The Nokia N8 Symbian Anna update rolled out a little while ago and we've been running it on our N8 ever since. With a host of new features and a rock-solid new feel to the OS we felt it was time to give the update a review. With that in mind check out our Nokia N8 Symbian Anna review.
The Symbian Anna, update, also known as firmware version 022.014 here in the UK is safely installed on our Nokia N8 and if we to admit it delivers pretty much everything that Nokia claimed it would.
Top 5 changes Symbian Anna brings to Nokia N8
The Symbian Anna update weighs in at 273MB, which is a hefty sized update, which is why it's only available via the Nokia Software Updater (NSU) or as in our case through Ovi Suite. Before it takes place your Nokia N8 is backed up to the PC but we found everything went smoothly and within 10 minutes the Symbian Anna update was update ans running.
That said, we did find that a second update, which consisted of a further 20MB of applications need to be downloaded and installed. So, it's worth checking back with the updater that you have everything installed on your smartphone before unplugging.
The first thing you'll notice is that there are a host of new icons and that you can preview the various homescreens as you scroll through. The icons and new font have a nice fresh look to them but you will need to get accustomed to the meanings of some of the new icons!
The big changes come in the split screen features in many of the apps, such as Calendar, Messaging, Browser, Mail and Maps. Then there is the new Portrait QWERTY keyboard, which is one of the new additions user feedback has prompted Nokia to add.
It's nice having the Portrait QWERTY but in reality, we much prefer the Landscape mode on the Nokia N8, more due to fat thumbs than anything else!
It's worth bearing in mind that a separate Nokia N8 camera update will be rolling out in two parts of the coming few weeks. This will bring with it full 30fps video capture as well as a host of enhancements. In the meantime, you can check out the Nokia N8 camera update Beta for more details.
If you've not got a hold of the update yet it's really worth persevering and checking the updater on a regular basis as Symbian Anna makes a visible and notable difference to the smartphone. Things seem smoother, faster and generally a lot more robust.
If you have the update, what have you found the most appealing new aspect so far? Let us know in the Comments below.
Check out our Nokia N8 Symbian Anna review photo gallery:
