During Nokia World 2011 the manufacturer announced about its further developments of the NFC capabilities. Nokia also made a statement concerning the agreement with MTA to use NFC tickets. This means that in 2012 the NFC  will include other payment features.  The first test will include the Nokia 603, which will get the chance to use NFC emulation card update allowing to have secure mobile payments. If the test reports good results, the rest of the devices will undergo the same process. Note that the manufacturer’s planning to port this feature to all of its Symbian devices.

The most common use of the NFC technology is definitely gaming (including the popular Angry Birds). It allows the users to have additional characters and levels for their games. Among the latest additions are the Foursquare integration and the possibility to share location info with friends. The manufacturer hopes the users will get used to NFC and will make use of its main capabilities.

Microsoft is currently planning to add NFC capability to its devices, which means that in 2012, there’s a chance that upcoming Nokia Windows Phone devices will also get this feature.

Via

Taking into account that Nokia hardly ever introduces low-priced devices for the emerging markets, the announcement of such handsets as the Nokia Asha 300, 303 and 200, was a real surprise. Nevertheless, the surprise list doesn’t end here.

The manufacturer is now working on the release of the white version of the Nokia N9. Other than that, Nokia 9 users will get a new software update.

Frank Zillikens states:

“The manufacturing process for beautiful white products is quite complex and we wanted to make sure we deliver the best possible quality for our consumers”.

The White Nokia N9 is already the fourth color option of the smartphone, which is already available in cyan, magenta and black options. But the white option of the handset looks way too elegant and classy.

The handset is expected to be available sometime before the end of this year with 64 GB memory capabilities. Hopefully for this version Nokia will offer a glossy finish instead of the matte one offered earlier.

As for the software update coming to this Harmattan MeeGo device, we should mention that it’ll bring a large list of enhancements, including NFC tag reading, music controls on lock screen and many more.

Via

Together with the Nokia Asha 300 and the Nokia Asha 303, which are basically touchscreen devices, Nokia also announced the Nokia Asha 200 in its Asha lineup. The key feature of this novelty is its Dual-SIM support.

The phone features Nokia’s technology allowing to swap SIM cards without turning the handset off. In addition it allows different settings for the SIM cards. Other than that, you can also have different ringtones and profiles for each of the SIM-cards.

The Asha 200 comes with a full-QWERTY keyboard and has an integrated support for social networking sites. The handset is so light that you won’t need to make extra efforts to hold it.

In contrast to most cheap dual-SIM devices, the Nokia Asha 200 supports microSD cards for up to 32 GB.  The battery of the handset provides up to 52 hours of talk time.

This is the cheapest device of the lineup being priced at 60 EUR (around $84), but as we see its features are not less impressive than those of the other devices included in the list. The phone will be available in the forth quarter of this year.

And lastly if we trust rumors, then Nokia will introduce the Nokia Asha 201 in 2012, which will come with a single SIM card support but will feature all the current specs of the Nokia Asha 200.

Via

Considering its camera capabilities, the Nokia Asha 300 is the most photo-centric device of the the Asha lineup. In contrast to 3.2 and 2 megapixel cameras offered by the rest of devices of the Asha lineup, the Asha 300 comes with a 5 megapixel camera. The feature phone comes with a 2.4 inch display with the support of physical numeric keypad and the Nokia X3Touch and Type and Nokia C3 Touch and Type feature package.

As the rest of the devices of the lineup, the Nokia Asha 300 also comes with the support of Angry Birds game. This candybar form factor handset is pretty light with a weight of only 85 grams. It comes with rounded edges and slightly curved back. It’s comfortable to hold and can be even called a compact pocket phone.

The device comes in two color options: Black and Red. The device is not that impressive if compared with similar X3 and C3 Touch and Type devices. But if you consider its low price, then you get a reason to purchase this handset. It’ll be available at a price of 85 EUR (around $118).

I would call this handset a pretty good offer for those who want to save money and get a stylish device with a touchscreen and a physical keypad.

Via

Nokia Asha 303 is included in Nokia’s new Asha lineup. This lineup is designed for the low and middle-range feature phone fans. The lineup devices run on Symbian^40 OS, but their version of the OS comes with a list of enhancements and improvements (such as Angry Birds and WhatsApp messaging App), which were missing in earlier versions of the S^40 device series.

The Nokia Asha 303 is considered the top model of the new series, coming with a capacitive touchscreen display and a QWERTY keyboard. The manufacturer decided to place the display slightly higher than the keyboard to avoid accidental button presses. The features of the handset include a 1 GHz processor, a 2.6 inch display, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The device also comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera, which is great. The bad thing about the device is that it doesn’t have autofocus.

The feature phone is pretty light. The materials used for the device make it not-slippery, thus comfortable to hold.

