Nokia is slowly phasing out its iconic Ovi branding in favour of bringing everything back under the Nokia umbrella, and the latest step is to remove the Ovi name altogether from a new version of the Nokia Store software found on millions of Nokia smartphones around the world. Read on for more.
The decision to gradually phase out the Ovi name was taken earlier this year, with well-known Nokia services such as Ovi Store, Ovi Mail, Ovi Music and of course Ovi Maps set to shed the Ovi name and fall under a more general Nokia-branded umbrella.
It's not a move that is happening overnight, though – mainly because of the huge number of different pieces of software on active duty around the planet, but also because Nokia is seeing the wisdom in introducing the concept in stages to avoid confusion.
The latest stage involves the Nokia Store client (previously Ovi Store) software for Symbian S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition smartphones. As part of a major update to the software that's available now for Nokia users to install, all mention of the word Ovi has been removed throughout – the Ovi logo has been replaced by a blue store icon, while the overall look and feel has been given a more Nokia-centric focus.
The most significant change beyond that in Nokia Store version 1.16 is a revamped Help system that now takes the form of an FAQ that scrolls over multiple pages.
The new-look Nokia Store client should be available either as an update with the Store itself, or using the Nokia Software Updater. The subtle Ovi “de-branding” is set to extend to updates of other major Nokia services over the next few weeks, but for the time being we'll continue to use both naming styles together in our reviews and tutorials to avoid confusion.
What do you think of the new-look Nokia Store client, and do you agree with the move to scrap Ovi? Tell us what you think in the Comments!