Nokia Hints at Switch to Android

If Nokia is smart enough, they should do what RIM is hinting on doing with their QNX OS. Graft the Dalvik VM into their OS. I can't see why you can't do it with Meego. This will run Android apps. It won't be as fast as QT apps, as QT apps are truly native, but you do have to leave some incentive to make QT apps.

You can't get the Android Market though without joining the Open Handset Alliance. But there are enough places like GetJar where you can download Android APKs.
 
I got a Droid Eris which has similar specs to a Backflip. Its got Android 2.1. The Backflip uses the slower Android 1.6.

The Droid Eris as it is, feels snappier than my Nokia 5530, which in turn is snappier than a N97. But then again, that's only comparing Symbian S60 V5. Symbian^3 is snappier than the old version.

The newer the Android OS version, the faster it gets as they do more optimization. Android 2.2 is faster than 2.1 which is faster than 1.6. Android 2.3 is faster than 2.2.

The version of the Qualcomm CPU on the Backflip probably doesn't have GPU acceleration while the Droid Eris does. The Freescale CPU on the Nokia 5530 and N97 probably doesn't have GPU acceleration but the N8 does.
 
I think you hit on the main problem these $100 messaging phones that nokia and rimm have been selling in emerging markets. they will be supplanted by low end android hand sets as 3g gets rolled out.
 
I can't think of 1 emulator that has ever succeeded. it's hilarious that the answer to Nokia's android problem is to run the same apps in an emulator. people are just going to choose native android and the native experience. sometimes it's just "check mate" and there are no "escapes".
 
Thanks man! And yes.. i do like photography and the N8 is very good for what it is. Pacific Ocean sunsets are just amazing! I was in Oregon recently (Portland) and I loved it.. the pic I posted was taken in Santa Cruz. Here is another one.. just look at the detail on the rock in front of the flower, and the depth of field too. The next phone I get has to do just as well, or better

http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/cam/nokia/n8_00/201101022036PWyT6r.jpg
 
Its not an emulator, its a virtual machine. In the first place, even on Android, Android apps already run on this virtual machine. So its no different when you put the virtual machine into another. The virtual machine has already did the job of sandboxing OS and hardware differences for you.

The main problem I see is when it comes to Symbian, it uses VGA resolution (640x320, 640x480) while Android uses HVGA (320x480) and WVGA (480x800). But Maemo/Meego handsets use the WVGA resolution.

Also, Android and Meego already runs on a Linux kernel. And both use OpenGL on games. The Dalvik VM itself is open source.
 
yeah, it's just technology evolving...
Apple just did it before anyone else...
so I've never knocked that against the iPhone 4 as some others might...
I don't think you can use the micro SIM w/ an adapter on the N8...
doesn't it get jammed..
I think there is a used N8 on ebay now that says the phone function is broken 'cause the SIM slot is messed up...
'cause by someone trying to use a micro SIM w/ an adapter...
 
Yeah, I mean, it's only taken 2 years between the baby steps from ^1 to ^3, so they should be able to compete with android in about 7 more years.

Of course, who knows where android will be at that point.

Let's face it.. Nokia is completely lost in terms of OS/software development. They've got at least 6 (!) OS's brewing:

  • S30
  • S40
  • S60 3rd Edition
  • S60 5th Edition/^1
  • ^3
  • Meego

Now, there are some who will say that they need all of these OSes to properly fill the segments they're going after (very low end to high end). And that's fine, and that's probably correct. The problem is, Nokia has completely botched the execution of this strategy. S40 lags behind other feature phones (SE in particular). Symbian, let's be honest, is a slow moving disaster at this point. Maemo begat Meego.

I'm seriously hoping Elop has realized this has failed, and will outsource *some* of that OS development. There's just no indication that they can suddenly flip a switch and start producing quality software all of a sudden.
 
Well, hopefully at least S30 and S60 3rd edition are not going to get any new phones - so they are at best in maintenance mode until the models using them are phased out completely (even if there were some new S30s, it can hardly take a lot of resources to maintain). S^1 should also be almost EOL. IF all this was the case, they would have a hopefully/presumably more managable trio of S40, Symbian and Meego. :-/
 
Yeah, but, that doesn't seem to be the case.

I mean, look at S40... how much was invested into S40 Touch'N'Type, which doesn't seem to be doing all that well in the market. Maybe that time/expense would have been better invested in Symbian/Meego development.
 
Yeah, maybe - the thing is that they still sell something like 90m S30 and S40 phones each quarter, so I do understand why they might want to at least try to innovate there a bit (i.e. S40 T&T) and try to differentiate from all the other vendors in those segments.

Intesting on the S40 T&T - do you have some stats or other sources for that assessment? I thought the X3 might be doing ok (i.e. not earth shattering but ok) - I have no hard data either, though.
 
Nobody will have info on the new T&T devices yet. They're pretty recently launched and for some crazy reason Nokia doesn't hand out number so...

I expect the T&T devices to do quite well in the markets to which they are being targeted and as pay-go phones in more advanced markets.
 
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