Lumia 920 to a Nokia N8 to 808 PureView

[vlad0]

huh, why not keep 808 and buy some Android tablet as those are very cheap nowadays(Nexus is first that comes to mind)? Also browsing gaming and "apping" is a lot more comfortable on a 7/10" screen than on a 4-4.5" phone...if I really needed serious mobile browsing I would do that, Nexus for example would easily fit in a smaller waistbag together with 808...

Good point..

I am actually waiting for a nice Haswell based Windows 8 machine that can last 8-10 hours... and that, together with the 808/EOS should cover the whole spectrum. True.. those will be over $1000 .. but I think it worth it since it will eliminate the need for any other device.. like tablets, cameras, sat nav, laptop, etc. It will be like.. 10 devices into 2..

Intel's NorthCape design has my full attention...

You could sort of do that now with a Surface Pro/808 combo.. but not quite there yet.

 

[JustToClarify]

I know you don't like google adware but we are talking cost-effective here So 808 + Nexus would cost ~$600 together and that's the price for only one SGS4, lumia 920, HTC One or IP5...

 

[trinkner]

I still use the N8 as my daily phone. With the OS updated to Belle Refresh, it's fast and remarkably stable. Browsing via the Opera browser is extremely fast on my T-Mobile 4G contract or WiFi. The camera and its xenon flash are superb. I do miss the modern apps, though -- although the phone does more or less what I need to do. I'm thinking of switching to WP if an EOS phone comes out this year, but the limitations of WP that I've read about give me a pause.

Things the N8 does that WP can't (as I understand WP):

1. Automatically switch from one sound profile to another based on my calendar, time of day, location, etc. As a high-school teacher with different teaching schedules on different days of the week, this is a joy. My phone never rings while I'm teaching, and my ringer is always on while I'm not in class. (I use the "Situations" app for this.) This app also allows me to create a whitelist of acceptable callers, so only important callers (e.g., my family) can wake me up in the middle of the night. It also sends an SMS message to callers when I'm in class, alerting them to my daily schedule of free time. (Well, the whole concept of sound profiles doesn't exist on WP.) This app also puts the phone into non-data power-saving mode at night to save battery charge.

2. I can print to my HP printer using the HP eprint app. No such app exists yet for WP. Downloading a PDF from the web and printing it via email sounds like a real hassle in WP. From what I gather, you need to use UC Browser to download the PDF to your SkyDrive and then the KumoPrint app to print from SkyDrive to your cloud-enabled printer.

3. I can download files to my phone and use a file system to manipulate them. I can even attach any file on my phone to an email. I can delete nearly any file on my phone (which of course can be a danger, too).

4. The N8 slides into my front jeans pocket as if it barely exists. It's rugged, too.

5. Speed dial. I can call contacts with two "clicks."

6. The native phone app finds contacts as you type the phone number.

7. Easily two full days of battery charge, given reasonable phone/web/video/texting use. I generally charge every other night, sometimes every third night.

The complaints above on this thread about the N8 being slow must be from people who used the first versions of the N8's OS. On Belle Refresh it's very fast.

The major downside to the N8 are the lack of modern apps. There are some awesome apps, though: Gravity (for Twitter and Facebook), Dorian (epub reader), SkyFiles (SkyDrive access), and ViewRanger (hiking map GPS program that isn't available for WP). There are also good clients for YouTube. The N8's screen is relatively small, but it's still fine enough to watch YouTube videos.

After hearing yesterday that Sony is coming out with a flagship Android phone with a camera better than the N8's (we'll see...), I may be tempted to jump from the Nokia ship to Sony. On the other hand, if MS can fix some of the weaknesses of WP, I may opt for the upcoming Nokia EOS.

 

[mister2d]

Things the N8 does that WP can't (as I understand WP):

1. Automatically switch from one sound profile to another based on my calendar, time of day, location, etc. As a high-school teacher with different teaching schedules on different days of the week, this is a joy. My phone never rings while I'm teaching, and my ringer is always on while I'm not in class. (I use the "Situations" app for this.) This app also allows me to create a whitelist of acceptable callers, so only important callers (e.g., my family) can wake me up in the middle of the night. It also sends an SMS message to callers when I'm in class, alerting them to my daily schedule of free time. (Well, the whole concept of sound profiles doesn't exist on WP.) This app also puts the phone into non-data power-saving mode at night to save battery charge.

