Superficially like the iPhone, it’s a departure from Nokia’s usual reluctance to have touch interfaces. Unlike the iPhone the Tube prototype uses a stylus rather than a finger. In itself that is a hindrance to usability on a macro scale, although it does mean you can have more complex user interfaces – a boon for power users, but off-putting for those who found Apple’s interface to be so simple.

This isn’t the only Nokia touchscreen being worked on; a high-end S60-based device is also rumoured.

Windows 6.1

Microsoft has unveiled a minor point revision to Windows Mobile prior to the large overhaul expected with Version 7. The new version, 6.1, is a series of fairly minor changes; some are cosmetic, like the new home page manager, others are for more serious users.

If you use the standard Explorer web browser, it now includes full page pan-and-zoom to see pages as they would be on a desktop PC, plus out-of-the-box support for Flash and Silverlight. It also has better support for video streaming.

For texters, there is a new “threaded” mode which gives an IM-style history of sent and received texts in a conversation; interestingly, this is a feature introduced by Nokia and Ericsson around eight years ago, but it was dropped from their more recent handsets.

One of the more serious features is the ability to encrypt files, emails and contacts, both on the phone and storage cards. Losing a handset – or even selling it – has until now exposed companies to the risk of compromising sensitive data.

Bringing the devices more in line with PCs and laptops, Mobile Device Manager 2008 lets the IT department remotely manage handsets, including checking what software is installed, pushing new programs to phones and using Active Directory/Group Policy to control access.
WM 6.1 should start shipping on new devices in Q2 of this year.

Android gets Opera

Norwegian internet browser company Opera Software has announced the availability of its browser on Google’s Android mobile platform – which in turn means any handset running Android can run Opera.

This makes Opera one of the first pieces of commercial software for the fledgling OS, and for a web orientated device arguably the most important component. Google does have its own browser as part of the platform, but Opera is arguably more capable.

Of course, porting Opera to Android isn’t quite as impressive when you realise we’re talking about Opera Mini rather than much more powerful Opera Mobile; Opera Mini will run on most fairly recent Java enabled handsets anyway, so running on yet another Java based platform isn’t a major step – although it did need some work, as most handsets run J2ME (Java Micro Edition), while Android is built on the desktop-orientated J2SE.

HTC announced it would be building a handset when Android was first launched; so now it has said a revolutionary new product will be unveiled on May 7, the rumour mill is claiming this will be its Android phone, which is expected to be available in Q4 of this year.

ST and NXP consolidate

STMicroelectronics is forming a joint venture with NXP to consolidate their offerings.
ST is already one of the major manufacturers of chipsets for mobile handsets, making them both to its own designs and that of its customers. ST’s customers include Nokia (which was involved in a recent technology tie-up with ST last year) and Sony Ericsson.

NXP is a spin-off from Philips and has concentrated more on building technologies such as Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth rather than very large scale integration of entire sections of the phone into a couple of chips – which is the service ST typically provides.

This will make life easier for manufacturers specifying a chipset; they can have more of a one-stop shop rather than having to source chip parts from different companies. It is likely to worry companies (like Cambridge Silicon Radio) which has some very interesting ideas in combining the radio sections of Bluetooth and GPS – reducing component count, and hence cost – but as both Texas Instruments and ST/NXP will have good in-house positioning solutions, then the smaller player may get squeezed out.

Throwaway phone

While some prepay phones are already being sold at disposable prices, the first truly disposable dual band GSM handset has been launched by Hop-On, a fairly small US manufacturer.

Its $20 (£10) handset is primitive, with a user interface consisting solely of a keyboard and emergency call button – the lack of a display immediately removes the likes of messaging, phonebook, calendar etc. It’s simply for voice calls. Hop-On has sold 10,000 units to an unnamed European distributor which is testing demand.

Rather than being truly disposable, Hop-On intends it to be more an emergency handset; cheap enough to leave one in the glovebox just in case. This invites images of actually needing it and finding the battery has self-discharged, or the SIM no longer being active.

Nevertheless, it is impressive that a TI-chipset based phone can be built and sold for so little money (without a subsidy).