WOMWorld Nokia and I am really enjoying being a part of this new
experience. Even though I find the E51 to be a device that is not best
suited for my smartphone usage, I nonetheless give full credit to its
overall benefits. Every ESeries model doesn't have to be a
Communicator or have a full qwerty, so it's good to see this manner
of variety in this particular line-up of business phones. However, I
am jaded by what seems to be the lack of initiative on the part of
Nokia in delivering enhancements to the ESeries line of products.
While the NSeries line of multimedia devices appear to get the red
carpet treatment with software updates and new model announcements,
the ESeries units are practically left in the dark.
On my part this outburst may seem to be sudden and there is a reason
for this. For a while I have been hearing about the rumored E71, a
successor to the E61i, and even saw a pictured of what is alleged to
be the actual device. Just the other day on AllAboutSymbian.com I saw
a report on an upcoming special event by Nokia that was scheduled for
April 22nd and I immediately jumped to a conclusion: it's the
unveiling of the E71!!! Of course I held my breath today as I checked
the same website for an update that would cause me to jump out of my
office chair...only to be disappointed by the truth. Nokia has
announced the arrival of a new model called the 5320 XpressMusic, a
smartphone made exclusively for music playback and gaming. At this
point I could go into the many wonderful details about this gadget,
but I will have to pass on the opportunity. I am really beginning to
wonder whether or not Nokia even cares to cater to the business user
as much as the multimedia user. Even if I am totally wrong for my
opinion in this matter, I cannot help but feel just that in lieu of
certain facts. While the N95 has received not one but TWO recent S60
3rd edition versions (N95-3 and N95 8GB NAM) tailored for the American
3G market, the E90 has had not one! Software updates may not be as
much of a concern anymore since one appears to be looming around the
corner, but as an ESeries user I still feel ultimately ignored by Nokia.
After using the E51 I am noticing that there doesn't seem to be any
sort of innovative characteristics from the ESeries lineup...or from
any Nokia product for that matter. Everything appears to be the same
amidst all the buttons and interface menus within the world of S60 3rd
Edition, and it's starting to get quite boring and utterly
predictable. After reading a recent online article, the much
anticipated Touch S60 interface device appears to be a lackluster
letdown next to even the promising Xperia from Sony Ericsson...and for
me to even think this is truly alarming! While I do enjoy using my
E90, I still switch between my TyTN 2 and even my recently unlocked
iPhone for a change of pace in my daily usage of gadgets. The Treo 750
is unfortunately at a huge disadvantage when it is compared to all my
other phones, so it has been practically abandoned. Am I getting jaded
to the point of foregoing smartphones altogether? I really cannot say
at this point. Nevertheless, it does seem that Nokia has reached its
pinnacle in the manufacturing of mobile devices and is capable of only
repeating the same features in prettier, more glossy form factors.
Despite this shameful conclusion, there isn't anything that says it
cannot redeem itself in the coming future (look at Sony Ericsson's
Xperia). If newcomer Apple can come out of the woodwork and have such
a strong effect on the smartphone consumer, there should be no limits
as to where the longstanding Nokia can go in future devices. I wish
that I could be amazed by the N96 and even the E71, but a part of me
feels like they are just another phase of what is already in
existence. While the iPhone may have its flaws, it has the power to
revolutionize the way people see their own smartphones and call
attention to innovation in the mobile industry. It is quite sad when I
can still be impressed by my iPhone and its magic in such a compact
and sleek package while my E90 sometimes comes off as a bulky wannabe
laptop. Don't get me wrong because I still love my E90, but I think
that there is always room for improvement and Nokia isn't taking the
initiative. At this rate, the non-touchscreen version of S60 3rd
Edition will meet the same fate as the Palm Garnet OS and be
classified as a has-been afterthought...and the upcoming Touch version
doesn't look too promising either. While I want the best for Nokia, it
is hard to do so when I cannot feel motivated to believe that Nokia is
truly on its way to making a mark in the industry. While Apple and
Sony Ericsson are busy making magic in the eyes of the consumers it
seems that Nokia is sleeping. Hopefully it will soon wake up before
it is too late.
TRENT
Sent from my iPhone
1 comment:
Personally I think Nokia should drop the E-series lineup, and integrate its best distinguishing elements (Qwerty, Blackberry connect, and maybe the E90 and E70 form factors) into the N-series lineup... which would have all the features from both lineups. Fewer products with more features, a good way to concentrate your efforts on key products. I would pay good money to add Blackberry connect to my N95-1, and I am not the only one. There is no logic to having "business" and "entertainment" lines -- what am I supposed to do, switch phones when I get home?... And there is nothing technically preventing merging the two product lines, just Nokia's dubious market segmenting.
Post a Comment