What you really mean is "Things that Symbian does that WP can't". Let's not confuse the physical device with the operating system. You do bring out an excellent feature point with regards to the power saving. I discovered this yesterday and have been manually toggling power saving mode at night. It saves a bundle of power on my 808. So far I can get 2 days of use which includes bluetooth streaming audio in Car Mode for my commute, traffic gps map on the commute home, and light Facebook checks in the evening.

I'm interested in using the power-saving mode in the way you are. Time for more fun exploring.

2. I can print to my HP printer using the HP eprint app. No such app exists yet for WP. Downloading a PDF from the web and printing it via email sounds like a real hassle in WP. From what I gather, you need to use UC Browser to download the PDF to your SkyDrive and then the KumoPrint app to print from SkyDrive to your cloud-enabled printer.

Yes, one does exist. I have used it to print and to scan physical items (like my driver's license). You used the HP eprint app on Symbian? I used the Brother Print & Scan app on Windows Phone on my 920. Since I don't have an HP Printer, I haven't checked for an app from them.

The complaints above on this thread about the N8 being slow must be from people who used the first versions of the N8's OS. On Belle Refresh it's very fast.

No. As I stated more than twice, I updated to the latest N8 OS. It is still too slow overall especially coming from a modern phone (ie the 920 as stated in the title).

 

[trinkner]

I think the printer-brand-specific apps (like the Brother app for Brother printers, or the HP app for HP printers) only work for those companies' respective printers. I think the KumoPrint app uses Google's Cloud Print to access any printer configurable to the service.

But yes, I use HP's eprint app on Symbian. It worked like a charm on Belle v1, but Belle Refresh changed the file system somehow. At first I thought HP's app could no longer navigate the file system because it would only show one folder on my phone's E drive. But then by accidentally screwing around with the app, I learned that you could drill into the one directory shown and then back up the directory structure... and ... voila... all the drive's contents would then be visible. So the HP app does work on Belle Refresh; it only needs a little weird user behavior to use it properly.

@Mister2D: Would you recommend switching to WP from Symbian Belle Refresh? It seems that you and I have similar attitudes and uses for our phones. I don't yet have experience owning a WP, but my son loves his WP 7.5 HTC Radar and I've fiddled with it a bit (well, as much as a teenager will let his father fiddle with his phone).

 

[mister2d]

@Mister2D: Would you recommend switching to WP from Symbian Belle Refresh? It seems that you and I have similar attitudes and uses for our phones. I don't yet have experience owning a WP, but my son loves his WP 7.5 HTC Radar and I've fiddled with it a bit (well, as much as a teenager will let his father fiddle with his phone).

In your case I don't think it would be a bad switch from Symbian to Windows Phone. You would feel a bit limited at first as you find out that a lot of the flexibility you once had in Symbian is now gone. Especially the power saving features and the volume controls. Windows Phone uses one volume for all things. After that, you would probably get over it in a few months. The browser is useable on any site (I don't count sites with Flash), even Javascript heavy sites like theverge, so that's a big plus.

I don't find Nokia Drive on WP to be functionally equivalent to the one on Symbian. Things like lane guidance, traffic, and voices are all better on Symbian. For instance on my 920 using Nokia Drive, the nav voice mutes the music then BLASTS its directions. I wish there were separate volume controls but there aren't. There isn't even live traffic on Nokia Drive for WP8. It wasn't there for WP 7.5 either (I had the Lumia 900). What was there on the WP 7.5 was a weird implementation from Nokia that "learned" your commute patterns first, then it would give you traffic data. That sucked! If you wanted to go anywhere else, there wasn't an option for traffic info.

All in all, my experience tells me that there is nothing to push someone off of Symbian just yet to WP, assuming you are working with the more modern 808.

 

[vlad0]

^ another thing that I find better on sym (in terms of sat nav) compared to all other platforms is that you can run Google Maps and Nokia Maps natively, at the same time, so you basically have the two most complete indexing/navigating systems out there all in your hand.

yes, I knowthat iOS has "here" maps+ g maps as well.. but they are a far cry from Nokia Maps on Symbian and WP.

All in all, my experience tells me that there is nothing to push someone off of Symbian just yet to WP, assuming you are working with the more modern 808.

