Paid Upgrades Could Be Solution For FP2 On Older Devices
One of the most common complaints that I hear against S60 and Nokia is that of OS updates. When the Nokia N95, the first S60v3 device to sport Feature Pack 1, was released, owners of current S60v3 handsets such as the venerable N73 were in outrage. ‘Why can’t we get Feature Pack 1?!” they screamed, and with good reason. Windows Mobile devices typically received updates from Windows Mobile 5 to the newer Windows Mobile 6, so why is Symbian/S60 any different?
Kirollos over at TheN95Blog has an interesting solution, that Nokia should offer OS upgrades on a paid basis. The general assumption (shared by yours truly) is that it would be entirely too expensive, both in time and money, for Nokia/S60 to develop a version of the new Feature Pack for every older handset. Also, where do you draw the line? Do only S60v3 Feature Pack 1 devices get the update to Feature Pack 2, or do all S60v3 handsets? Also, what about when Feature Pack 3 comes out? update them all over again, even if sales are slowing for the older handsets? Thus, a paid update *should* cover most of the issues.
However, on the other hand, Nokia would then have the problem of spending the time and resources on making an updated firmware and hope that there is demand to offset those costs, and also make sure doing so didn’t cannibalize the sales of new handsets.
I haven’t really decided whether I think it’s a great idea or not, but I thought it was an interesting suggestion. What do you think? Would you pay for an update for your FP1 device and if so, how much?
I don’t think S60v3 FP3 will be there. Probably the next step will be S60v5. As v5 brings the touchscreen abilities, no further upgrade for v3 (or FP1) devices will be possible. Technically, I don’t think it’s much of a problem to make upgrades from v3 or FP1 to FP2, as the changes in these feature packs are not huge. But commercially, it can be dangerous for Nokia. Imagine a market where GPS doesn’t work properly (I mean the maps are useless), Wi-Fi not being widespread. If someone already has an N73, will they buy almost double priced N95, considering they have same software?
I don’t like to be pushed into buying a new device every year or so just becuase the manufacturer does not have the motivation to issue software updates to the device I have. Nokia make quality devices that are physically up to the rigours of a three year live span or more, so I want them to support those devices for 3 years, not drop them off the update list after 6 months!
We have become used to service pack/bug fix updates being free as part of a continuous maintenace program from providers of OSs like Windows, Linux, Mac. Whether Nokia likes it or not, that means we are inclined to expect similar free updates and bug fixes on mobile devices.
Now, if Nokia were to call the updated OS versions S60 v3, v4, v5 then I would have less issue paying for an upgrade, because I would perceive it as an upgrade. But when they dub the updates *feature pack* 1, FP2, FP3, these sound like incremental updates and I expect to get them for free.
Now, don’t go misunderstanding me. I am well aware that many up the FP updates apply features and functionality that may not be supported by older devices. Fine. So pick a name for the updates that does not suggest incremental :-) But that doesn’t remove the need to support older devices with bug fixes for the reasonable life of the device.
What actually causes me bigger grief is that *even if* Nokia do issue updates, here in America the cell phone companies have such a stranglehold on the devices they deign to be appropriate for their users that they can lock out those devices from ever receiving an update from Nokie … Cingular/AT&T with the E62, for instance.
personally i like the idea but wouldn’t ever expect it to happen. Too much has changed from the N73 to the newer fp2 devices, it would be a nightmare for support services.