A new firmware for the Nokia N85 has been confirmed thanks to Apoc’ from Symbian-Freak and as usual has also provided a changelog!!! The N85 is now recognised by the Nokia Software Updater and its first firmware - version 11.041 (already available at Nokia Service Points) will be made available for generic product codes over the next few days!!!

Branded devices will take longer to receive the update and as usual, the firmware should fix bugs and enhance the devices performance!!!

Read on for more and the changelog!!!

I think this firmware version will only be available through NSU and not using FOTA which is a shame!!! Hopefully more frequent updates will support FOTA in future!!!

Improvements:

• Characters in memory card not-present prompt note are not localized
• Headset - volume-adjustment is not working properly
• Video disturb happened once another event happened during play fone TV on full screen
• Bluetooth name cannot be defined in camera application
• “Video Call” is shown in Options when highlighting a contact in Space UI
• Not always detect the wall charger - not charging
• 2G cannot connect to GPRS in some cities in China
• Non-stop music player “Library Update”
• FMTX: The audio is routed to DUT speaker after receiving a message when the FM transmitter is transmitting audio
• Predefined contacts does not support Chinese characters
• APN setting for Vodafone Mobile connect “Prompt Password” is set to “Yes”
• Audio - Downlink Quality
• Some of the S60 key presses are not registered by the device
• Network level icon is not shown during VT call
• ITU is not responding when MO is done where slide is closed and opened when call is established
• Long press of media keys previous/next not working correctly for local videos
• DTMF tones sent from prepaid line to *700 (or *500) are not received by NW
• OFR_opo-up at boot about positioning
• Orange enterprises APN is used by default in the Email Wizard
• Podcast - messed up characters
• GSM/WCDMA - OTC - NW lost after handover with local data connection
• General instability improved
• Battery KPI - Battery standby measurement is too high
• CSD - data transmission breaks on HSCSD calls
• [DRM Free] [ID_MUP_FreeFTMD_102] MP4AACM4A file cannot be played by the device (34047)
• Some KPI - results out of range
• FTP: Speed of download too low
• [TPRO] Wap Live Browsing - Access time to homepage is too long (34970)
• 3G network lost forever after cell reselection from 3G > 2G with an active PDP context
• VARIANT - operator RSK (live! icon) appears too small and distorted in landscape mode (VCP)

It’s great that the first update to the N85 has arrive and fingers crossed these updates will keep coming to  make the N85 and even more stable device!!!

Are there an more issues you have found with the N85 that havn’t been resolved yet? Have you got this firmware and have you noticed any of the improvements?! Let us know!!!

The N85 is the latest Nseries device to feature the dual-slide form factor, and unlike previous dual sliders (the N95 series and N96) the N85 takes this form factor and makes it a lot more functional and useful in different scenarios…

Read on for more thoughts and a video of the keys in action…

The first dual slider - the N95 gave you quick access wherever you were to media keys and allowed you to control the music player no matter what you were doing and also control videos.

The N96 - labelled as the successor to the N95 (and shares the same form factor) developed these media keys so that they could also be used for N-Gage gaming. The N96 was the first ‘flagship’ to have it’s design influenced by the N81, and because of this, the media keys were not labelled directly onto the buttons. Instead, the button labels lit up from under the key so that when whichever mode was activated, either the media keys or gaming keys were near enough invisble when either the one or the other were activated.

Another improvement with the buttons being labelled in this way is that the N96 looks much sleeker when slide downwards.

With the N85, the dual-slide has been developed further. Like the N96, the key labels light up from under the key and there are now label which enable ‘zooming’. This zoom keys (clearly indicated by magnifying glasses) become available when in camera mode, when viewing pictures in the photo gallery, when you view a web page in the browser and in the Maps application.

Here’s a quick video showing you them in action!!!

I think that it’s great that there is a lot more to the dual-slide form factor than there once was. It is now much more useful than it has been previously and has more than one purpose.

