After finally getting my thoughts on the iPhone 3G out into a blog post last week I felt it was finally time to go back to using a Nokia S60 device again. I’d really missed the S60 experience and I’ve wanted to try some of the new devices running the latest software (top of my list right now is the Nokia E71).
As has become the norm I posted my thought to Twitter and got this reply from Frank:
That got me thinking about what I really missed about the S60 experience while I was using the iPhone and here is what I came up with.
1) Video - It hasn’t always been the case but recently Video has become important to me. I love absorbing everything related to New Media and Social Media and the emergence of some interesting video-based services have got me really interested in video again. My favourite of these has to be Qik, a service which allows you to live-stream video directly from your device to the internet something I have regularly noticed I’d want to do in lots of situations recently. Other video services like Phreadz and Seesmic are on my radar too and video taken on your phone is the ideal way for me to dive in to their world.
2) Geo-Tagging - The easy way. The iPhone can Geo-Tag images but I just haven’t found a good way to upload that data to my preferred destination (Moblog). If I email it Apple strips out the location data and 3rd Party Apps also seem to have a problem retaining the data. On S60 devices this is just easier to do and I’ve never had problems with the data being stripped out. On top of that I really want to get back to using Sports Tracker (a better name is Life Tracker). Being able to upload that data and share it with others is pretty compelling and not something you can do with the iPhone yet.
3) Background Application - This is probably what I missed most and given that I normally have at least 3 apps going in the background when on an S60 device it’s hardy surprise. As I mentioned in my iPhone post this is something that I think really hinders the iPhone experience. A great example is Last.fm which i can use on an S60 device and let it run in the background while doing anything else with the device but on the iPhone I’m stuck in the App and if I go anywhere else the App is shut down. I’m sure that we’ll eventually see some iPhone Apps that are allowed to run in the background but until then this is a big winner for S60 and also Windows Mobile.
4) Bluetooth - Yes, I know the iPhone has Bluetooth but what can I do with it? I can’t send files to other phones or to my laptop using it. I can’t connect to any headset that I like or any other Bluetooth accessories that I might want to use. Bluetooth on the iPhone is totally toothless and there really is no good excuse as to why Apple have limited it so much. I had hoped that the iPhone 3G would have improved matters but as it hasn’t I have little confidence that we’ll see improvements in future iPhone hardware or software.
5) Tethering - I work away from home a lot and while WiFi is usually easy to find it’s good to know that I can always use my HSDPA phone as an internet connection if I ever get stuck. Unless of course I’m carrying an iPhone. Traditional tethering via cable or Bluetooth are missing from the iPhones arsenal which is surprising given that so many devices on the market support this, and not just Smartphones. Again when the iPhone 3G was announced and Apple indicated it was starting to aim at business user I hoped that tethering would be a new addition. Unfortunately it wasn’t and I doubt it will be added in future either. It’s also worth mentioning that if you use an S60 device there is the fantastic Joikuspot application that allows you to turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot, another thing I’ve really missed.
6) Copy/Paste - This one of those features that you might not realise is that important to you until you find yourself without it. I repeatedly found myself wishing the iPhone had the S60 pencil key in the month I was using the Apple device. On S60 devices it’s a joy to use (once you realise you can do it) especially moving text between different apps. This is by no means a vital feature but considering Apples great implementation of the screenshot feature (which could also be considered a minor addition) I hope it’s something they’ll throw in to a future update.
7) Options - Wasn’t sure how to title this one. Basically while I was using the iPhone I felt trapped having to do things the Apple way. I’ve already mentioned how closed the iPhone is in terms of Bluetooth, tethering and even Geo-Tagging. What I missed even more was being able to just plug in the phone and view its contents without having to use iTunes (which I loath) or iPhoto. I regularly use Linux and my daily PC right now is an Asus Eee 900 from which I can do nothing but charge my iPhone. With S60 you have far more options to interact with the device and load music, photos and other content and I miss that flexibility. I know this is to be expected because Apple have always had very closed environments and I’m sure there might be some benefits but for me as a power user nothing is more annoying.
