shallimus | # 231 | 2011-06-21, 14:38 | Report

Maybe. But I doubt it. Why wouldn't it be listed on the official spec? And FM listening is doable without extraordinary hardware: the N900 listens using the Bluetooth hardware.

attila77 | # 232 | 2011-06-21, 14:38 | Report

Of course it doesn't, because of many reasons, some of which are

a) the SDK approach allows you to develop software even if you are a Mac or Windows developer (or, say, don't know anything about Debian)

b) it also allows easier target switching, on device development will not net you simulator, MeeGo Handset or Tablet, Symbian, Maemo5, etc targets

c) the average computer used for development is still equipped with way faster CPUs and more memory making it a lot faster to cross-compile or to do separate targets or different versions of them.

d) I'm pretty sure more people would appreciate work put into a mail client or web browser than catering for a very thin use-case

e) if you're a cool hacker, you can do it on your own anyway, and it's a billion times easier than on any other platform

f) need I go on ?

So yes, it would be worth some geek creds with a few dozen people and be an annoyance/hindrance to millions. That's an easy call to make.

attila77 | # 233 | 2011-06-21, 14:39 | Report

Texas Instruments datasheets are your friend

kanishou | # 234 | 2011-06-21, 14:41 | Report

You know, someone could offer me a 2Ghz quadcore with 2 GB of RAM and a 20 MP camera running Android for the same price and I wouldn't be interested.

Specs mean nothing, unless everything else is equal.

I'd rather have a phone that is a joy to use in every day life, than one that pushes a few more polygons per second or allows me to keep 200 instead of just 100 apps running at the same time.

sudarsan_avs | # 235 | 2011-06-21, 14:45 | Report

Is there any chance of getting this UI on MeeGo 1.2 DE N900

Maybe I am asking too much...

marrat | # 236 | 2011-06-21, 14:45 | Report

Yep, that's the point! In newer revision of the TI BlueLink / WiLink chips which are to be bundled with OMAP processors, in addition to FM Rx feature also Tx is added.

Also see this document on page 3: http://focus.ti.com/lit/wp/swmy001/swmy001.pdf

It is from April 2009 and says for BlueLink 7.0 (with FM Rx&Tx combined) and WiLink 6.0 (Fm Rx&Tx combined) "Announced/Sampling". So by time of OMAP3630 this should have been default inclusion.

And the "leaked" Harmattan package list had "wl1273" Firmware package...

But let's wait and see (and hope a little bit...)

Verythrax | # 237 | 2011-06-21, 14:48 | Report

I think that nfc is simply deprecating FM transmission. the main use was on car radios, but most of the new models come with bluetooh, and will start coming with nfc now.

I know that it's a bit early, but Nokia needs to push something on early adoption to appeal as "cutting edge". The FM transmitter would just add to the price, and most of the competiion doesn't have it anyway, so it will not be really "lacking".

Guys, I know that having less features than the N900 sucks, but N900 was the last heir of and IT lineage. Now we are at the smartphone era, and Nokia NEEDS to be competitive. Giving a bucketload of options without being able to sell it doesn't cut it.

The future will be more about synthesis, one hardware/technology filling various roles = easier to use, and cheaper to manufature. N900 have just too much for todays standards.

zlatokosi | # 238 | 2011-06-21, 14:49 | Report

And which Nokia phone has provided you with that out-of-the-box in the last few years? On a burning platform...

This coming from a(n almost ex-)Nokia fanboy.

kruppin | # 239 | 2011-06-21, 14:54 | Report

Yes, it got all those things, except the GPU? How can it be double? Even if it now has alittle higher clockspeed doesn't make it double as good. And it still is a old SGX530 from 2005, so it's made in 90nm, and got almost no hd capabilities, not that it matters now that N9 doesn't have HDMI port.
But they've could atleast put a SGX540 in it, THAT'S more then double the good (which means better games), and still less powerhungry. But yes, I know, TI doesn't have a SoC with that untill you go dualcore, and that would've been to expensive, I guess. Bleh, the phone will surely be good, I just had more expectations, which is why I complain! I thought they saw meego as cutting edge in both software and hardware, but i yhought wrong. I'm just afraid that it will take many more months until we have it in stores, and then this HW is ****.

shallimus | # 240 | 2011-06-21, 14:55 | Report

A joy to use? For me, that'd be the N900.

For the record, I'm also looking forward to the N9. You know, like I might enjoy owning a pickup truck and a sports car. They're not the same, but they're both cool.