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Nokia Mobility Conference 2003

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Nov 13, 2003, 6:25 PM   by Rich Brome

A live report from the Nokia Mobility Conference in New York City. First live photos of the world's first GSM Push-To-Talk phone - the Nokia 5140. Lots of information about Push-To-Talk and Nokia's CDMA strategy. Plenty of exclusive live photos of all the latest Nokia phones.

PTT 

Nokia yesterday held an event in New York City for press and analysts, to showcase the company's strategies and newest products. The Nokia Mobility Conference also served as a press conference for the announcement of the 5140, the company's first Push-To-Talk (PTT) phone.

Push-To-Talk Strategy

Nokia Director of Push to Talk & IP Convergence Markku Savusalo outlined the company's Push-To-Talk strategy. Nokia's PTT technology is standards-based, using SIP (Session Inititiation Protocol) and RTP (Real-Time Protocol). The company plans to adopt the official OMA standard for PTT once it is complete, although they are not waiting for it. Nokia has developed its own "pre-standard" solution, and has opened it for other companies to use royalty-free. Nokia promises full backward compatibility between its "pre-standard" and the final OMA standard.

Although only one phone was announced this week, a "full portfolio" of GSM PTT phones is planned for 2004, including Symbian-based smartphones. By 2005, all of the company's GSM/GPRS phones will include the technology.

The company also plans to integrate PTT into its 3G (WCDMA/UMTS) phones. The company is evaluating PTT for the CDMA market, although no firm plans have been made, due to lack of standards.

Nokia also offers the network-side equipment necessary for carriers to deploy PTT. Nokia's solution is relatively simple to deploy on a GSM/GPRS network, requiring only a Call Processor server and a Register server - no network changes or upgrades are required. The solution is currently in trials with more than 20 carriers worldwide, including AT&T Wireless. AT&T Wireless plans to launch its PTT offering in the first half of next year.

Nokia's PTT solution provides most of the standard PTT features, including one-to-many broadcast, group management, and one-touch reply. The system also has some distinct advantages over the competition. For example, group membership is stored on a central server, but groups can be managed directly on the phone, using a native interface. The system also works cross-carrier and even internationally - wherever GPRS roaming agreements are in place.

PTT uses a type of Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology, meaning it sends voice as data packets, the same way data travels over the Internet. Nokia plans to extend the same concept to other services in the future, including "push-to-stream" live video.

PTT in Action

I had a chance to try Nokia's PTT solution using a Nokia 5140 PTT phone, live on the AT&T Wireless network. I came away very impressed - it works just as advertised. Call setup times are about 1 second, and latency (delay) is 1-2 seconds. It was a clear improvement from the Nokia PTT demo I tried at CTIA in March.

Sound quality as not as good as a regular phone call, but that is common for PTT technologies. It's certainly good enough that people can be understood. While speakerphone is certainly available and works well, it is not the default.

From idle mode, holding down the dedicated PTT button on the side lets you speak directly to the group you have set as active. Shortcuts let you access group lists to start a one-to-one conversation, although it could be easier/faster to access. The emphasis seems to be on group (one-to-many) scenarios, which is fine since that is probably the most useful aspect of PTT in general.

Despite the group membership information being stored on a server, (instead of locally in the phone,) accessing it is fairly quick. It takes about 2 seconds to pull up a group list. The solution supports presence, so you can see immediately which users are active and which are unavailable. The system does not support PTT call-waiting, so if two other people are engaged in a PTT session, they are unavailable to anyone else wanting to talk to them via PTT.

 

5140 

Nokia's first PTT phone is the 5140 - the first GSM PTT phone in the world. Like its predecessor, (the 5100,) the 5140 is encased in a ruggedized shell resistant to water, dust, and shock. Also like it predecessor, the phone includes a plethora of unique features designed for "active" people, including a flashlight, digital compass, thermometer, stopwatch, and a "Fitness Coach" application to help plan things like excercise schedules. The phone also includes advanced features such as a VGA camera with video recording, a stereo FM radio, and Java.

