Nokia exec denies Symbian Maemo swap claim

A Nokia executive has pooh-pooh'd claims that the Finnish phone giant is dropping support for Symbian in favour of its Maemo mobile incarnation of Linux. “Nokia is not replacing Symbian with Maemo," Peter Schneider, Head of Marketing for Maemo Devices at Nokia, Twittered yesterday. "Symbian and Maemo will continue to co-exist …

[Drem]

Would be nice

As much as i'm loving my Nokia 5800 (so many things nicer than the ole iPhone), there are a few things that could be done better using Maemo rather than Symbian on it. Mostly to do with the availibiltiy of Open Street Map on Maemo, so this would be a change that would keep me on a Nokia in 17 months time...

[Daniel Harris 1]

November

Hopefully this is more clear by November when I am due a new phone. Naturally I will be getting a Nokia, but wouldn't be keen on buying another Symbian based smart phone if they are moving to Maemo in the future (Don't want them to drop support)

Still like the look of the N97, and their next flasgship phone is probably years away now.

[Dave Cozens]

I'd rather see a comment on the self destructing N97

And the way the lens cover thoughtfully scratches the lens for you...

D

[/\/\j17]

@Drem

What exactly does the use of the Symbian operating system, or the Maemo one for that matter have to do with access to Open Street Map?

The operating system handles the low level stuff. The shiny stuff is handled by the UI and in neither the Linux or Symbian worlds is this handled by the O/S.

It seems to me that what you would really like is for someone to build an application that runs on the Symbian O/S, using the Nokia Series 60 UI and provides access to Open Street Map.

By the same logic I'd be put off by a Maemo-based phone as you can't buy the Garmin satnav software for that platform, something you can do for Symbian/S60 phones.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Drem

Or, you know, you could use WhereAmI on Symbian...

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WhereAmI

[Anonymous Coward]

@drem

http://labs.trolltech.com/blogs/2009/08/04/openstreetmap-and-qt-and-s60/

[Neil Hoskins]

What planet are you on, buddy?

"...never claimed Nokia was planning to replace Symbian with Maemo across the board, just that it may do so with its smartphone devices..."

Duh... Symbian is only used in smartphones. So that would be "across the board", then?

[Tony Smith]

@Neil Hoskins

Nokia uses Symbian as the basis for a wide range of handsets, many of them not what anyone would call a smartphone. Not all S60 phones are N-series boys.

[Karim Bourouba]

Does it really matter?

Maybe Nokia just wants to diversify its smartphone lineup.

Afterall, Series 40 is more or less dead. Maybe they are just looking to redefine the idea of a smartphone? They have been trying to get away from the term for a while, with the idea of a 'mobile computer'.

[Lars]

People working for Nokia

have told me they take Linux very seriously now. Maemo, Android or something else, I do not know.

In my opinion that does not mean that Symbian is out. Perhaps some more healthy competition within the company. After all I do not expect Symbian to run 90% of the worlds top500 super computers. So certainly there is room for both.

[Drem]

Thanks AC

Having looked at those two links from AC (one of which I'd found previously, and one of which I hadn't) I guess that I was really bemoaning the fact that the s60 versions weren't as easy/nice as Maemo Mapping :)

I have to say that the OS maps on s60 look very good, but are a little pricey (£150ish for the whole of the UK at 1:50,000).

I am more drawn to Maemo than to s60, mainly as I feel that it fits the vision of the phone as a mini computer better, but then again (as has been so amply demonstrated), what do I know...

[Drak]

if you want mobile Linux...use open mobile LInux

There are two handhelds that people should know about if you want a smartphone or handheld that runs linux:

the OpenMoko Freerunner: www.openmoko.com

and the Pandora: http://openpandora.org/

although the Pandora is not ready yet, it will kick butt on what the Nokia N810 will do

[Bonnie]

Wishful thinking...

Anyone who's used a Maemo-powered Nokia N800 or N810 can vouch that Maemo is not a smartphone platform. Throwing in a cellular modem doesn't make it that either. All you get is a better-connected a MID or mini-netbook. Better hold on to that smartphone...