Ooredoo Qatar has selected Nokia to build a 5G cloud native core network to support delivery of enhanced mobile broadband services

Ooredoo Qatar is partnering with Nokia to build a 5G cloud native core network to support delivery of enhanced mobile broadband services. Nokia's solution will be deployed in Ooredoo's state-of-the-art datacenters in Qatar's capital city Doha.

The cloud-based architecture for core network is scalable, agile and flexible, making it reliable and suitable for extreme mobile broadband and massive/critical machine communication services. Nokia AirFrame, CloudBand, voice and Cloud Packet Core VNFs, and Nuage Networks Software Defined Network (SDN) are being deployed in the core network.

Ooredoo Qatar has emerged as a leader in the global 5G ecosystem and has already tested a number of exciting 5G use cases, including 5G aerial taxis and drones. The company is waiting for the availability of 5G devices to roll out commercial 5G services in the near future. This initiative with Nokia takes Ooredoo Qatar closer to bringing innovative 5G use cases to its customers.

"The modernization of our core network will enhance our capabilities to innovate with new services. It will also help us to meet additional demands for high-speed data services in general as well as bursts in demand, particularly in upcoming mega sporting events." said Yousuf Abdulla Al Kubaisi, Chief Operating Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, "Our 5G network will open the flood-gates for machine learning, automation and micro-services use-cases for consumer and business customers in the country." 
"We are excited to partner with Ooredoo Qatar to set up a 5G core network that is truly 'cloud native' from the ground up, not just an evolution of current core solutions. Our solution supports all flavors of mobile access network technologies and enables our customers to bring new 5G services to market rapidly. The solution provides the low latency, high throughput and content-rich services that will support Ooredoo Qatar's business goals immediately and well into the future." joined, Bernard Najm, head of the Middle East Market Unit at Nokia.

Overview of the solution

• Nokia AirFrame datacenter solution allows service providers to benefit from the IT and open source domains to create a scalable and distributed cloud-based architecture. Nokia AirFrame supports Open Compute Project and helps to bring down energy consumption and to improve cost-effectiveness.
• Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) include Mobile Core for Voice, with Cloud Packet Core, Subscriber Management Registers and Policy control on a cloud platform.
• Nokia CloudBand tames virtual infrastructure management complexity and cost while managing the lifecycles of virtual network functions.
• Nokia NetAct gives the service provider a consolidated view of multi-domain, multi-technology networks, which ensures the best network experience in the 5G era.
• Nuage Networks from Nokia SDN solutions enable datacenter network automation.
• Nokia Professional services ensures a smooth migration from legacy core to Nokia's virtualized core network.

Press Release

Nokia Z Launcher Beta, Is In Google Play Store!

The adaptive and fast Z launcher (beta) by Nokia, has been released to Google Play store and if you wish you will be able to install it free. If you have an Android phone running Android 4.1 or later and if you live in the permitted area, You can play with it until the real thing comes back.
Here’s what’s new:

• Faster – We looked at every possible area where we could make small speed improvements from optimizing on specific handsets to obscure things like “finger tracking latency”.
• Better Prediction – Without getting too technical…we found ways to bring more context into our algorithm and to hone the algorithm data to just keep the important elements that give users the best results.
• Refined Scribble – We improved the recognition and response time, (its faster!)
• We now run on rooted devices! – This was the #1 most requested feature in our forum.

Nokia.

We Are Very Much Alive, Nokia! Go Nokia!!

Nokia
Nokia, such a brand. I have gone through quite a few Nokia phones and there is one phone I still keep for posterity sake. Unopened elegantly packaged phone. I think they had a knack for packaging them, not as sexy as iPhone but industrious.
So when we heard that Microsoft is dropping 'Nokia' from it's phones, we were be sad. But a post form Nokia says it is not necessary, and that Nokia is much alive as it was 150 years ago. Go Nokia.