It’s really handy to have quick access to these keys when browsing photos as it makes the experience much more enjoyable in my opinion. The same goes for web browsing if you enjoy browsing pages in landscape mode and do not have access to the number pad for shortcuts to zoom.

Other factors that make the experience of using the N85 more enjoyable is the fantastic OLED display, the theme effects introduced with Feature Pack 2, the Navi Wheel (which I find very usable and use a lot) as well as other software enhancements - for example - only having certain lights lit if the key can be used (most notable with the volume and camera keys).

This and more make the N85 feel like a much more complete phone than any other device I have used before.

What do you think? Is there anything else you think I have missed?

Are you an N85 user that particulary enjoys a certain element or even agrees/disagrees with anything i’ve said? Let us know!!!

Not so long ago I reported that the Carphone Warehouse Group exclusively stocked a Quartz variant of the Nokia N96 but unfortunately wan’t able to show you some clear pictures of the device…

Well, thanks to one of our readers - Ben Foulds - we can now show you what it is like if you are interested in the colour for yourself!

Read on for more images and some thoughts as to what Ben thinks about his N96!

I think the colour looks very smart and is a nice change to the all black variant we are used to!!! I think i would definately go for one in this colour myself!

So far, Ben is really impressed with the phone and says that the features of the device are ’space-age’ in comparison to his previous handset - the Nokia 6230i! The only problem he has found with the N96 so far is that every so often the screen fails to rotate when the phone is tilted and the battery icon doesn’t seem to be an accurate representation of the remaining battery charge (dropping by 2-3 bars at a time).

Fingers crossed these issues will be resolved in future firmware updates and we hope Ben continues to enjoy his new device!

What do you think of the Quartz N96? Would you choose it over the standard Black version?

Earlier on this morning I took delivery of my very own N85 and so far i’m really pleased with it and i’m even more pleased to be able to share my thoughts about it with you!! You can expect to see some more coverage of the N85 on Talk About Nseries soon!

To start us of I thought you might like to hear my initial thoughts and see an unboxing video of the device!!!

Read on for more!!!

In my personal opinion, I think the N85 is a great looking device. I think it is a lot more attractive than the N82, and, although I don’t think the N82 is a ‘big’ device by any means, the N85 looks and feels a lot smaller. I was really surprised at how much has been crammed into such a small space, and it makes me wonder - apart from the larger screen - why the N96 has a larger footprint. Unfortunately I don’t have the N96 to be able to compare sizes/useablilty etc. to the N85, but when I have had a quick demo of one in a shop it definately looks and feels a lot bigger. It also feels heavier in the hand in comparison to the N82 which makes it feel more sturdy.

Here’s an unboxing video so that you can see what you can expect in the sales package and a quick look around the N85 itself.

I have since discovered that the Zoom Keys on the dual-slide are also active and available when you browse the Internet! I will show you these keys in action soon!

The N85 is the first Nseries to feature an OLED display and I have read in quite a few places that you have to see it for yourself to get the full benifit - and you do! It is very crisp, bright and sharp, definately the best screen I have seen. Yes, with the N96 and the N95 8GB you get a larger 2.8″ screen vs the 2.6″ on the N85, but I felt that the screen on the N95 8GB that I had looked more ‘washed out’ in comparison.

As you can see, the N85 follows the same design language as other recent Nseries handsets with a sleek looking black face and a cocoa brown main body. The back cover also has an attractive ‘grooved’ wave pattern which is actually flat! The black face is a fingerprint magnet - but this is to be expected. The device itself has a plastic construction.

Like I mentioned in the video (above) keys which can be used with various different applications on the N85 light up whern they are available, and when they are not/the N85 is switched off, there are no labels which also aids its sleek appearance!!!

Here are some size comparison shots with my N82, as you can see, the N85 is smaller in it’s closed position and is noticeably thinner. Because of this it is a more pocketable device.

