Symbian^3 is coming to the market in 2010, that’s for sure, but does it have what it takes to brings the platform to a new level? Apparently, the first devices running it will be available starting Q3 and what we have below is a live demo of the OS. It runs on a laptop and not on a phone, being manipulated in front of a live audience.

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Tags: home screen widgets, Symbian^3, Symbian^3 device launch, Symbian^3 live demo, Symbian^3 video demo

Last night was easily the best night of the year for the celebrity-crazed paparazzi. It also turned out to be a pretty darn good night for the smartphone paparazzi as well for two upcoming T-Mobile handsets were given the star treatment on their very own red carpet. First up was the HTC HD2, the infinitely lovable Windows Phone with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and gargantuan 4.3″ WVGA display, which looked as stylish as ever in Sense UI by HTC. Never one to miss an opportunity to show support for those in need, the HD2 took a moment to show off its Blockbuster app which will allow proud owners to download movies on demand. Immediately following the HD2 was the Nokia Nuron. Although the general consensus was that it was dressed more for the Kids Choice Awards than the Academy Awards, the Nuron made a bit of a stir when it shrieked at the top of its lungs how it had seen the light, converted to Buddhism and was now on a mission to convince everyone that less is more and that all other smartphones cannot possibly be as happy as it is living with S60, an OS that is on its way out. When will us ordinary folk get a chance to meet these stars? The Nuron is still a mystery, but we’re still very confident on a March 24th debut for the HD2.

Read [HD2] Read [Nuron]

Skype users that own a Symbian-powered Nokia handset will have to go the extra mile to install Skype on their handset. As noticed following Wednesday’s debut of Skype in the Ovi store, Skype is reportedly not available for Nokia owners in the US. In response to an email from Venture Beat, Sravanthi Agrawal, a member of Skpye’s corporate communications team, said the following:

“Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple.

“Skype users in the U.S can still download Symbian by going directly to Skype.com.”

The supposed reason behind this removal is not surprising considering the controversy over the removal of the Windows Mobile version of Skype from Skype’s website, the removal of Skype from the Android Market, and the rumored delay of the 3G-enabled version of Skype for the iPhone. Unless this policy changes or is revealed to be incorrect, anyone unduly affected will have to search a little harder to find a version of Skype to install on their handset or sign up with Verizon Wireless.

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Skype now has a free mobile application for Symbian in the Ovi Store to enable millions of users to make free Skype-to-Skype calls from their Nokia handsets. This app will work with many Symbian^1 devices — like the S60 3rd Edition and S60 5th Edition Nokia phones — and will also give them reduced SMS rates when abroad.

The app does everything a Skype app should do, send and receive IMs to or from a person or groups, share pictures, videos and other files; as well as receive calls to their existing online number and see when Skype contacts are online and available. The Skype application arrives to the Ovi Store as a free download and will work over Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, and 3G data connections.

We reckon a lot of souls will be very pleased but carriers on the other hand might get nervous and/or upset about this. Anyway, if you are using a Symbian handset and are a Skype user then let us know how good the app works for you.

Press Release

Skype now available for Nokia smartphones in Ovi Store
March 03, 2010

More than 200 million smartphone users worldwide now have Skype at their fingertips

Luxembourg and Espoo, Finland – Skype and Nokia today jointly announced the release of Skype for Symbian, a Skype client for Nokia smartphones based on the Symbian platform, the world’s most popular smartphone platform. Skype for Symbian will allow Nokia smartphone users worldwide to use Skype on the move, over either a WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G). It is now downloadable for free from the Ovi Store, Nokia’s one-stop shop for mobile content.

Skype for Symbian enables Nokia smartphone users to:
– Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world*
– Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad
– Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
– Share pictures, videos and other files
– Receive calls to their existing online number
– See when Skype contacts are online and available to call or IM
– Easily import names and numbers from the phone’s address book

Skype for Symbian will run on any Nokia smartphone using Symbian ^1, the latest version of the Symbian platform. Skype will soon introduce this client to Symbian mobile devices from other manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson.

“Symbian enables us to bring smartphones to more and more people and ensures scale for our solutions and compelling services, such as Skype. We’re seeing around 1.5 million downloads a day on Ovi Store now and believe that the Skype client for Nokia smartphones will have wide appeal to Symbian users,” said Jo Harlow, Senior Vice President for Smartphones, Nokia.

“Skype, the king of Internet communications, running on Symbian, the world’s dominant smartphone platform, makes for an explosive combination,” said Larry Berkin, Head of Global Alliances and GM USA, Symbian Foundation. “With Symbian’s global reach, Skype is that much closer to becoming the ubiquitous real-time communications platform for hundreds of millions of Symbian-based mobile users.”

Russ Shaw, General Manager, Mobile at Skype said, “With Skype for Nokia smartphones, more than 200 million smartphone users worldwide** will be able to take the Skype features they love with them on the move. Alongside Skype’s relationships with operators and handset manufacturers worldwide, making Skype available direct to consumers will help millions of users keep in contact with the people that are important to them without worrying about the cost, distance or whether they are away from a computer.”