As ruggedized phones go, the 5140 is one of the smallest to date. It has a good feel to it; it definitely feels tough enough to take a licking and keep on ticking. The keymat is made entirely of soft rubber, which, surprisingly, doesn't hamper ergonomics. The hard, raised buttons under the keymat are easy to feel and provide excellent tactile feedback.

The digital compass is a new and unique feature. It is implemented as a graphic representation of a traditional circular compass, in addition to a digital readout. There is an option to enter a heading, (in degrees,) which overlays a large yellow arrow pointing in that direction, making it easy to keep traveling in a specific direction. As with a traditional compass, the phone must be oriented parallel to the ground (flat). A small, illuminated bubble-level is located in the top-left corner of the phone, making it easy to keep the phone level for accurate readings.

The passive color display is nothing to write home about - it's the same as many current Nokia phones, such as the 6610 or 6560. The benefit of a passive display is longer battery life, which is definitely important for the kind "active" user this phone is aimed at.

In keeping with the "active lifestyle" theme, the 5140 foregoes more common Nokia games in favor of a new "Adventure Race" game. It's a cycling race game, where you press two keys in rhythm to pedal the bike forward. That's about it. All you see on the screen is a side view of a bike and a little graphic that helps you time your key presses. It's a good workout for your thumbs, but not much fun, in my opinion. I only played it briefly - perhaps the "adventure" part is after the first level. Fortunately, you can download Java games as well.

 

CDMA 

Soren Peterson, the General Manager of Nokia's CDMA Business Unit, gave a very candid and informative presentation on the past, present, and future of Nokia's CDMA business. He talked about some of the problems Nokia had in the past, how they are addressing them, and what lies ahead.

First, the history: In 2000, Nokia realized that it had made a big mistake: it had seriously underestimated the resources necessary to build a successful CDMA business. To correct the mistake, they not only hired hundreds of additional employees, they also decicided to take a step back and re-build their CDMA technology platform from the ground up. At present, Nokia is about 60% of the way through its rebuilding plan.

The first step was rebuilding their core technology. They went back to the drawing board on chipsets and other critical components. Previously, they had used antennas designed for GSM phones on their CDMA models - a tactic then eventually proved unsuccessful. So CDMA-specific antenna design was a key area of focus during this period.

Next, in 2002, the focus was on bringing a few basic products to market using the new platform, and starting to rebuild carrier relationships.

In 2003, the company has continued to focus on carrier relationships, while starting to expand its portfolio with lower- and higher-end phones. In reaching out to carriers, the company has taken then unusual approach (for Nokia) of embracing closed and proprietary technologies. Still a strong proponent of the open approach, Nokia sees these technologies as a sort of "necessary evil" of doing business with CDMA carriers. For example, Nokia recently launched its first BREW phone - the 3589i for Verizon - and the company is working closely with Sprint to launch phones supporting Sprint's full suite of "PCS Vision" services.

In 2004, the emphasis will be on futher expanding its portfolio. By the end of the year, the company will have a full range of 8-12 CDMA phones, including Symbian-based smartphones. Peterson also hinted that the range would include a megapixel camera phone, and more than one clamshell model.

 

7200 & 6010 

The 7200 is Nokia's first clamshell model since the analog days. When it was first announced a few weeks ago, only a GSM 900/1800 version for Europe and Asia was mentioned. But at the event this week, Nokia began talking publicly about a dual-band GSM 850/1900 version for the Americas.

The phone features a standard clamshell form factor, including an external display. Unique features include changeable suede outer covers, stereo FM radio, and an internal antenna. Other key features include EDGE high-speed data, speakerphone, 65,000-color TFT main display, and a VGA camera with video recording.

My impression of the phone is that is feels and looks big. In reality, the thickness and length are typical - it's only the width that is a bit excessive. In practice, the thickness is probably more important and the width won't be an issue for most people. But it makes a big difference in how the phone feels compared to other clamshell phones. The extra width is put to good use on keypad, however. People with large fingers take note - this is your phone!

Other than the size, the phone feels excellent. Keys have a good feel to them, and the phone seems sturdy and well-built. The suede covers have a nice feel to them. The TFT display is responsive and bright. The hinge design is unique: instead of stopping at a fixed angle, the phone is designed to flex back to a fully straightened position when pressure is applied.

