Nokia has an iPhone competitor in the works.
See article on engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/08/n...-apples-sales/

More info here: http://mivadika.com/forum/communicat...-s-iphone.html

Wonder how this bodes for the N8x0's.

-Jay

Well, it just might happen to be that rumored "5th generation internet tablet". Or it might not. In any case, this device is not new, as its prototype has been used before to demonstrate S60 touch interface. The actual news is that Nokia is close to releasing it.

The pictures are not of any prototype (simply design models), this was confirmed ages ago when they first announced S60 Touch.

So far the only demonstrations has existed on emulation hardware, not on any prototype devices(at least only those made public).

Personally I don't think the slipup was any indication of anything being released very soon.

Yeah, codenamed Tube.

There's a *****ing article in Gizmodo and other sites.

Well, lets assume for a moment that Engadget is right, the "Tube" is about to come out for real (I wont make the same assumption about the other site: they were debunked back in September). Here's my thoughts:

1) I hope it's a Maemo device, and not a Symbian device. That will be a very good sign of things to come wrt to the future of Maemo, and Nokia's plans for it. At worst, Maemo Linux with a Symbian GUI (it'd be weird to have a non-X based GUI on a Linux device, but weird does not equate to bad; after all, look at OS X -- non-X based GUI on a unix platform).

2) I hope that it is either: very well integrated with the N810 OR that it has a physical keyboard. While it'd be cool to see the Tube as a WWAN enabled successor to the N800, I still want a device with a physical keyboard. Ideally: it can share its data feed via Wifi, not in ad-hoc mode but in an actual access point/infrastructure network way. That would make it both a nice fancy iPhone competitor, AND a cradlepoint competitor. If not that, then at least have Bluetooth DUN that is 100% compatible with Maemo devices.

3) If it's a phone, and not just another flavor of NIT, as Engadget seems to be saying, then I hope it has PIM software. Full-IMAP-Email, Calendar, To-Do/Tasks, Contacts, and Bookmarks that all that sync with Mac and Windows stuff. It'd be nice if it synced with Google too. Not just generic Gmail, but "Google Apps for (Your Domain/Education/Enterprise)". Even better if it has Android-isms on it.

4) If it does run Maemo, I hope to see its software make it back to being available on the N800 and N810. Including the PIM and sync parts.

5) I'm hoping for a world-phone. This isn't something I _expect_, nor is this based on any sort of reality coming from things I've seen nor read from Nokia, I'm just saying "this is what I'm hoping for in a phone, lately". Seeing the recent Awang Tilt knock-off, where they've crammed a dual-SIM GSM phone, FM tuner, TV tuner, 2 camera (one for chat, one for pictures) device into an AT&T Tilt/HTC TyTN-II form factor ... for under $200 ... kinda gave me some hope and desire about what it is I really want in a phone. dual-SIM GSM that can do European, AT&T, and T-Mobile-USA GSM and 3G would be lovely. What would be ideal, of course, would be being able to do 1 CDMA service, and 1 or 2 GSM services ... but I only say that because my current phone carrier is MetroPCS, and I'd like to keep them for my voice/sms/mms carrier (I doubt Nokia would put out a new CDMA phone right now; that's all Nokia Siemens these days, isn't it?). Being able to do that, but put my data on AT&T or T-Mobile would be ideal. Being able to do THAT, and still have 1 more SIM slot available for world travel? double-plus good. Being able to do it on a Maemo device? I'd be on cloud nine.

Though, taking a step back toward reality: if it's a Maemo based phone, I'll probably buy it even if it just has 1 SIM slot and no other GSM/CDMA capabilities. In that regard, just make sure it works with T-Mobile-USA.

And taking a bigger step back toward reality: I think it's more likely that Engaget is wrong, the device we saw in a concept video last summer is not about to be released to the market. Maybe what they saw at the preview was a touch-screen device, but I bet it's not the same device that was in the concept movie last summer. But maybe/hopefully it was the N900 that was shown at the conference.

The talk around this has always been about S60.

Yes, but what does THAT mean?

I've heard people say that S60 is just a GUI, and not necessarily the Symbian OS. Implying (to me at least) a sort of dichotomy between OS and GUI that you see on Unix/Linux platforms. Which makes me wonder if you could end up with S60 running as a GUI layer (not an emulated OS layer, but just the GUI layer and libraries) on top of Maemo.

But, if it's a fully Symbian device, then my only interest in it will be "can I use it as a modem for my NIT?" :-}

Apply Occam's razor to this one.

If it's going to be the same OS as our beloved tablets, I guess we are getting a new update this June that includes PIM and sync to the PC? yey!? otherwise, there will be mass market complaint?

I have tried many formats and I say going smaller, if a progression in our domain, namely an N900 of sorts, is not my cup of tea.

I found the iPhone screen sizing while better than the square tiny Treo type still too small for everyday allday professional use and notably visual media. (that's coming from a 42 year old who doesn't wear glasses. )

Curious though.