The initial Skype for Symbian application is compatible with the following Nokia touchscreen models: Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia X6, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia 5530 and the following non-touch devices: Nokia E72, Nokia E71, Nokia E90, Nokia E63, Nokia E66, Nokia E51, Nokia N96, Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8Gb, Nokia N85, Nokia N82, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8 Gb, Nokia N79, Nokia N78, Nokia 6220 classic, Nokia 6210 Navigator, Nokia 5320.

For more information on Skype for Symbian, including the latest supported handset list, at http://www.skype.com/go/symbian.

The fate of Skype for Windows Mobile may be in jeopardy, but the vitals on the Symbian version of the voice and text chat client seem to be very, very good. Yesterday, Nokia added Skype for Symbian, complete with the ability to make Skype calls via Wi-Fi, 3G or EDGE, to its Ovi Store. “With Skype for Nokia smartphones, more than 200 million smartphone users worldwide will be able to take the Skype features they love with them on the move,” said Skype’s mobile GM Russell Shaw. If you’re rocking a Nokia handset, and have Symbian^1 or higher, you can head on over to the Ovi Store to pick up the goodies.

[Via Engadget]

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Pretty huge news in our book: Skype has published a free mobile application for Symbian in the Ovi Store, basically enabling over 200 million Nokia handset users to easily download the program and start making free Skype-to-Skype calls from their phones.

If I were a carrier, I’d probably be feeling rather nervous right now – and / or infuriated.

Skype for Symbian, which you can also download the app straight from the Skype website, will run on any Nokia smartphone using Symbian^1, the latest version of the Symbian platform.

It’s not the Skype wasn’t already available for Symbian, but its appearance in the Ovi Store will certainly increase awareness of its existence – as well as that of the Ovi Store, for that matter.

We recently reported that Nokia’s Ovi Store now serves more than 1 million downloads per day, and if the success of the Skype app for the iPhone is any indication, the addition of Skype will lift those numbers up significantly.

It does everything you’d want a Skype app to do, as it supports free calls to other Skype users over Wi-Fi and 3G, instant messaging, picture and video sharing – the whole nine yards.

This is the long list of phones that can now accommodate the installation of the Skype Mobile app: Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia X6, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia 5530 and the following non-touch devices: Nokia E72, Nokia E71, Nokia E90, Nokia E63, Nokia E66, Nokia E51, Nokia N96, Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8Gb, Nokia N85, Nokia N82, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8 Gb, Nokia N79, Nokia N78, Nokia 6220 classic, Nokia 6210 Navigator, Nokia 5320.

Skype says it will even be updating the app soon to make it function on Symbian mobiles from other handset makers, including Sony Ericsson.

TmoNews has acquired what looks to be some legit pricing information about the yet-to-be-released HTC HD2, Motorola CLIQ XT, and Nokia Nuron… and the pricing looks pretty good.  The HD2 will reportedly retail for $199 with 2-year contract and $449 contract free. The $199 price point on the HD2 will also presumably be mail-in-rebate-less if you sign up for a data plan at time of purchase. Moving on, the Motorola CLIQ XT will retail for $129 with 2-year contract and $329 contract free. Again, the $129 is the price you will pay at the register if you sign up for a data plan when you purchase your shiny new CLIQ XT. TmoNews adds: “the Nokia Nuron which was cut off from the image…[will be] $69.99 after rebate. No contract? No problem. That’ll be $179.99.” How about it? Do any of these offerings excite you T-Mobile customers?

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Today, at CeBIT, Nokia unveiled the first handset in its newly-named line of phones, the C-Series: the Nokia C5. The C5 pairs the classic Nokia candy bar form-factor with S60 3rd edition and a very modest price point — €135 ($182) unsubsidized. The phone will feature a 2.2″ display, 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.5 mm A/V connector, FM radio, 12 hours of talk time, GPS, Ovi Maps, Nokia Messaging, and microSD card slot (with support for up to a 16GB card). The C5 will be available in the second half of 2010 in Europe, Eurasia, and China. Not for everyone, but hey, for $182 it’s way better than a feature phone, in our modest opinion.

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After we’ve seen some shots of Symbian^4, leaked about two weeks ago, it’s time to have a look at two videos showing the platform in action. While the first Symbian^3 devices are scheduled for Q3 2010 release, we look even further into the future and discover the feats of the next version of the OS:

It’s all homescreens and widgets, nothing too impressive, sadly and nothing to compare with Windows Phone 7 Series, for example. If this is the best that Symbian Foundation can offer, we’re more interested in the Intel Nokia MeeGo platform, to be honest.

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Tags: Symbian^4, Symbian^4 details, Symbian^4 leak, Symbian^4 video demo

Nokia, as part of its Conversations blog, is circulating an email newsletter which hints at some new handsets. The sidebar story mentions the rumored C-Series devices, discusses the upcoming deliberately misspelled “C BIT” conference and tells its fans that Nokia will “C you there”. Don’t start dreaming of a 12 megapixel, Symbian S^3 powered flagship quite yet as the C-Series is expected to be comprised of entry level handsets. Indeed, the first handset in the lineup is rumored to be the C5, a numeric keypad-toting candybar, and the C6, which is rumored to be a front-facing QWERTY handset that recently passed through the FCC with AT&T 3G on board. Hopefully, this shameless self-promotion was just a teaser and when CeBIT starts next Tuesday will we see Nokia handsets from both ends of the spectrum get the official nod.

