Maemo 5 screenshot surfaces, intrigues
Russian mobile maestro Eldar Murtazin comes through again, this time with the first reported screenshot of Nokia’s highly, highly anticipated upcoming Maemo 5 OS. Did we mention it’s highly anticipated? After referring to S60 as “obsolete junk”, Murtazin lays down a screen capture of Nokia’s new Linux-based beauty. As we all know, this time around Maemo is destined for a whole lot more than just a few Internet Tablets that are filling a hole that isn’t there — that’s right, a whole range of next-generation handsets are in the pipeline and due to be fueled by Maemo 5. First up of course, is the T-Mobile-bound Nokia Rover we spied earlier this month and it certainly looks like a gem. As for what’s next, Nokia’s track record with leaks suggests it won’t be long before we have a good idea of some more handsets to come. Not much can be gleaned from Murtazin’s image unfortunately, though we can at least take solace in knowing that a modern looking OS is soon to be found on Finnish phones. Let’s hope at least one of them has a QWERTY keypad with a centrally located space key — that’s not too much to ask, right? Oh Nokia World, you can’t get here soon enough…
UPDATE: Hit the jump for a screenshot of Maemo 5’s on-screen keyboard, complete with off-center space key. Ugh.
[Via Engadget]
They’ll never make a nice CDMA handset. Oh well.
Is it me or does it have an Android feel to it?
Actually, I think it has an S60 5th Edition feel to it–which I guess is the point in some way.
maemo isn’t android or symbian. it’s a different OS altogether. those familiar with the n800 will know what it is as version 4 was running on it.
No one’s saying it’s Symbian or Android. All we said was that it had the look and feel of it–not the actual composition of it.
I think it looks beautiful, and I’ve seen other concept screenshots of earlier stuff to know that the new Symbian UI will look similar and run most of the same apps with very little recoding required other than the graphical layers. This will replace Symbian on the high end high screen resolution device market for Nokia and propel them back to dominance in the world’s mindshare.
Maemo is basically a Nokia branded Linux distro. Its very robust and similar to Unbuntu.
Nice, hoping to see more of it on Nokia high end smartphones. This will definitely appeal to high end users too.
Hopefully it’ll also be on some carrier that actually has 3G in more than just a few paltry cities. Rover supporting UMTS 1700 would disprove that though…
Meh
Death rattle from a company that committed financial suicide when they decided not to join the OHA.
Ghey.
@ bradley Try reading a lil first Nokia needs this so bad.. Now they need to release some cdma phones that arent outsourced
BGR-writers:
Really, get over the off-center spacebar. It works great.
Seriously get off the N97’s space bar. The only people I hear complaining about it is BGR….and im sure you guys only used it for a couple hours. Anyone with an N97 KNOWS that the space bar is non-issue. Geez….BGR will bash the N97 any chance they get. you guys just need to go back to your douche bag BB or iPhone and just STFU already!
@Blah, are you sure? read this.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/138/iphone-envy-you-must-be-joumlking.html?page=0%2C0
You may be right though.
@Dans, good article. Definitely shows that Apple has really got them going. Maemo5 should freshen up the Nokia line. I still doubt that Nokia will have significant penetration in the US market, but Nokia has the rest of the world market. I personally like Nokia, but I’m having fun with my Iphone too. Not a big fan of a particular brand, I go with what I think is right for me at that time. Love seeing these big companies competing for consumers like us.
I think you guys underestimate Maemo and Nokia immensely. The most respected phone reviewer in the world is Eldar from Mobile-Review, and he says the N900 will be the best device announced or released in the recent and near future. Evidently, he’s been reviewing the device prototype, and he’s overly impressed, which says alot. He doesn’t even mention an iPhone, but the forums put this as a device that has smartphone portability and Ubuntu desktop dexterity. Most Ubuntu apps will run on it, as well as Qt and Android. It’s a beast unlike any we’ve ever seen.
TMobileUSA is lucky, and Nokia is wise. Notice they chose TMobile’s network and not at&t. This is good, choosing the growing and reliable network instead of the one people complain about. They wanted them to take the N97, but it just didn’t fit their plans, competing to closely to its Android models. So Nokia blessed them with a model that competes with nothing, is very high end, yet simple enough for newmobs to use. at&t will regret it, and Ovi will become a household name. We’re witnessing the new high end solution. A clear line has been drawn, and high end is no longer just about materials and UI, but functionality and agility has returned.
Oh BGR. Again with the space bar comments. I’m loving where it is. I just wish a certain two rows had some more clickiness to them, like the middle row. It would be great if you could feel them out more too, but that’s not going to happen if you want something as thin as the N97 is. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Nokia has in store for us in the near future. All I ask is that they don’t ditch the whole N97 homescreen/active idle idea. I love it way too much.
T-Mobile “growing and reliable?” Riiiiiiiiight. T-Mob’s network sucks as badly as at&t’s does.
Nokia, so far, has been unable to design a sensible UI if their life depended on it ( and it does now that there is competition ). They are king for functionality, but unfortunately you have to a) work for them or b) are masochistic in order to be able to use their handsets to their full potential.
Hahaha, you and your off-center space key
@christextaport, really looking forward to Maemo5 on the next Nokia flagship. If things turn out right, this would be the OS on my next Nokia flagship phone. Too bad they couldn’t get this out on the N97. Its looks simple with a touch of technicality too. Like you said, even a newbie could figure it out at first glance. How is the rest of the menu system?
Now, I’m largely indifferent towards new Maemo/this device (and it will probably remain that way for a year or two, even if it succeeds)
But for those who bash Nokia in general and predict their demise…wake up, please. Nokia shipped one billion mobile phones…4 years ago. They are the largest mobile phone manufacturer for over 10 years, and not that far off from “Nokia has bigger market share than all other manufacturers combined” (heck, only a few global brands in general, nvm mobiles, beat them in value: http://www.interbrand.com/best_global_brands.aspx , and they are number one brand in Asia & Europe)
Also, they are the biggest manufacturer of mp3 players, digital cameras and perhaps even flashlights and calculators, since they ship so many devices with those capabilities. As a matter of fact, the most popular consumer electronics device in history is…Nokia 1100, over 200 million units sold (and it’s even more impressive when you realize those 200 million refer to basically single model, not to a family of devices like for example in the case of iPod)
So…what were you trying to say?
@Eric – sure, their smartphones always left something to be desired…but you conveniently forgot how good Nokia UI always was in simpler phones (for many people I know it was a reason to choose Nokia over other manufacturers for many years, only recently SE got equally good). Wait for the effects of refining of their smartphone UIs that happens now, Nokia might yet surprise you…