There is so much hype going around the internet right now about all the specs of the new Nokia 5800 it's insanity! Darla is already fuming about the new blogs. I've seen lots of press releases (which I will also post later), but not many detailed opinions besides what you'd find at Howard Forums.
I'm not so worried about what the 5800 can do against a 3rd edition phone, I'm curious to see the LOOK, STYLE, & Ease Of Use of the new Nokia 5800 Touch User Interface, which is powered by Symbian S60 5th Edition.
As you already know our favorite N95,N82, N81, E71, N96, etc etc is powered by S60 3rd Edition. One of the main complaints of the Symbian Platform is how boring it looks. It's known that it's one of the most customizable and "open" platforms as far as functionality goes, but as for looks and ease of use - many have complained. It's been said that the UI is too complicated for newbies and the menu system isn't very efficient. To find simple tasks you often have to dig around.
I've asked myself this question...
Does Symbian S60 5th Edition change that? Does it break the boundaries and bring us more "ease of use" and "eye candy" that so many have wanted after seeing the iPhone?
To answer this question I'll show you some of the new media that Nokia has put out to show off the new Nokia 5800. Some of these videos won't be viewable in your RSS reader, so log on to the full site if you want to see them.
A Look At The Homescreen
We now have 3 things we can do with the homescreen - Basic, Shortcuts Bar, Contacts Bar (new).
The Shortcuts Bar looks like a let down. It seems that you only have 4 application shortcuts and tons of wasted space. I would have like to see more customization. It doesn't look like you can have messages, email, and missed calls listed on this homescreen, which is a real bummer.
The Contacts Bar seems useful and I like how it displays missed calls, messages, and something new - RSS feeds. The RSS feeds are something that not all would find useful, but I can see myself enjoying it. Check out the video below to see a little more how the Contacts Bar works...
What do you think? Would you find the Contacts Bar useful?
If you noticed in the first video it seems that once again you have to dig deep to find these settings. It takes 6 key presses from the homescreen to find your homescreen settings. You'll also notice the S60 menu looks very similar to 3rd Edition.
In the first video they also covered a few other things like the Web Browser, Maps, & Media. Nothing really revolutionary, although I think all three of those aspects of the phone will be great with the new touchscreen.
New Small - But Useful Functions
Here are some new functions of the 5th Edition touch UI that really caters to one of my original questions about ease of use.
Check out this video...
Media Bar: I'm really digging this feature. This helps solve the problem of the lack of active standby shortcut applications. Having those common shortcuts from any screen will be a huge plus.
Touch The Clock: Here you can access your Alarm application. Touch the date next to the clock - This will open your Profile options and well as the shortcut to Calendar.
Touch Above The Date In The Status Area: This brings up your Connectivity options like Bluetooth and WLAN networks. Very handy indeed.
Dial-A-Button & Contacts: I'm not so sure these buttons needed to be so darn big. With all the capabilities of S60 powered smartphones, I find myself using Contacts & dialing less than I use all the other functions.
To Answer My Original Question - Yes there are SOME things that make 5th edition more user friendly, but not much. I think I'd really have to get a hands on with the 5800 to really judge if Nokia is heading down the right path.
That's all I have for now since I have lots of other work to get done.
Do you think 5th Edition will be a big upgrade to S60 3rd Edition? Or does it seem like the same old stuff, just not with touch?
What's next?
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Battery life is amazing, the price is cheap, but it looks exactly the same as the 3rd edition...SHAME!
the interface is nice, also the shortcuts and stuffs, but, seems laggy to me, the iphone UI is still at par (i think). haha, just a thought.
but yeah, can't really say until you have and experience the device yourself.
looks a great nokia phone indeed! if im to buy a superb touch screen phone, for sure its a nokia (symbian) ^^
priced at only 279 euros (before subsidies) O_o.. Whoa. Good luck Apple!