Thanks, Glenn!

[Via Engadget]

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Symbian fans looking forward to the S^4 release can get a sneak peek at the interface for this upcoming OS courtesy of YouTube member mdanofierce. The two b-roll style  S^4 videos appear to be recorded from an emulator and reveal a multiple homescreen, touch-based interface that is peppered with widgets and a full-screen photo album application with a collapsible menu toolbar. The two short and sweet videos are available after the jump for your viewing pleasure. Give them a quick once over during your coffee break and let us know what you think of the future of Symbian in the comments.

[via Symbian Freak]

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Windows Mobile users looking to download Skype may have to dig a bit deeper to find the necessary .cab file for installation. According to Skype’s website, the Windows Mobile version has been removed because it does not offer the same rich user experience that is available in Skype for the iPhone and Skype for Symbian, an unusual reason that leaves us scratching our heads. Skype does not indicate when the Windows Mobile version will return, if ever, and it is possible that Skype may have chosen to cease development of the older Windows Mobile version while focusing on a new version that will be compatible with Windows 7 Phone series handsets. If this is the case, then it’s pretty odd that Skype would pull its current version so soon, leaving millions of current Windows Mobile users in the lurch for the next eight to nine months while we wait for the first Windows Phone 7 handsets to debut. Reading between the lines, another possible explanation is a bit of a conspiracy theory and contains the words “exclusive” and “Verizon Wireless”. Similar to the rumored delay in the 3G enabled version of Skype for the iPhone, this rumor suggests that Skype may have pulled its Windows Mobile version due to its exclusive agreement with Big Red. Regardless of the reason, Windows Mobile owners may want to head over to Skype’s website as soon as possible as the download link is still buried in the website if you know where to look. Once Skype becomes aware of its presence, the link and your ability to download Skype from its official channel may be long gone.

[Via Wmpoweruser and Fuze Mobility]

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Remember the days when Handago was the place to go if you wanted to find an application for your smartphone and PocketGear was the place you went if you could not find it on Handango? Those days are long gone and today heralds a new beginning for both companies as PocketGear has announced that it is acquiring Handango. The two application distribution platforms will merge to form the world’s largest cross platform application store and the ensuing stats on this newly merged behemoth are impressive:

• over $400 million in mobile application revenues to date
• over 140,000 paid and free titles
• support for Android, Symbian OS, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, Linux, and Java powered mobile devices
• 4 billion consumers in 175 countries worldwide and using over 2,000 unique mobile devices
• 32,000 strong developer network
• distribution deals with 4 of the world’s top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, and 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally

Competition will be intense as this new application store will be competing directly with the Android Market, Windows Marketplace for Mobile and other smaller manufacturer and carrier-created application stores that will come pre-installed on the customer’s smartphone. Given a choice would you prefer to buy from the potentially smaller platform-specific application store or the larger, cross platform conglomerate?

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Last year, Apple’s iPhone nearly doubled its worldwide market share of smartphone sales to 14.4 percent, up 6.2 points from the year before, according to the latest market share figures put out by Gartner. The iPhone still trails behind Nokia’s Symbian-powered smartphones (No. 1), which saw their share decline 5.5 points to 46.9 percent, and RIM Blackberries (No. 2), which gained 3.3 points to end the year with a 19.9 percent share.

Remember, these are worldwide estimates. In the U.S., both Blackberry and Apple are much larger than Symbian. And when it comes to mobile Web traffic, Apple and Android dominate with 81 percent share. According to Gartner, Android phone sales jumped 3.4 points (to 3.9 percent), but Android is still smaller than WIndows Mobile or Linux. Those mobile OSes, however, saw their market share drop 3.1 and 2.9 percent, respectively. Palm’s WebOS barely made a mark with 0.7 percent share.

Initial details on Nokia’s planned roadmap for 2010 were leaked earlier this month and the information revealed a set of new naming conventions Nokia may be using for its mobile hardware. One series, the X series, is supposedly comprised of handsets that target a young audience with a focus on music and entertainment. Details on the first handset in this series, the Nokia X10, may have now been leaked courtesy of a video on YouTube. According to the video, the X10 will be a Symbian^3 powered QWERTY slider with a  600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 16GB or 32GB internal storage, 256 MB of RAM, HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, aGPS and support for multiple homescreens with auto-rotation. The documents, though potentially fake, have an appearance similar to previously leaked Nokia documents that also appeared on YouTube in a video that was subsequently pulled by Nokia. Assuming that these details are based more upon fact than fiction, Nokia may be unleashing a nice mid-level handset with a name, X10, that’s pretty similar to what our boys and girls over at Sony Ericsson have named one of their own

[Via Unwired View]

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