Nokia shows off MeeGo-based N9 smartphone
The device comes with a 3.9-inch AMOLED display and an 8-megapixel camera. According to Nokia, it will offer 16GB and 64GB versions that will ship later this year.
Nokia has unveiled a new smartphone in the company's flagship N-series.
Dubbed the Nokia N9, the device comes with a curved design and a 3.9-inch AMOLED display. According to Nokia, the N9 will come in three colors--black, cyan, and magenta--and offer storage of 16GB and 64GB. The smartphone will ship with an 8-megapixel camera that allows for autofocus and "HD-quality video capture."
Hands-on with the Nokia N9 Also, see CNET Australia's full review of the Nokia N9.
Unlike its predecessor, the Nokia N8, the N9 is based on MeeGo, a Linux-based mobile operating system that was supposed to be the future go-to platform for the company. Last year, a Nokia spokesperson said in an interview with Reuters that following the N8, "N-series devices will be based on MeeGo." At the time, Symbian was expected to be running on Nokia's other smartphones.
However, the future of MeeGo, at least on Nokia smartphones, is now very much in doubt.
Earlier this year, Microsoft and Nokia announced that they had inked a deal that would see Windows Phone become the "principal" operating system on Nokia's line of devices. Following that announcement, Intel, one of the companies behind MeeGo, told CNET in an interview that it wasn't pleased with Nokia's decision to work with Microsoft, and it was looking to bring the operating system elsewhere.
"This is a Nokia decision. Yes, we're disappointed with it," an Intel spokeswoman said following the Nokia-Microsoft announcement. "But we still believe there's a smartphone component to [MeeGo]. And we're talking to other partners. But it's also Netbooks, tablets, set-top boxes, automotive systems. So, it's a lot more than just the phone element."
Nokia has brought another new software addition to the N9, called swiping. When users are in an application on the device, they can swipe from the edge of the display to get back to the home screen. According to Nokia, there are three "home views" in the software that let users access applications, get notifications and social-network updates, and switch between different functions.
Nokia was also quick to point out that the N9 comes outfitted with near field communication (NFC), allowing users to share images and video between other NFC-enabled devices by tapping them together.