That would vary depending on what kind of user you are. Some people care about games, fluid UX, fast browser.. or just having a phone that their friends can relate to (in apple's case..) ..

But others, such as yourself, care more about convergence.. I am on that side of the spectrum as well. I would much rather have an ugly looking swiss army knife, than a pretty single blade.

Also, you really need to know how to use it.. I've been using Symbian for years, so I know my way around it.. but if you give it to an iOS or WP user, they might struggle a bit.

I know you don't like google adware but we are talking cost-effective here So 808 + Nexus would cost ~$600 together and that's the price for only one SGS4, lumia 920, HTC One or IP5...

Spot on

@ $400 the 808 is a bargain.. the camera tech alone is worth that much

 

[Nick_1020]

Hmmm the 808 didn't sell. Reserve not met..but it wasn't far out. In a quandary now. Do I keep it or relist? I love the 808 but far happier with the app situation and continued improvements for WP8 on the 920. I just can't see myself carrying around two phones even if one of them has an amazing camera.

May put a thread in the marketplace here and give it another 3 days on eBay. If it doesn't sell, I'll keep hold of it.

 

[Nick_1020]

huh, why not keep 808 and buy some Android tablet as those are very cheap nowadays(Nexus is first that comes to mind)? Also browsing gaming and "apping" is a lot more comfortable on a 7/10" screen than on a 4-4.5" phone...if I really needed serious mobile browsing I would do that, Nexus for example would easily fit in a smaller waistbag together with 808...

Not too keen on anything Android. We bought our daughter a Nexus 7 for Christmas and although I think it's a neat bit of kit with plenty of features for the price, I don't feel comfortable with 'Google' in my pocket as well When I'm out and about, I only really want to be taking my phone with me except in circumstances when the laptop is needed.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[JustToClarify]

excuse my curiosity but what's so important to do on the web when you are on the go that Opera Mini/Mobile on 808 can't digest? I do know 808 is a bit slow when opening bloated sites like verge etc. but there is none of those that can't wait me to come home all the basic mobile needs are covered IMO, now if you do some spefically web-connected job(not many of those that spring to mind) that's another story...

 

[trinkner]

Thanks for the replies to my N8 v. WP ownership query!

I think I'll likely wait to buy a WP EOS if the specs are what I imagine them to be. I neglected to say that I'm a heavy user of SkyDrive, so the WP integration with SkyDrive is attractive. I currently use SkyFiles and FilesPlus on Symbian, which work OK for moving files back and forth to SkyDrive, but being able to play mp3 tracks or viewing/editing Office docs directly from SkyDrive without downloading them first is appealing. I assume that this can be done on WP?

Opera on Symbian is great. Since there is no ESPN app for Symbian, I have all my favorite ESPN pages bookmarked in Opera and they load in a jiffy.

Another thing I'm looking forward to on WP is the ability to use Netflix -- both to access my queue as well as perhaps to watch videos. I think I'd prefer to watch on my 46" TV, though, instead of a 5" phone screen.

What I know I'll miss the most is the Symbian "Situations" app. I hope MS makes available the APIs so developers could develop such an app for WP. I might even resurrect my coding skills to create such an app if MS made the APIs available.

@JustToClarify: is that a Lammergeir as your avatar? I've seen them in the Himalayas and on Crete. Amazing birds! The other day I saw a Northern Goshawk while looking outside my classroom window. Not a Lammergeir, but still an awe-inspiring raptor.

 

[vlad0]

I don't feel comfortable with 'Google' in my pocket as well

Glad I am not the only one who feels like that.. I know it sounds paranoid, but I just can't trust an advertising/marketing company for some reason.

As for the 808.. if you don't really need it, sell it. I assume you have a good dedicated P&S, otherwise I was going to suggest keeping it just as a cam.

Opera on Symbian is great. Since there is no ESPN app for Symbian, I have all my favorite ESPN pages bookmarked in Opera and they load in a jiffy. .

Can I suggest something a little different, in case you haven't tried it yourself already..

