We've been getting our heads around the new Series 40 Touch and Type trio over the past few days – the Nokia C2-02, Nokia C2-03 and Nokia C2-06 – and here we take a closer look at the essential facts worth knowing about another Series 40 innovation featured on board: Nokia Browser.
First of its kind
The Nokia Browser certainly isn't anything new for Symbian S60 5th Edition or Symbian^3 users, but the Nokia C2-03 Touch and Type and its two partner devices announced at Nokia Connection 2011 in Singapore this week see the browser appearing on Series 40 devices for the very first time.
Pick your language
The Nokia C2-02, Nokia C2-03 and Nokia C2-06 Touch and Type will debut the Nokia Browser on Series 40 phones around the globe, and in recognition of Nokia's global stature, it will be available in an impressive 87 languages in total.
The first of many
We may never have seen the Nokia Browser on a Series 40 phone before now, but it's likely to be an increasingly common sight in the future, as Nokia assures us we'll see it on board other devices on the feature phone platform in the future.
The compression difference
The Nokia Browser is well suited to Series 40 devices and the data-restricted price plans more typically associated with budget devices as it saves money by using data-compression technology to reduce the size of each page you're viewing online.
Taking the strain
More specifically, the fact that the Nokia Browser sees this data-compression trickery taking place on the server-side of things means this burden is removed from your phone itself, reducing the potential for problems to develop.
The essence of speed
The result of this compression is simple: speed. With the Nokia Browser on board, your Series 40 device will benefit from speedier web browsing than traditionally possible, no matter what online content you're trying to view.
Keep an eye on your data
It's all fine and well talking about reduced data use in theory, but the Nokia Browser for Series 40 lets you monitor it in practice too, thanks to the facility to monitor your data use at all times so you can avoid nasty bill shocks.
Web apps
Another innovation the Nokia Browser introduces is web apps – an optimised way for Series 40 users to access dedicated content on their handsets. These apps are built on web-based platforms such as HTML, CSS and Javascript for maximum effectiveness and compatibility with existing technologies.
More effective apps
For developers this means creating powerful and capable software for Series 40 devices becomes easier than ever, and allows for standardised features to be delivered to handsets across the board.
Smart, eh?
With the likes of dedicated web apps offering access to specific online tools, and speedier, more versatile web browsing, there's no question that the Nokia Browser helps narrow the gap between Series 40 and the likes of Symbian S60 5th Edition, and muddy the lines between feature phone and smartphone – and that's a very good thing indeed!