First Screenshots Of S60 3rd FP2
Eldar from Mobile-Review was lucky enough to score an N78 and has posted a detailed review of S60 3rd FP2, with explanations and a ton of screenshots (I stopped counting at 120). Here is a link to the review in russian as well as a link to the translated Google english version. I breezed through it fast and these are the changes I took note of, some we knew about and some we’re now discovering :
- There’s an easier access to the task switcher on the options menu called “Open Applications”
- The standby screen has now 3 layouts, instead of active standby on/off in FP1. Active standby off is “Basic”, there’s also the traditional layout that we’re used to, as well as the vertical menu. This should allow applications to show more options and be controllable from the standby itself, without the need to open them, a functionality that many of WM/S40 users have been enjoying for quite a while now.
- Timed profiles. A profile can now be set to be activated/deactivated at a certain time in the next 24hrs.
- Images & videos can now be tagged, and viewed by tag. They can also be filtered by year and month. There’s also a separate view for downloaded media.
- Automatic geotagging (is there a possibility to view images taken in a one place? even if it’s a different days/months?)
- Maps 2.0 is on.
- There’s a possibility to set a slideshow of pictures as screensaver (can’t remember if it’s possible in FP1)
- Sound recorder is finally a recorder, with possibility to go for 1 hour.
- I’d also like to know why in the world they’re still using the same ugly calculator? S60, BUY CALCIUM.
Unfortunately PIM is still the same, multimedia menu is still not really customizable (adding apps, or choosing what to show), apparently still no automatic access point switching. What are your reactions?
[Via : IntoMobile]
Well from the looks of that it is hard to find something exciting about FP2
Looks like the stupid ‘Please ask’ access point system still exists instead of the device being intelligent enough to just use the access point it’s currently connected to.
The ‘new’ active standby ‘vertical’ view is similar to the infamous and much derided ‘Orange Homescreen’ that is added to Orange network devices in UK.
Give me the ‘E series’ configurable active standby anyday, why has it never been implemented across the whole Nokia range.
The new menu views ‘Horseshoe’ and ‘V’shaped, what is the point of them, they look truly awful.
As I have stated before, Nokia keep adding new features, but year after year they ignore the bits that need fixing, why does Contacts still not integrate with the Calendar, people have been asking for it since the 7650, for example why doesn’t a birthday in contacts appear in the calendar. Why do you need a separate ’search’ application to find contacts by company name, it is just stupid.
Nokia - I don’t want a device with a TV service that won’t become commonplace for years, I just want a device that offers a seamless experience, take a look at the iPhone/iPod Touch, if you click on an address it opens Google Maps and shows you where it is, how hard is it to add this to Contacts/Nokia Maps, maybe the contacts app is so outdated that it is not possible.
S60 now needs a serious overhaul to fix all the integration between applications that it should have had years ago.
Sadly at the moment I can’t think of a reason why I would bother to ‘upgrade’ to a FP2 device.
@Ratkat - you’re preaching to the choir here, my friend. I’ve already said earlier, I would be ecstatic if Nokia didn’t put out any new hardware all year, but worked full-force to fix the little software niggles that are around.
I couldn’t believe they’re STILL using that god-awful calculator. Seriously? They could probably buy Calcium for a couple thousand and implement it in every S60/S40 phone out there.
Even the Palm Centro, running PALM has mapping integrated in the contacts. If Palm can do it, anyone can.
@RatKat - we totally agree with you. I am giving Nokia the benefit of the doubt. At the beginning of this year, they reorganized the whole company. Before it was Enterprise (Eseries) alone, Multimedia (Nseries) alone and the other 4number phones alone. Each part had to work by itself, from design to software,…
Now they reorganized to have 3 totally new divisions: Devices, Software & Services, and Markets. That means that Nseries software developers will be able to talk to Eseries software developers, and they both can talk to other phones software developers. I give it 6-7 months so we can have an idea of this collaboration, 1year to see some of the results come into our hands, probably more to reach full integration.
Hi guys. I agree with every comment here. There’s just one thing though. Nokia became too comfortable with the fact that whether you like it or not, S60 is the most user friendly platform. Recently I convinced my friend to get an N95-3 instead of awful iPhone. The way I explained S60 to him was that it was like a desktop computer - a totally open platform (like desktop OS) with the possibility to install any application one desires. There’s no doubt that we all love this openness (paired with unlocked device) but Nokia seems to be riding on that fact and becoming too comfortable with it. This slowed down the development of the platform. My first S60 device was 3650 which I bought in Denmark back in 2003. The only thing has changed is the themes support and it’s just more colorful. Sure we can go deeper (higher screen resolution, and other bits and pieces but the plJust like you guys already said..calculator, calendar, contacts have remained the same since the beginning of Symbian.. These days it no longer cuts it to slam a nice theme on the interface. We need a calendar that can be synchronized with our online calendar, contacts backed up with our online database, contact fields that can be mapped freely to custom fields in outlook or online database and most of all - give us a damn scheduled auto updates with less obtrusive prompts; it’s beyond me why SyncML does not have the option for periodical auto updates (just like Sony Ericsson devices do). I can’t stand the fact that when I send an e-mail from my phone I have to wait for it to upload (which freezes the phone). This should be pushed to the background (the same way MMS is sent…). So even though I have not had a chance to play around with FP2 I’m with you guys…it’s not worth getting a new device just because of the small updates. Many may say that what I’m about to give as an example stinks but think of Microsoft and Apple… Two companies which promote computers ALONG with the NEW OS… Vista..all extra features will make your head spin. Apple…Leopard - super efficient, blah blah blah…they push the OS along the devices. Nokia should do the same… Nokia N99..with S60 FP3 - it uploads images automatically to online album, it backs up your contacts to Ovi as soon as you change something, it reminds you of your contact’s birthdays, it will update automatically when your secretary will update your online calendar… push the device + the Operating system.
@ Maciek : Nodd Nodd Nodd, we hear you
Mar 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am
[...] from this post by Eldar at Mobile Review and the many, many screenshots included in it, Dotsisx has highlighted the new features of S60 3rd FP2 she is most excited about. New layouts in stand-by mode and the extension of the [...]
Mar 21st, 2008 at 4:00 am
[...] of his Nokia N78 review, and here’s the translation of the S60v3 Feature Pack 2 review that we linked to a while back. Grab a pot of coffee and enjoy as much as I [...]