Nokia has another go
With a 12 megapixel camera, complete with sensors that rivals some compact digital cameras, Carl Zeiss lens, Xenon flash as well as HD technology that can access home entertainment systems, the N8 certainly talks a big game.
The N8 is powered by the latest incarnation of the Symbian platform, Symbian ^3. The platform will include such notable improvements as multi-touch , which includes support for gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. There are also three customisable (?) which can be navigated with flick scrolling, that can host apps from the readily available Ovi store.
Symbian ^3 comes with improved 2D and 3D graphics allowing for a faster and more responsive UI, greater memory management and a user friendly visual task manager.As has become the norm, the N8 pays particular attention to social networking sites, with all the services offered by Facebook and Twitter available from just one App on the homescreen.
The real first comes in the form of the Qt software development environment. The Qt will simplify the development of new software applications and allows them to be sent across Symbian ^3 to all active N8's, as well as across other platforms.
Using the 'smart installer' technology in S^3 it is possible to find and install the correct version of Qt automatically when a user attempts to download a Qt-based application suitable for new hardware.
The Qt application framework will also be made available for earlier Symbian releases, including S60 3.1, 3.2 and 5th Edition devices. Developers can bundle smart installer technology with their applications to make the Qt installation seamless to customers, and will open up the market of existing Symbian device users to Qt developers.
The Nokia N8 is set to hit the shelves between August and September, and is tipped to cost €370 in European markets, before tax and subsidies.