Some of today’s press reports related to rumours about Microsoft dropping the Nokia brand have declared the death of the Nokia brand.  But, to paraphrase Mark Twain, “reports of our death are an exaggeration.”  Yes, we have sold our mobile phone business to Microsoft.  But the Nokia of today is financially robust and has moved from weakness to strength. We have one of the world’s best telecom infrastructure businesses, a global leader in the mapping and location business, a stellar intellectual property portfolio and some of the finest innovation capabilities of any company anywhere.  Remember, Nokia started almost 150 years ago with just one paper mill. Over time we have repeatedly and successfully reinvented ourselves.  We may not be the same Nokia of several years ago, but we are here, we are strong, and our brand is very much still alive. Not to mention kicking!

We are glad and will look for for exciting news.

Microsoft Lumia To Be Released On November 11th,

First Nokia less phone will be coming out of Microsoft on November 11th, 11-11-2014 (1+1,+1+1,+2+0+1+4 = 11) :)

Conversations Blog Via EnGadget

Nokia 100 and Nokia 101 User Guides

Nokia 100 and Nokia 101 User Guides http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Even though released a while ago, Nokia 100 and Nokia 101 still seems to be a favorite phone among many a users.
So we decided to provide you with links to user manuals.

Nokia 101 User Manual could be found here (Download PDF), and the Nokia 100 user manual is here(Download PDF).

Global Smartphone Marketshare : Samsung Captures And Leads Global Samartpnone Share (30%) With 213 Million Units Shipped in 2012

Samsung Captures And Leads Global Samartpnone Market Share http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Well while Apple shares (AAPL) are setting records (loss of +$60 a share yesterday , Samsung seems to be setting / breaking other records.
Strategy Analytics, A research firm tells us that Samsung shipped 213 million smartphones during 2012 and set a record for most units shipped by a smartphone vendor in a single year, breaking the previous record held by Nokia, which shipped 100.1 million units in 2010.
Apple and Nokia combined was still behind Samsung in smartphone sales. Apple shipped 138.8 million phones in 2012 with Nokia, once the world leader, shipping only 35 million units. Just like Nokia at it's peak, Samsung was able to satisfy most of the smartphone market with variety of models. Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note attracted the jet setters and other Galaxy phones at lower price points satisfying others.

Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units)	Q4 '11	2011	Q4 '12	2012
Samsung	36.5	97.4	63.0	213.0
Apple	37.0	93.0	47.8	135.8
Nokia	19.6	77.3	6.6	35.0
Others	63.9	222.8	99.6	316.3
Total	157.0	490.5	217.0	700.1
Global Smartphone Vendor Marketshare %	Q4 '11	2011	Q4 '12	2012
Samsung	23.2%	19.9%	29.0%	30.4%
Apple	23.6%	19.0%	22.0%	19.4%
Nokia	12.5%	15.8%	3.0%	5.0%
Others	40.7%	45.4%	45.9%	45.2%
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
Total Growth Year-over-Year %	55.9%	63.8%	38.2%	42.7%

  read the complete report at Strategy Analytics

"Wait... there are other phones?" Apple Changes Siri's Original Computed Answer to "what is the best smartphone ever?", Nokia's Lumia 900.

"Wait... there are other phones?" http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple seems to changed the computed answer Siri gives when asked "what is the best smartphone ever?".
Originally after consulting computational search engine Wolfram Alpha, Siri answer was Nokia's Lumia 900. This got changed over the weekend with "Wait... there are other phones?", a canned answer.
Via BBC

Nokia Series 40 Phones, Over 1.5 Billion Units Sold!

Nokia Series 40, Over 1.5 Billion Units Sold! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Nokia just announced that its popular phone Nokia S40 series has reached it's 1.5 billionth customer, a 21 year old lady, Mayara Rodrigues, in Brazilian city of São Paulo. She purchased a Nokia Asha 303. Nokia first developped the Series 40 phone, Nokia 7110 in 1999. Great Job Nokia!

