Catching Up Fast: My First Half Take on the Nokia N8 Software

Nokia N8 is the very first device from Nokia to carry the Symbian^3 Operating System (OS), a second revamped of the world’s most popular and well loved mobile OS to fit the ever growing popular touch User Interface (UI) and the first attempt to matched and outdo the frontliners in the arena. Did the software achieve its goal? Read on to find out.

Revamped and Refreshed

The Symbian^3 by far was a result of the fastest mobile OS evolution in history. In just a matter of year since the release of the first touch configured Symbian 60 version 5, the OS was able to achieved feat of improvements in user experience especially in response time, command transitions, stability and touch mechanism. The OS came out Smooth, Savvy and Swift (S^3) compared to the early version as response time was cut down to half with double tap eliminated, as kinetic scrolling and swipe gestures became smoother, as performing tasks were added with gestures like pinch to zoom, tap and drag to highlight character, prolonged tap to add or remove shortcuts among other enhancements. The software’s stability equates to no hangs, no freeze, no bugged down, just continues operation all throughout.













Multitasked and Numerous

The phones RAM was doubled to 250MB with 512MB of ROM, this would mean that more applications can be handled by the phone at a time defining multitasking to its true form. I haven’t experienced a single memory full in the device for 3 weeks even if I run heavy applications like Web browser, Gravity, youTube, Music Player and Maps all at the same time.

Set up and Install

The phone carries a 16GB of Phone Memory, this would mean more applications can be downloaded and installed on the phone memory creating a faster application response compared to those that are save in the memory card.

Storage and Arsenal

Aside from the 16GB of Internal memory, the phone also has a memory card slot that can handle up to 32GB giving a lot of space for the phone to shelved files. I never had a phone before that can carry this huge amount of memory but knowing how the phone was capable off, I believe it just fits best.

Homescreen

Alive and vibrant as the phone carries an AMOLED technology screen. The phone just beams out more colorful and vivid screen that is beautiful to look at. The phone retains the active widget set up of the Nokia N97 only this time, an addition of one more Homescreen making it three and all customizable. User can add as many widgets as they prefer as long as it doesn’t goes beyond the allotted spot. Among the best improvement includes the eMail update slot which became unlimited, user can now add on as many accounts they want to the screen, the prolonged tap to add or remove widgets was also added as well as capability to change wallpaper per screen among others with the exception that the user cannot change the shape of the widgets unlike in the other OS. Missing also in the area are eye candy 3D effects on the widgets, I would love to have the missing dots field up as future updates.













Calendar and Contacts

Mature and familiar as the Nokia N8 retains the old yet reliable version minus the confusing double taps. Nokia calendar delivers no less than the best set up in the mobilephone world and made even better for touch with the single click and prolonged tap mechanism added. User can now add or delete events, schedules, reminders among others fast with just few clicks. Users also have every possible connectivity needed to sync PC files and information’s to the phone.













Contacts was as always reliable, you can add every possible data into it. Searching for contacts had never been easier with the improved fast swipe scrolling gesture and the predictive input mechanism. Other visible improvement in the Contacts is the integration of Social Network app which will automatically connect contacts information to networking sites as well as the ability to import information’s such as images.













Messaging, Web and Email

Good improvements can be seen in the Messaging area as messages can now be directly viewed in conversations set up. This would give the keep the users track on status of the conversation giving a better interactive experience overall. The old inbox set up can still be access on the messaging menu folder.













The phone’s Email set up have now leveled up with the best by inheriting an E-series like mechanism. Users can enjoy push email service using a more stable version of Nokia Messaging compatible with every possible Email providers. Gone were the hangs and freezes of the early touch version clients. Configuring the eMail set up is rather easy, what users need to do is supply the address and password and it’s ready to go. There was only a bit of a problem on syncing email with server clients such Goggle Mail, sometimes it won’t auto update with the client, fixed this up, add some facelift and some eye candy transitions and its ready for the prime.













The web browser sports a WAP 2.0 over HTML with RSS feed, the typical Nokia browser with good web page implementation, one of the best way back but definitely not the at the moment. There was improvement in the speed of page download as well as addition of full web page implementation and pinch to zoom but it’s a bit clunky to use with no text reflow among other goodies that can be found on the competition. Overall it’s a step higher to the previous to level everything up. The phone is embedded with Flash Lite 4, making youTube video play flawlessly on the page.













Second Half follows next day, keep on posted!

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