shown above, or khaki, and will go on sale sometime in Q1 2010.  So take that as sometime in the next month or so.

You can find the official Nokia data sheet HERE.

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Today the Symbian Foundation announced that they have finally made their entire Symbian operating system source code available to everyone, completely free of charge, under the EPL (Eclipse  Public License).

This release has been a cornerstone of the Symbian Foundation’s business strategy, and comes four months ahead of schedule.

It is hoped that by moving to an open source model, developers will get involved, inspire a community, and the speed of innovation around the Symbian ecosystem will increase proportionately.

So what will this mean to me as a consumer?  Well essentially it means that any hardware manufacturer can download the code, and build a Symbian device.  Chances are that this scenario won’t really come to fruition in the short term as many of the large scale manufacturers who were interested have already joined the foundation.

What you should see though, is a quicker development of the OS to bring it up to speed with it’s competitiors, as in some areas Symbian has fallen behind somewhat.

This release is no small mean feat by any standards, and there is lots of extra reading if you are so inclined.  The announcement is HERE, the press release is HERE and the relevant post on the Symbian Blog is HERE.  Or, if you are feeling really brave, the code is available for download HERE.

What do hope to see come out of this announcement?  Are you a developer interested in taking up arms?  Let us know in the comments, or shoot me an email steve@thenokianetwork.com

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Looks like there was a slight problem releasing the N97 v2.1 update which should have happened yesterday.  No bother, as it’s now been confirmed that it will infact be upon us from Monday 1st February instead.

The update will ONLY be available initially be using the Nokia Software Updater application on your computer.  Nokia say they need more time to test the OTA (Over the Air) functionality, so that will be delayed slightly (again).

RM-505 will be updated to v21.0.045 and RM-507 versions will be getting v21.2.045.  RM-506 models will not have the update available in the short term.

Generic product codes, as always, will be updated first with country variants, and then operator variants coming along at maybe some point in the future.

Specified changes include:

Improved call reliability, smoother scrolling, browser and music player improvements and upgrades to photo and video stability.

Let us know when you find the update available, and whether you find it an improvement.

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Via – [Here]

This year, Nokia are not going to be attending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on the 15th – 18th February 2010.

Nokia fans out there need not worry however, because Nokia will still be in Barcelona on the 15th and 16th February.  They will be holding their very own event just down the road at Once, which is the home of the Spanish National Organization for the Blind.

This is quite obviously a cost saving exercise, because of the enormous price they would have to pay in order to get a similar setup inside MWC.

Nokia have now put up their mini MWC event website, which details their press conference which will be held on 15th February at 11.30am CET sharp.  Following the press conference, there will be breakout presentations, and the opportunity to have a chat with senior management personnel.

Are you going to be in Barcelona?  Do you think Nokia will announce new devices or services?  Let us know in the comments.  Alternatively, send me an email steve@thenokianetwork.com

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NEWS JUST IN! – Latest update on this new firmware is AVAILABLE HERE.

According to this post on the Nokia Support Forum from a Nokia employee, the next firmware for the Nokia N97, (probably version 2.1) will be available for download via the Nokia Software Updater application from the 28th January 2010.

This news is highly anticipated since Nokia seemed to leave the ‘flagship’ N97 out of it’s Ovi Maps with free navigation announcement yesterday.

Whether the new firmware will add any other functionality besides the Ovi Maps update still remains to be seen, and as usual, it will almost certainly be a staged roll out, so not all product codes will be available immediately.

Only 6 days to wait folks!

Let us know what you think in the comments, or shoot me an email steve@thenokianetwork.com

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Yes, you read the title correctly folks, I have the new version of Ovi Map, Version 3.03 installed on my Nokia N86 8MP.  After the press release and announcement event this morning, of the free navigation included with the new Ovi Maps, us N86 owners were left dejected after realising that our beloved devices had been left out in the cold by Nokia.

Well, I have some good news for you, I have just downloaded and installed the E52 version of Ovi Maps, available from http://maps.nokia.com/explore-services/ovi-maps and I can confirm it is working fine so far.  You will need to download the actual SIS file, and not get the text message download or else it won’t work.

You do need at least 20MB free of internal memory on the C: though, so a good way of freeing up some valuable space, is to clear the cache in your browser, and uninstall any applications that you don’t use anymore.

I’ll report back if I find any problems soon.

Of course, don’t do this if you are worried of the consequences of it possibly bricking your phone, and also make sure you do a backup beforehand.

Let us know any feedback in the comments.

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News has just filtered through this morning via Symbian-Guru and The Nokia Blog, that this morning’s Ovi announcement from Nokia will be them releasing a new version of their Ovi Maps software which now includes voice navigation for free in 74 countries around the world.

This is a potentially a big shot in the eye for Google, who currently, only have this kind of service available for American customers.

This is a very obvious announcement by Nokia to try and reassert themselves as the biggest player in the mobile market, instead of the popular choices of Apple and Google.

Also remember that the likes of TomTom and Garmin took a massive hit on the stock market when Google announced their version of free navigation a couple of months ago, so in theory, today should be an even worse day for them.

Crucially, how the markets react, will tell us if they think Nokia can still mix it up with the big boys, or is a wounded animal lashing out at it’s attackers.

As usual though, the announcement is not as simple as it could be. The way Nokia likes to do it.

Only 10 devices will have the new Ovi Maps available later today, the N97 Mini, E72, E52, E55, 5800, 5800NE, 6710Nav, 6730, 5230 and the new X6.

So where is the N97? Where is the N86? Both premium Nokia devices, but shunned from the nice shiny new goodies. The budget 5230 gets in on the action though, bizarrely.

Apparently, more devices will be added at a later date, but let’s hang fire on that, until it actually happens.

What do you think of this announcement?  Are you an N97 owner?

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