Via Nokia;

"Nokia hits 1.5 billion sales of revolutionary Series 40 mobile phones

The landmark Nokia Asha 303 device has been purchased by a 21-year-old Brazilian woman

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced one of the most significant milestones in its history with the sale of its 1.5 billionth Series 40 mobile phone. The device was sold to a female consumer in the Brazilian city of São Paulo and represents a historic moment as Nokia continues its strategy of connecting the next billion.
The 1.5 billionth phone was a Nokia Asha 303, a stunning touch screen handset with QWERTY keypad designed for web browsing, social networking and gaming, that features pre-installed entertainment and applications such as Angry Birds Lite.

The device was purchased from a Magazine Luiza store in São Paulo by Mayara Rodrigues, a 21-year-old who loves staying in touch with friends and family through social networks.
Image: Nokia Brazil Vice President, Almir Luiz Narcizo, and retail network President, Luiza Helena Trajano hand the phone to Mayara Rodrigues

The first Series 40 phone was the Nokia 7110 developed in 1999. Since then this family of phones has evolved to such an extent that they are considered 'Smartphone Lite' thanks to the innovations of the new Nokia Asha range.

Series 40 phones now blur the line between feature phones and smartphones. With recent innovations including Nokia Maps for Series 40, Nokia Browser and Web Apps, Nokia Money and Nokia Life Tools, millions of consumers have enjoyed easy and affordable access to the Internet and information for the first time, with locally relevant apps and content.

Mary McDowell, Executive Vice President for Mobile Phones at Nokia, said: "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products. At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world - it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people's lives for the better.""

Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia's technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia.

Media Enquiries:

Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com

Spotify On Your Nokia N8 : How To.

Spotify On Your Nokia N8 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Spotify has reached all corners of the world and delivering entertainment to multitude of people of all ages from it's collection of millions of tracks.
It is available on most smartphones and mobile devices like tablets.
So Nokia too has set about finding how it works and telling us how to get Spotify working on a Nokia N8.
As with every service comes through an app, to use Spotify, you need to download and install Spotify for N8 from OVI Appstore Once that is done, the next step is to sign up to use Spotify service. You will be able to select from three different account types:

Spotify Premium (£9.99 per month);
Spotify Unlimited (£4.99 per month);
and Spotify Open (Free).

But there is a catch when it comes to the mobil service, the free version does not work on smartphones, it only works on works on desktops and laptops. So to get Spotify working on your Nokia N8, you need to purchase the premium service.
After that it is a matter of searching and finding tracks or songs that you want to listen, yes I like the Gorillaz, Plastic beach.

Nokia blog has some more information on the navigation and using the Spotify.

Android Leads iOS, RIM and Nokia In Mobile OS Sales! : Gartner

Android Leads iOS, RIM and Nokia http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

If you wonder why Apple is suing everyone and anyone with Android alliance, this might be one of the reasons. Gartner published that the Google’s mobile OS, Android now accounts for 43.4% of all smartphone sales, up from 17.2% Q2 2010. Apple reached 18.2% of the smartphone share, up from 14.1% at the same time last year.

Together Android and iOS accounts for 62% of the Smartphone market share, which was only a 31% a year earlier.

Nokia's Symbian OS share is now at 22.1%, taking a big slide, down from 40.9% a year earlier. RIM did not fare well either, RIM's share of smartphone market droped to 12% in Q2, from 19% one year ago.

Microsoft was below the radar with 1.6% of the smartphone market share.

Gartner also told us that the worldwide sales of mobile devices grew 16.5% from this time last year, to reach 428.7 million units. Smartphones sales were up 74% year-over-year and accounted for 25% of the overall sales in Q2 2011, up from 17% in Q2 2010

Gartner News

Nokia N9 Countdown Wets Your Appetite.

Nokia N9 Countdown Wets Your Appetite. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Nokia N9 makes you want it for some reason. More you look at it, more the curiosity. But now you have 49 days to grow that need as Nokia Sweden has brought up a countdown page that does more than count down. In fact Nokia N9 looks like Nokia NG, Nokia New Generation.
This gorilla glass cad Nokia N9, once Google translations interpreted as "Came with a side of gorilla and a dessert" is powered by MeeGo OS and OMAP3630 processor. Everyone who had the chance to experience the phone loved it and I am sure there will be millions more....
Check it out yourself at Nokia site. (Unless you are in no hurry, select the low res version of the demo, too many people are satisfying their craves.)
NOKIA

Apple Forgets Nokia Defeat, Goes Against Samsung, Even Harder!

