Can Nokia Belle Bring You Back?
Posted by: Caleb in Nokia, Nokia / Symbian^3, Nokia Belle
Many of us have stepped away from Symbian for various reasons, but could a major overhaul and a fresh coat of paint capture our attention once again? Considering that Nokia Belle is finally on the horizon for legacy devices (through official channels), I decided to reach into my “old” phone box, dust off my neglected N8, and make sure everything was backed up and ready for the impending update. Upon putting my SIM card into it and tweaking it to my liking, I quickly remembered why I made the initial, difficult decision to switch over to Android or iOS for use as my daily device. While I will always have a soft spot for Symbian and would prefer to use a Nokia device running the platform, with all things being equal, I will always purchase what works for my usage habits. Having said that, some annoying, shall we say, “painful reminders” of why I switched platforms after several days of usage with my trusty N8:
-Nokia Maps still can’t compete with Google Maps when it comes to finding normal, residential addresses and random entertainment discovery. Where Google Maps would be able to find an address instantly and accurately, Nokia Maps often shows me search results that have absolutely nothing to do with my initial query. Granted, my usage may be entirely different than most people considering I live in the states and have an unlimited data plan, but for me, the choice is clear. I can appreciate the steps Nokia has taken to reduce a data footprint by allowing maps to be downloaded, but the search functionality is still lacking.
-The QWERTY keyboard is simply not as refined nor as accurate as the competition. My, how I’ve forgotten how annoying it is to have to “spell out” certain contractions and capitalize “I” each and every time I write a text, email, or note. Ignoring the fact that the keys feel absolutely miniature in portrait mode, after using some other devices of the Android persuasion, I miss being able to customize a keyboard to my exact liking. Given how this is the primary method many people interact with their phones, this is an obvious point of concern for myself for long-term use.
-Not to beat a dead horse, but Symbian still lacks dedicated applications for commonly used services, websites, and news outlets. I’m not one who requires many applications nor do I judge a platform based on how many retreads of Tetris it has available, but as months (years?!) drag on, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn a blind eye to the meager application landscape. Considering that web browsing on S^3 is clunky at best (even with the above average Opera browser), it further exacerbates the issue of consuming information and interacting with ideas outside of the confines of the device.
Given that Nokia’s quarterly earnings painted a rather surprising picture of the health of Symbian and its steady, global popularity, I’m definitely curious who uses S^3 (or perhaps even an earlier version) regularly. While Belle won’t exactly remedy some of the, shall we say, quirks, that I mentioned above, it has definitely recaptured my attention. If you’ve stepped away from the Symbian scene for some time, would a fresh install of Belle be enough to bring you back, even if only temporarily?
