We got the chance yesterday to have an extended play with the Nokia N8, and it’s safe to say that the hardware really is stunning. The Symbian ^3 operating system was also shown off for first time, however, so it was equally good to try out the software side of things. Read on to find out how we got on…
The thing that’s the most noticeable when you first try out Symbian ^3 is just how familiar it is if you’re used to Symbian S60 5th Edition. Although this gives it a look that feels slightly outdated, it is handy if you’re already a Nokia user, with the menus proving easy to navigate and everything falling quickly to hand.
However, Symbian ^3 is still a brand new OS, and although it looks similar, there’s a surprising amount of changes that make it a much better interface to use.
The thing we were most impressed with yesterday was just how quickly Symbian ^3 proved on the Nokia N8, with support for graphics acceleration making a big difference. We tried it alongside our Nokia N97 Mini – a device we truly love – and it shamed our handset with the speed that applications and menus can be opened at.
Granted, not all Symbian ^3 smartphones will have the all-out pace of the high-end Nokia N8, but it’s an impressive start. The more you play with Symbian ^3, the more it becomes apparent that Nokia has really tried to get the details right.
Check out our Nokia N8 hands-on review
Hold down the menu key, for instance, and as before you’ll be met by the task manager. This time the icons are much larger, however, and work more like those in Windows 7 – with a big finger-friendly cross to close an app.
The home screen on Symbian ^3 has also changed, with the user interface proving a lot more intuitive. Although it still has the structured layout, you’ll now find features such as a scrolling contacts list. With support for up to 20 contacts – and the ability to display their photographs – it’s possible to call your best friends at the touch of a button.
The second and third home screens also work well, and offer a lot more customisation than before. Nokia was keen to talk about the reasons behind the multiple home screens, pointing out that they’re great for business use, for instance, with the ability to keep your emails hidden but easily accessible on the second screen.
Overall, we’re very impressed with the Nokia N8 and Symbian ^3. It’s not the final version yet, with firmware being released every week, but it’s definitely a good start.