The feature phone comes with N0kia Browser, which allows to use cloud storage capabilities. The handset is the most expensive offer in the entire lineup coming at a price of 115 Euros (around $160). The color options for the handset are Pink, Silver and Blue. The release date of the smartphone is expected to be sometime before the end of the year.

Via

Yesterday we informed you the Nokia N8 is currently getting Symbian Anna update in the U.S.. But it’s not the only smartphone getting this update, because owners of the Nokia C7, C6-01 and E7 can download the update over-the-air as well.

Symbian Anna was announced back in spring, and many countries got the update immediately after the announcement. Anna brought many improvements and completely changed the attitude towards Symbian^3 OS. This is why Nokia decided not to put off the “process” of bringing its native mobile operating system to a level up. After this the company announced Symbian Belle and several devices running on it.

But as you know Nokia is not so welcomed by U.S. consumers, and the company’s working hard to have success there. So it’s difficult to guess when the next update will appear in the U.S., plus, Nokia’s first Windows Phone smartphones are almost ready for launch and probably we’ll not see Belle in the statewide at all.

However, at this moment you can download Anna update OTA or using the Nokia Suite on your PC. Let us know once you do it.

Source

To keep its customers Nokia’s always offering updates for the owners of the older version of Nokia devices. This is the case with the Nokia 5800 and the Nokia 5530. Both devices are running the first and original version of Symbian, thus they do not have the chance to get updated to Symbian Anna^3, and there’s no way for them to ever get the Symbian Belle OS.

Still not to disappoint Symbian^1 device owners, the carrier decided to port some Symbian Anna features to such devices. The first update roll out will include the Nokia 5800 and the Nokia 5530.

The Nokia 5800 is one of the best touchscreen devices. The manufacturer started its shipments 3 years ago and it was popular until the release of the Nokia N8, which was coming with much more advanced features.

The Nokia 5800 will receive the software version of  60.0.003, while the Nokia 5530 will get the software version of 40.0.003. These software versions have almost identical features, which means Nokia got the same features of Anna to both handsets.

The main changes caused by the software update are the following: Symbian Anna browser,  Nokia Maps 3.06, support for international domain names and support for languages like Arabic and Chinese (non ASCII characters).

The update will be rolled out OTA, which means unlocked devices will be the first to get the update. Carrier-based devices will receive the update in upcoming weeks. You will not need a computer to get the update.

Via

The Nokia N8 is one of the best camera devices offered by Nokia. It’s the first device coming with a 12 megapixel camera. The only sad point concerning this device is that it’s not the megapixels that matter in modern smartphone industry but the 3D support. Such a device is currently available in the U.S.; it’s manufactured by HTC (you can read more about in our full HTC EVO 3D review).

Indeed Nokia also spares no effort to improve the Nokia N8. The handset’s just received an update to Symbian Anna^3. This major update will be followed by a few minor updates, which will then develop a smooth support of the newest version of Symbian OS.

As soon as the update is available for the download, you will be notified about it; if this is not the case, contact your Nokia Suite provider to get it.

There’s no word what kind of improvements it’ll bring to your device, but the official description promises “better performance and usability.”

Via

The Nokia 603 is not one of those four handsets known for their special features, but it doesn’t mean this phone can’t succeed. On the contrary, the Nokia 603 comes with Symbian Belle on board that gives an additional charm to the phone. All in all, Symbian Belle is perhaps the phone’s only high-class feature making it competitive in the market. However, several days ago Nokia officially announced the Nokia 603 has started shipping.

The Nokia 603 will be unveiled at Nokia World, which will be held on October 26, and as we see the phone will be launched immediately after the event. So we have to take another look at its features to see what the phone has to offer us.

Well, the device is packed with a 1000 nits screen, a 1GHz processor, a 5MP camera and supports NFC. As you see the specs list is not so attractive, and the handset will be sold as a mid-range smartphone. The Nokia 603’s key features are Symbian Belle and NFC, and the company has bet on them. We’ll see how it’ll be sold out.

Source

We’ve already talked that some of the Symbian Anna devices of Nokia will get a Symbian Belle update. Unfortunately we won’t have this awesome version of Symbian on such devices as the Nokia N8, Nokia  E7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia X7 and Nokia E6. But still they will get a minor update for the current Symbian Anna, receiving a long list of enhancements.

We expected the Symbian Belle update to be available by the end of this month, but I guess it’s unlikely to happen. Though some analysts believe the current update is designed to make the devices prepared for the Symbian Belle update.

The current software update brings the devices to 025.007 version. The update comes in a 1MB file making it easier to get the update on your devices. The update allows to get better browser performance and brings stability to the overall performance of the handset. Some customers mention that the update also allows to get rid of various bugs, connected with freezed apps or camera performance.

The update is an OTA, so you’ll get a notification as soon as your device gets the code. The bad news is that the update will be first rolled to the unlocked device and it’ll be actually up to your carrier to get the update to your device or not.

Via