Form Factor - With S60 you have a whole bunch of choice when it comes to form-factor. What do you prefer, Slider? Candybar? QWERTY? S60 devices cover them all, do them well and provide them at a variety of price-points. You also have your choice of different features. Love to take photos? Pick up and N82 which has a great camera and a proper flash. Want a work-horse that does everything? The N95-8GB will be your beast of choice. With the iPhone you’re stuck with the one option (I know there are 2 versions but you can only buy the 3G now) and if you don’t like touch screens or a large device you’re a bit stuck. While I know there are people out there that prefer to have less choice for me and I’m sure many others choice is important which is why the Mobile Device industry will always be fragmented.
9) Battery Life - A cheeky one and something I never thought I’d miss about S60 devices. Nokia S60 phones have aways had notorious battery life, especially the original N95. If you compare the specs the iPhone 3G should come out on top when it comes to battery. However when it came down to how long it lasted through regular use it fell short of the S60 battery performance. From what I’ve heard the latest S60 devices (bar the N96) have improved battery life so that should be an added boost when I buy a new Nokia phone. It’s also worth mentioning that, like every other mobile phone on the market, the Nokias have replaceable batteries.
So for all these reasons I’ll be moving on to a new S60 device as soon as I can. For now I have an E51 and E65 to keep me going. And the iPhone? Well I’ll certainly be using it every now and again to try out new apps and the new software updates. There certainly are aspects of the iPhone that I’ll miss, but that’s another post all together which I should put together by the end of the week, so stay tuned (you could subscribe to my RSS Feed).
Great post and very detailed. My big thing is video and background application.
i love my Nokia N82…. nothing beats it.. just sold my Iphone …
Great post dude.
Excellently articulated - and this is exactly where I’m going to direct all my iPhone owning/considering friends.
I <3 my N95 8GB. It is SUCH a work-horse.
Does everything…
And until an iPhone can match it (let alone BEAT IT) feature for feature, then I’m not budging.
It’s certainly a case of ‘horses for courses’. Power users love their N95’s, but give a 95 to a bloke on the street and 95% of it’s features will be unused… I’ve seen it happen time and time again, they use it as a phone and a camera, nothing more.
It’s such a shame, but until Nokia can sort the software out the iPhone is going to be much more useful to most people.
great post- i’ve been having this same debate with the guys in my office snice the first iPhone came out.
That said, I still use my iPhone as primary device. Living in Doha- I dont find that I would actualy use most of the cool features of the Nokia. Data prices are too high, so that rules out using HSDPA, and we have free wifi in most places.
The city is small so the life tracker is cool the first time you use it, but no real practical use for it.
Battery Life, I always have my iPhone plugged in when i’m driving, as Doha is small I dont really run out battery life.
However, when I travel back home to South Africa or on holiday, I really feel the pain of having an iPhone. The limitations you mention above are 100% correct & at times I feel like throwing my iPhone at the wall cause it just doesnt have what I need it to do.
So now when I travel I have to take my Nokia with me, get a local sim to use in the Nokia and keep my Doha sim in my iPhone- not very practical, especially going to South Africa which has a ridiculously high crime rate!
Lets hope android will over a solution to all the problems….
[...] Tarek writes about what he can do with his Nokia S60 phone that he can’t with his iPhone. [...]
I agree on most of your issues - and they don’t affect me as I don’t need those features. But I must contest a couple of points:
1) C&P is not only inevitable, but already being implemented through some apps via OpenClip
2) I bet I can type faster on my iPhone than anyone can on their T9. 50-60 wpm is my average. I had expected it to be crap, but now I feel it’s the best mobile keyboard ever.
3) Battery life. My iPhone wipes the floor with my co-founders nokia S60 device. Dunno what you are doing with yours. Turn off the flashlight app!
But yeah, basically the iPhone’s a bit shoddy and should only be bought if you are capable of holding low expectations about an over-hyped device from an over-hyped company. I am, which is why I quite like the crappy little thing; I expected it to be much worse.