The final new phone revealed at the event is the 6010 - an entry-level dual-band GSM phone. It's essentially a 3595 with a more conservative design. Features include changeable covers, GPRS, a browser, voice dialing, Java, and MMS. Interestingly, the phone is specifically targeted at what I'll call the "non-youth" market. If the 3595 is the entry-level phone for a teenage boy, the 6010 is the entry-level phone for his father.

The color display is typical quality for a low-end phone. The size of the phone is on the big side. The keys are mostly large and easy to use, with the very notable exception of the soft keys - they are frustratingly small and difficult to press without hitting the send / end keys by accident.

 

More Phones 

Finally, a number of other recently-announced phones were displayed for the first time in the U.S.

The 3100 is a great little phone - small size, good design, and plenty of features for a mid-range model. It's one of the more well-balanced phones I've seen. The 3200 isn't too different - a good blend of size, features, and value. The design of the 3200 doesn't appeal to me personally, but the create-your-own faceplates is a great concept.

The 6230 is just as a great in person as it sounds on paper. It packs just about every feature imaginable into a very compact package. The TFT display is truly excellent - bright, responsive, and good color saturation - a huge improvement over previous Series 40 phones. Features such as video recording work well, and performance is snappy - no delays.

The 6820 is a nice upgrade to the popular 6800 design. The keyboard keys feel good, and the smaller size is a welcome improvement.

Unfortunately, a couple minor issues with the 6820 actually seem like downgrades from the old design. First, the keypad isn't always easy to open. It snaps shut like an oyster, with a flush seam all around. There is no indentation, or tab sticking out, to catch your fingernil or fingertips. You have to use both hands to open it, gripping each half by the edges with your fingertips. With greasy fingers, it seems like it would be nearly impossible.

The second issue is also with the flip - it doesn't "snap" into the open position like the 6800. The spring does help hold it open, but it's not rigid like the 6800. Rigid makes it easier and more comfortable to type.

Although not officially on display, since U.S. availability has not been announced, there was a 7700 present. The 7700 is a multimedia-centric device running Nokia's brand-new Series 90 touchscreen platform.

It had a very early software version that wasn't working properly, but it did work briefly. The ultra-high-resolution display is amazing. You really have to have good eyes and look closely to see the pixels - everything looks amazingly sharp and crisp.

It's a lot thinner than I expected - the size isn't small, but it would fit in most pants pockets. It is a "sidetalker" like the N-Gage, so if you want to hold it up to your ear, you hold the bottom edge to your face, with the phone sticking out sideways from your head. It's not uncomfortable, it just looks very silly. It does, however, let you change the memory card without removing the battery, a feature that I know many people wish the N-Gage had.

 

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About the author, Rich Brome:

Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.

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Comments

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This forum is closed.

Infograbber

Dec 19, 2003, 4:21 PM

New Nokia PDA?

Has anyone caught wind of this? Is Palm Pilot creating one for Nokia?
AMRivlin

Nov 22, 2003, 12:43 AM

Ugly as sin.

I have a nokia 3560 and like the size and features... it seems all this adds is BlueTooth and a Flashlight, both battery killers.

😕
😕 Which phone are you talking about?
thewickedmusic

Nov 22, 2003, 12:35 AM

The Nokia 6820

wow all these phones sound really cool. 😳 I was just about to go out and buy a Nokia 6800 but now I'm not so sure 😛 - OK I have two questions; is it known whether or not the 6820 has a built in FM radio like the 6800 and 6810 do? In Some of the photos it looks like the 6820 has a back-lit keyboard when the screen's back-light is on - is this a feature or is it just an illusion? 😉 thanks for your time
No FM radio on the 6820.

The 6820 has a dedicated button to activate the keyboard backlight, just like the 6800.
Rich Brome

Nov 21, 2003, 3:05 AM

No questions?

Aww - c'mon. 😉 Someone must have questions about the 5140 for me.

I'm surprised no seems to be as excited as I am that Nokia is finally bringing Series 60 to CDMA! Bluetooth is a standard Series 60 feature and that means a Nokia CDMA Bluetooth phone, people! 😳
 
 
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