Apple To Samsung, You Are A Copycat http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple forgetting about Nokia defeat, seem to be going strongly against Samsung. Apple has withdrawn 2 of the original patents and added three, bringing total of eight patents tot the count. The amendments assert more intellectual property violations and patents. According to FOSS Patents, the amended complaint also stresses the uniqueness of all of this:

Before Apple’s introduction of the first iPhone product, no other company was offering a phone with these features. Prior mobile phones were often bulkier and contained physical keypads. Some had a rocker-style navigation button and sets of buttons for numbers and calling features. Others had a front panel with a partial or full QWERTY keyboard and a screen. None had the clean lines of the iPhone, which immediately caused it to stand apart from the competition

Some times these patent lawsuits are laughable but certainly serious. Perhaps it is time to grab that Samsung tablet, if it it happens as Apple wishes, they might get in injunction against Samsung and like most do will have to follow iPad hype
Read a comprehensive coverage of the new developments of Apple vs Samsung at FOSS Patents.

Apple Settles WIth Nokia On Patent Dispute, Apple Pays!

Apple vs Nokia http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple has settled the patent dispute with Nokia and have agreed to pay Nokia one time payment and on going royalties. This settles all the cases, the wide ranging patent dispute cases both in the United States and Europe. The patent dispute between Nokia and Apple started in 2009 and Apple even went on to say that "Nokia copied iPhone!"
Following is the press release by Nokia;

Published June 14, 2011

Apple payments to Nokia settle all litigation and have positive financial impact

Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
June 14, 2011 at 08:05 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple. The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement.  The specific terms of the contract are confidential.

"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. "This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."

During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families.  Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia's strong patent position.

This agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.

About Nokia
Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalog of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.

Nokia via FOSS Patents

meego go!, we go!! Yes You Go Nokia To Layoff Thousands.

Nokia Layoffs. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Even what teenagers know seem to evade Nokia honcho with pants on fire. You ask any one what phone they are considering?  It will be Apple or Google (iPhone or Android) but you rarely hear Nokia and I have never heard anyone wanting a Windows phone. So Nokia, when you add negaive numbers to negative the result is always negative. But if you add negative numbers to positive, your chance of coming up positive is a posibility, depending on the gap.
So had you gone Android way, meegoo too. But that is history and from what we hear from Reuters a lot more will be history, starting with thousands of Nokia jobs in Finland and elsewhere as a part of strategic overhaul which it unveiled on Friday. But Finnish can be happy because Nokia will continue to make Finland it's home, for now.

"There will be substantial reductions in employment in various locations around the world, and that too will affect Finland," Elop said, adding it was too early to estimate how many jobs might be cut.

"It seems it means thousands of jobs in Finland," said Chairman Antti Rinne from white collar union Ammattiliitto Pro.
"This is the biggest structural reform which has ever impacted new technology in Finland," Economy Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said in a statement.

Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks employed some 132,000 people at the end of last year, of those 19,800 in Finland. More than 6,000 people work for Nokia's research and development in four Finnish cities, like one above who protested in Tampere, Finland on Friday.

Google's Android Topples Nokia From The Top Smartphone OS Position

Google's Android Topples Nokia From The Top Mobile OS Position http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Not content on having passed iPhone, in numbers, Google's Android has now surpassed the world leader, Nokia, pushing it off the perch. Nokia's smartphone initiatives like Nokia N8 failed to make it's mark in the US market.
Google Android based phones numbered 32.9 million in the Q4, 2010 and Nokia had 31 million shipped. Apple might be feeling it too, I hope Steve Jobs come back soon to keep up up his alleged words,

"We did not enter the search business. They (Google) entered the phone business, make no mistake; Google wants to kill the iPhone. We won't let them." 

because quarterly sales of Android passed up the iPhone in May of last year and according to a comScore report, total subscribers of Google Android in the U.S. have passed the iPhone. more so, on the third quarter of 2010, Apple passed RIM to place fourth in the global phone market but according to IDC data released last week, Apple slipped to fifth in the fourth quarter. What's more the Apple co founder, Steve Wozniak admitted that Android will dominate the mobile world.