[...] blog entry on why, though the iPhone is great, there are things that a Nokia S60 phone such as the Nokia N95 [...]
[...] Esber, writing on his blog and prompted by a Tweet from a contact of his, has posted about what he really uses his S60 devices for (currently the E51 and [...]
Excellent post!
I LOVE my N95, and I think even if I love the UI on the Iphone it would be loosing out to get one. I use my N95 for everything (except cooking maybe….) so it’s as I usually desribe it “My perfect tool”
I wished I read your blog before I bought my iPhone. Didn’t know that simple things like sending pics thru bluetooth is not available! And this is important esp when you are with friends and want to share photos with them. Another thing lacking is that iPhone doesn’t allow the music you uploaded into the phone to be used as your ringtone.. and that is really an irritant! I feel like I am moving backwards in terms of technology with my iPhone. Sigh.
[...] about that), there are other mobiles out there and ones that sell in much greater quantities too. Tarek Abu-Esber reminded us of that this week, as he dug out his Nokia Series 60 to see what he missed while using the iPhone - which turned out [...]
Totally agree on all that.
We have had an iPhone 3G in the office for a couple of days. Our main conclusion so far in that while it is a great “consumer” of content, the more conventional devices i.e S60 are better “producers”, i.e Creating video, better pictures and messages.
Also, our criteria for mobile is being able to be used with one hand while doing something else. iPhone seems to mostly require 2 hands and your undivided attention.
Great post - one of the best comparisons i’ve seen to date.
I also love the N95… but don’t love the T9 keyboard. The S60 is technically speaking a fantastic phone… but how does the user experience match the iphone in terms of overall usability?
IMO, a good user experience will trump superior technology for all but us geeks… which is why i think the iphone is doing so well - apple hyperbole aside.
[...] While reading my rss feeds this morning I ’stumbled upon’ a blog post from Tarek Esber, a guy who recently bought an iPhone but wants to go back to S60, and he gives us 9 reasons to do so… [...]
Nice post. Well written and provides an indication of the “real” user experience. I guess all that is going for the iphone is the UI.
Kaizer.
Great article. I nearly bought the iPhone 3G, but then I looked more closely at the features and decided to get a Nokia N82 instead, which I’m absolutely in love with. If I’d chosen the iPhone I would have been absolutely gutted by now.
Great Post Tarek!
People think iPhone is the Device to own, but fail to realize that many of the things they take for granted on an average mobile phone missing on the iPhone.
I gave my wife an Iphone so I can study it while i keep my faithful N95. There are certain things that I LOVE of the Iphone but I think it’s been thought for less experienced people. I totally agree with this analysis. It’s too tramped by Steve Jobs to be appealing to real S60 lovers. Let’s just hope Nokia goes in the Iphone direction in terms of screen and form factor.
I’ve just been reading the reports on the new N85 and N79 at All About Symbian, and I have one more thing to add to your list - bleeding edge hardware.
The large touchscreen is fantastic on the iPhone, but when I read that these N series phones would include an FM transmitter, I was flabbergasted. How much more can Nokia cram in tiny devices? iPhoneistas love to talk about usability, but an FM transmitter is a great example of Nokia also thinking about how people will use their phone - as a carry-everywhere hub for their music, that can be played out through ubiquitous FM radios. To gain the same functionality on my iPhone I have to carry around yet another dongle
Good Post!
I also love my N82 but I have additionaly bought an IPOD Touch.
This combination is great (IPOD for Mobile Internet (Joikuspot), N82 for everything else)
I don’t wanna have an IPhone due to its limitations.
Great article… so many valid points.
Like Anders, I have the N95 (Original), with the latest firmware, which has greatly improved the battery life. I use my phone for everything, (watching DivX, Mpeg, H.286 videos, recording videos, taking great photos, N-gage, Internet (blogging, facebook, browsing, buying tickets), listening to music, texting, maps, google maps and experimenting with the huge wealth of applications (free and pay) that are out there.