Turn off java, flash, and auto reload on the default browser (assuming those ESPN pages don't require java), pin the bookmarks on one of your home screens, and that way it will save you a click, and you should be able to get to your content faster.

to pin a bookmark, press/hold on the homescreen > add widget > bookmark

In fact, with those things turned off, the default browser is not all that bad... here it is compared to an iphone 5. That is with the pre Feature Pack 2 browser

iPhone 5 vs. Nokia 808 browser test - YouTube

 

[mister2d]

vlad0, how do you turn java and flash off? The settings are a little cryptic. I see an option that says "Java/ECMA script", but that's for javascript, not java. I also can't seem to find an option for disabling Flash.

 

[vlad0]

.. perfect example of how cluttered Symbian can be..

The java script option is the one I am talking about, so just disable that. Some pages won't work, but most work fine. The CPU/RAM combo on the 808 is too weak to properly deal with java scripts.. they do work, but slow down the browser quite a bit.

Settings > page > load content > Images (no flash)

You will see the automatic reload option there as well.

 

[mister2d]

I just had to post a few pics. I LOVE the way this phone feels in my hand. Just look at that texture.

If it's one thing I hate about certain phones it's that they are too slippery.

 

[JustToClarify]

yeah it's specially important on cameracentric devices

 

[vlad0]

ah.. that red one looks great.. thanks for the pics mister2d.

The design of the phone screams purpose .. it was meant to be an imaging device, and you can tell right away. And don't forget.. it was a 4-5 year project, because they had to wait for that processing power to catch up to the idea (and ironically.. they still are on WP side), so they had plenty of time to design the casing.

I am guessing that the EOS will have a similar design.. I doubt that they will change much from the N8 and the 808.. the hump will still be at the top of the phone.

Contrary to .. blogosphere belief, the hump doesn't really get in the way, even when you are holding it. In fact, I think that is one of the main reasons why the 808 feels so good in hand..

I took a closer look at how it fits in your hand compared to the iPhone 5.. and.. yes, it actually offers better ergonomics overall:

Because of the curvature, it fits in your palm in a more natural way, kind of like the N9 > 800 > 900 >900 line

compared to the flat iPhone 5

Your index finger comes right beneath the hump, and that gives you that sense of a.. solid/natural hold.

Overall, for the people who are afraid that the new EOS will be .. hard to hold or whatever because of the sensor hump, don't be.

And I am not saying that its a flawless design.. there is no such thing, and I am sure that we will se an improvement in the new phone. One of the issues is that when you lay it flat, it rests on the edge of the hump, which puts lots of wear pressure on there, it was the same exact thing with the N8.

So after a year without a case, the paint starts to rub off from the metal, and this is what you get:

You could prevent that from happening in several different ways, but I really don't care enough to do anything about it ..

 

[JustToClarify]

yes that's what I've got on my N8 after two years (not that much visible but very close) and it doesn't bother me one bit

 

[mister2d]

vlad0

Are you located in the US? I ask because I have this long standing issue of not being able to start the JoikuSpot app to enable tethering. After much searching I landed on Nokia forums and there is some talk that the US versions of the Nokia 808 have tethering disabled because of FCC agreements.

Does JoikuSpot work for you? Or any other tethering app on you 808? I think I've tried everything.

 

[trinkner]

JoikuSpot worked fine on my N8. I switched to an 808 a month ago. I absolutely love the phone. Sadly, JoikuSpot doesn't seem to work on the 808. I did read on the blog for the custom firmware known as "The One" for the 808 that the latest rev of that CFW specifically enables JoikuSpot to work in the US on the 808. I haven't tried flashing the CFW yet, but I might give it a try. It is a wonderful freedom to have JoikuSpot at the ready for when you can't find WiFi for your laptop.

By the way, I adore the 808. I've never had a phone that just left me feeling happy by merely using it. I loved the N8, but the 808's extra speed, fantastic screen visibility outdoors, the camera (of course), the dedicated GPU for the camera, and the butter-smooth transitions from app to app and to the phone dialer are all wonderful. I had thought of waiting for the Nokia 1020, but the lack of SD card storage on the 1020 and the lack of sound profiles were show stoppers for me. Symbian's "Situations" app is a must-have functionality for me. Having 70GB of music on my phone has allowed me to relegate my iPod Classic to sitting next to my stereo as my system's MP3 player, while for on-the-go music listening, I have all my tracks on my phone.

Good luck with JoikuSpot. If you try "The One" let me know how it goes.