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Google's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the most popular smartphone platform in the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began with the birth of the industry 10 years ago.
Research firm Canalys said on Monday phone makers sold a total of 32.9 million Android-equipped phones in the last quarter, compared with Symbian's total sales of 31 million. The landmark piles pressure on Nokia as it struggles to reassert itself at the top end of the mobile handsets market.
Following Apple's 2007 entrance into smartphones, Google rolled out its open-source Android operating system, which has become the standard for smaller phone makers.
Hit models from Samsung Electronics, HTC and LG Electronics helped Android in the quarter, while Symbian suffered from troubles of its owner and main user, Nokia.
"We have seen some strong products from a number of vendors," said Canalys analyst Tim Shepherd.

 Yahoo Via Appleinsider

Mobile Banking Coming To Indian Handsets, Thanks To Nokia, Bharti Airtel, Vodaphone And Banks.

Image courtesy of watblog

Mobile Banking, India, Nokia, Bharti Airtell, Vodaphone  http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
With mobile phones reaching over 650 million people in India, banks and mobile service providers are hard at work hoping to provide financial services on the mobile device. The country is still growing in financial and banking like the rest of the economy and banks reach much much less that what mobile service providers do.
Indian mobile banking was taken much further, recently by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone when both announced different ventures related to mobile banking.. Bharti Airtel Announced a partnership with the State Bank of India while Vodafone agreed to become a Business Correspondent for ICICI Bank.

Airtel and SBI will invest about Rs one billion to set up the joint venture which will engage Airtel's retailers as Customer Service Points (CSP) all over India in a phased manner.Once deployed existing and new Airtel mobile customers will be able to visit these CSPs and open new SBI bank accounts and utilize banking products and services available at these CSPs. In Addition,existing SBI customers will be able to reach their accounts via these CSPs.
The ICICI Bank and Vodafone Essar Ltd venture will offer a range of financial products similar to the above, such as savings accounts, pre-paid instruments and credit products through a mobile phone platform.Vodafone is hoping to replicate its success in Kenya and other countries where it has 20 million customers for financial services.

Nokia was among the first to start mobile payment services with a pilot projects in Pune, Chandigarh and Nasik in partnership with Yes Bank. Those pilots are now ready to go commercial.

“Mobile payments will be the next step for delivering financial services to hundreds of millions of “underbanked” people or those who are under-served currently, both urban and rural customers, especially in emerging economies. Our vision is to make mobile money part of our phones just like we have made camera an integral part of the handset, ... Technology is not an issue but getting the ecosystem in place is the important part. We have partnered with utility companies, telecom firms, gas companies to enable mobile payment,” says Gerhard Romen, Director, Mobile Financial Services, Nokia

But the new comers are not planing to hand over the crown yet,

“Since more than 90 per cent of the mobile subscriber base is pre-paid, consumers are used to paying upfront at a mobile retail shop. The comfort factor is very important, especially when we are dealing with money,” says Samaresh Parida, Director (Strategy), Vodafone Essar. Vodafone.

“India thus provides an ideal case for leveraging low-cost mobile services to provide financial inclusion to the un-banked population in the country. SBI is interested in inclusion and Airtel is a microcosm of India and increasingly rural, so both will leverage the expertise of the parent organisations to provide low-cost, secure, easy-to-use banking services,” says Sriram Jagannathan, CEO, mCommerce, Bharti Airtel. 

Perhaps, there is a lesson to learn for our service providers and banks are looking to provide mobile payments, with merchants like Starbucks taking their own initiatives to provide a way to pay for cup of coffee with mobile phones.