Not having a touch screen is no big deal, as the keys and shortcuts are just as quick! S60 is an awesome OS for phones, and knocks the iphone for a six in every way.
There is absolutely nothing I can fault with the N95 (v1), and it’s still leaps ahead of the iPhone/3G… This N95 is definitely the best phone on the market even if it’s over 18 months old. It will take another great Nokia phone to beat it!
[...] ?? ???? ??????????? s60 ? ?????????? ???????? ?? ???. ??? ??? 9 ??????? ?? ??????? ????? ? ?????? ?? [...]
I second all the Scott’s points, but I hate S60 UI.
I am torn, I want S60 improved.
Having seen S60 Touch, I am not convinced.
To add a tylus, would have been OK 10 years ago, but hey, where’s the leadership for NOW (XXI century)?
Having used stylus-driven UI back in 2003, I am simply not sold now on S60 Touch.
Great post.
I own a Nokia E71. The phone is very responsive, you don’t feel any delay when you switch between applications. Even you run 3-4 applications in the background, it doesn’t really slow the E71 down.
For business user like me, battery life and background running are very important. For example, I can search my previous email conversations on my gmail while I am talking to my client on the phone (be it VOIP or mobile network).
More examples:
- listening to podcast/radio when I’m messaging with my friends on fring.
- searching on google while messaging on fring
Hi.
I didn’t try the iPhone, but I completly understand what did the author ment. Copy/Past and background apps is esantial.
I think this is a great article about the two phones. I only been a nokia user for only 3 months, prior to this I was really debating on which phone to buy. I have 3 Macs that I use either for home or for work, so I would think the iphone would be the obvious solution for my connectivity, but ultimately I choose the N95 8gb because it does all the things I wanted from my phone, which is covered in this article. All my friends have iphones and I get ridiculed my my iphone fanboys. I love my Macs, I design so it is nice to have. But seriously no matter what I say to them, they think it is the best thing since slice cheese. I would say only thing I wish the Nokia had done was a USB 2.0, which is why I am looking into upgrading when the n96 comes out with a 3G NAM model.
The big ones for me are Flash on websites, tethering (I get very good data rates in certain countries that I visit often), general openness and the ability to use Slingbox (I get 80 free hours on my plan). While I thought the original iPhone was a travesty of a phone attached to a great interface, to be honest, there’s not a whole lot to choose between the new iPhone and an N95 for non-hardcore users except that the N95 is free on a lot of a contracts. I’d still take the N95 for the same price myself, but I can see why some people wouldn’t. Conversely, if Apple ever get around to launching a 100GB+ iPod Touch, I’ll definitely be buying it.
I used to have a Nokia E90, bought a iPhone 2G and then sold the E90 and have a E71. Now I use my iPhone as a iPod and E71 for daily work. I love Apple and use iBook and iMac but the iPhone is just not “complete” for a phone. The SMS and the phone function is under-par when compare to a normal mobile phone. The bluetooth is useless as it can only connect a handfree. However the concept and UI of the iPhone are so advance that it really make the big phone companies think hard and differently in order to compete with it. So iPhone probably is not the best phone but must be the most important phone in 21st century.
great article man! i was waiting to buy the iphone 3G here in Argentina, but due to the fact that is so expensive here, i decided to buy a Nokia N95 although i don’t like nokias pretty much. This article clarifies a lot the things to me. thanks again!
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[...] as this iPhone backlash started to gain steam, Tarek at tarekesber.com created a list of all the things he missed about Nokia’s S60 interface while using the iPhone: “After [...]
[...] (http://www.tarekesber.com/?p=223) [...]
Gr8 post with detail discussion.
[...] you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Tarek has written a well detailed post on why he prefers a Symbian S60 phone over the iPhone. Mainly he mentions technical reasons, such [...]
A well-written article and I agree with all your objections. I actually wrote a similar list: “Why the iPhone is Inferior and Overpriced”. The two biggest drawbacks in my opinion are no multitasking and the lousy camera, among about twelve others…