This is a rather big deal, but according to Charlie over at Nokia’s Conversations blog, future phones, beginning with the Nokia N79, will be able to automatically poll for new firmware, and update themselves (hopefully with user permission) over-the-air! The technology should also make its way down to a few other devices, such as (hopefully) the Nokia N85.
Charlie was able to catch up with Mikko Kuusisto, Nokia’s lead-guy in charge of FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) in a series of video interviews. If you don’t already know, less than 2 years ago, there was no way to update the firmware on your S60-powered smartphone on your own. It simply wasn’t possible. Then, a few key applications leaked out that allowed users to use their USB cable to update the firmware, but it was illegal (the applications were leaked from inside Nokia) and quite possibly one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Alot of the progress updates in this process simply said, ‘Erasing firmware step 1…’
Shortly following that, as Nokia saw that the community was really interested in this ability, we saw the introduction of the Nokia Software Updater, which, oddly enough, actually updated the ‘firmware’. Firmware is the software that makes your phone run, somewhat like Windows on your computer, only it’s device-specific. You couldn’t use firmware for the Nokia N75 on the Nokia N95. In any case, NSU, as it’s been nicknamed, is a completely legal and Nokia-supported way to update the firmware on your phone. This not only adds stability through bug fixes and whatnot, but can also add new features, including A2DP support, Flash support, and a host of other performance-enhancing additions.
Unfortunately, NSU requires you to have an actual Windows-based computer, as well as a rather fast internet connection. It was also prone to crashing, specifically if you messed with the USB cable during the process. This is where FOTA comes in. With FOTA, you can update the firmware on your phone, directly ON the phone – no computer needed. This is awesome for Mac and Linux users, for sure.
Currently, on phones like the Nokia 6220 and the Nokia N96, users must type in a code (*#0000#) from their standby screen, and then select ‘options – check for updates’ to see if there is a new firmware available for their phone. Mikko has let us know that this process will be gradually eliminated, so that when your phone gets a new firmware, it will simply alert you that it’s available, so that you can approve the update. Brilliant, and I’m *really* glad to see Nokia pushing forward like this.
Currently, some featurephones, specifically from CDMA carriers such as Sprint or Verizon, offer this alert for new firmware updates, but most smartphones do not. This will definitely set Nokia ahead of the crowd in offering awesome post-sale support to its users. I’m a fan.