Hindubusinessline Via IP Carrier (Image from watblog)

Vopium Gets A Capital Investment And A Bigger Partner, Raghuvinder Kataria.

Vopium Gets A Capital Investment http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
When we wrote about Vopium, a Mobile VoIP company, we knew it has promise. So has some big names in the telecommunications industry.
While we are jumping up and down about the new iPhone's Antennae, Vopium is Jumping up for another reason. They have secured a $16.5 investment from  an Indian investor, Raghuvinder Kataria.  Mr. Kataria has with his own investment company invested $16.5 million in the Danish company and has become the majority shareholder of Vopium.
Mr. Kataria is known for his Telecomm investments. Bharti Tele-Ventures is one such company, he invested in and now Bharati Airtel is one of the lagest mobile companies in the world.
Opium is also benefiting fro iPhones popularity and during the last couple of months they have reached 4,000 downloads a day of their iPhone App. Vopium currently have 250,000 users across 49 countries,
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kataria said;

”Vopium has developed its own new market. The ground-breaking technology will reach millions of users all over the world in the next few years. Our expectations are reflected by the significant amount of money that we have invested in the company and we expect 10 million Vopium users in a few years. We believe that the market demands an alternative mobile solution to Skype and the fast market penetration of smartphones opens up new and more intelligent ways of communication. Vopium’s solution is unique because it offers the best conversation quality and is easy to use,”

“Vopium is growing every day. Every month we get 30 percent more customers. And this number will grow even more once our international expansion starts rolling. Our biggest markets today are Scandinavia, the UK and Australia, but our product is installed on mobile phones in 49 countries. The capital increase should primarily secure the ongoing growth globally,” added Vopium’s CEO Tanveer Sharif. 

Vopium is by growing 30% a month according to the company. With the new investment, they will be able to boost this growth even further across the different supported platforms incl. Android, Nokia, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and PC/web.

If you are into Football (Soccer as some may call it), you can call South Africa for 0.03 during the games. Check it out here.
Press Release

Nokia N9 MeeGo Leaked In A Video

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
 Nokias first handset to run MeeGo Os, Nokia N9 MeeGo Slider has been leaked  via a product demo, follow the links to see the video.

YouKu via endgadget

YPhone Coming Soon Via "Project Nike"? , Yahoo And Nokia To Announce On Monday!

Y!Phone, Yahoo And Nokia  http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
According to some invites the press and media has received from Yahoo to attend a briefing on coming Monday, indicates that we might be seeing yPhone (Y!Phone) soon. Either Yahoo is playing me too catch up game or Nokia is worried about Android inslought, Google Just announced Android 2.2 or FroYo with very attractive features.
"An exciting announcement about providing global consumers with rich online and mobile experiences, and bringing forward a new era in keeping consumers connected."
May be Project Nike will spur Nokia to start making some serious smartphones.
ATD via engadget

Nokia E72 On Shelves, Now!

Nokia E72 snapvoip.blogspot.com

Nokia announced today that it is releasing it's much awaited hand set Nokia E72. (But all attempts to locate on online stores have prooved be otherwise). Either way the device comes with full QWERTY keyboard, and adds desktop-like email and chat experiences. The latest version of Ovi Maps with A-GPS navigation and compass, an optical navi key and 5 megapixel camera are all packed into the sleek, beautifully-designed handset.
Why the focus on emails and chat, according to research, we all tend to rely on emails for important task than a phone call (May be because of clear and ready trails of evidence) and that we spend a good deal of time emailing each other so Nokia is going where we are going.
On the occasion Nokia vice president Ukko Lappalainen said,

"The research shows that people are spending an average of five full days per year - equivalent to a full work week - responding to emails. Half of us (46 percent) choose email over voice or text to send and receive important information. The Nokia E72 was designed exactly with this kind of person in mind - it allows the owner to be more responsive and communicate how they want, whenever they want and wherever they are."

Nokia E71 users swear by the usefullness of the device so I guess there will be a large bunch that will jump to get the E72. But I think I will go the Nokia N900 Way.
Nokia