I hope this has wet your appetite! So far my first impressions of the device are very good and definately my favourite Nseries so far. In my personal opinion, it packs the all the best of Nseries into a solid and compact package. With a larger battery, better quality screen and FM transmitter etc. could this be the current true Nseries ‘flagship’???

Let us know what you think and stay tuned for some more articles about the N85 soon!!!

Apologies to all of our readers for the lack of activity on Talk About Nseries for the last few weeks. It has been very hectic for both of us with a lot going on, a lot has happened in the world of Nokia and Nseries in our absence but we are back and be sure to stay tuned and check for updates to the blog in the coming days!!!

Another thank you to everyone that voted in our last poll, 103 votes have been counted and the results are now in!!!

Read on for your thoughts!!!

The results were extremely close with not much seperatingany of the answers, but the most popular multimedia strength and what you consider most important is… Music with 20% of your votes!!!

I’m not surprised that Music came out on top because it’s fair to say that everybody likes and listens to music - there are so many genres and variations that there has got to be a style for everyone! Music also plays a key part in our everyday lives and we listen for enjoyment/relaxation. Nokia Nseriestakes music very seriously with a great music player, 3.5mm audio jacks, stereo bluetooth and in some models dedicated media keys (for example, the N95, N81, N96 and N85).

Coming close in second place with 19% of your votes is Internet!!! Withmore and more services making use of the web, you want a device that has a great web browser with a range of ways to connect! The latest wave of Nseries multimedia computers have built-in WLAN so you can make use of a local wireless access point, but you can also connect via HSDPA, 3G and GPRS etc.

The multimedia strength that came in third place was Movies! When travelling on long journeys (on a bus/train/plane for example) there are often times you may want to watch your favourite film or television programme. Devices with large screens (such as the N95 8GB or N96) make great portable video players when out and about!!! It is also possible to stream content from YouTube and other video sites right on your Nseries!

In fourth place is Imaging!!! I’m surprised that this wasn’t more important than watching movies as it is talked about very often! Cameraphonescan now be used for more than just taking a casual photo, you can now capture the moment with high quality 5 megapixelcameras with Carl ZeissOptics and share them with your friends and family through popular services (such as Share on Ovi or Flickr) online! Flagship Nseries are also capable at recording near DVD quality at VGA 30FPS. For low-light and photographs at night the flagship imaging N82 has a Xenon flash!

GPS/Geotagging came in 5th place!!! GPS receivers, althoughonly recently introduced in phones is taking off fast. You can do more with GPS than just use it as a navigation system. Location based services are becoming all the more popular and you can also Geo Tag your images with location details you were at to share with others your journeys and experiences as well as pinpointing the locations of the photos on a map! Many new Nseries devices have a built-in GPS receiver so you can make use of this relatively new technology.

In last place and not a strength readers consider important to them in their device is Gaming. I was again surprised that this didn’t fare better in the poll becuase mobile gaming seems to be taking off in the mobile world. With the release of the N-Gage service, I feel Nokia have taken mobile gaming to a whole new level with the ability to gain achievements nd socialise with gamers around the world. Some Nseries - such as the N81, N96 and N85 have dedicated gaming keys designed to make the experience even better!

What did you vote for and what do you think about the results? Are they what you expected and why do you think that features such as Imaging and Gaming wern’t as popular as they could be? What can be improved? Let us know!!!

A New Question!!!

The next poll that was launched today is:

What would you most like to see from Nseries in 2009?

Many have been disappointed by what has been delivered by Nokia this year and the fact that nothing revolutionary has emerged to compete in the fast growing mobile market. What would you like to see from Nokia in 2009?

Is build quality an issue for you or are you simply looking for something new and exciting??? Tell us what you think!!!

Nokia Beta Labs have made the upcoming version of Share Online available for testing!!! Share Online gives you easy access to upload any photos or videos taken with you device to various online communities such as Nokia’s Share on Ovi, Flickr and Vox!

This new BETA version features a number of great enhancements to the existing experience and also improves on some elements of the application that you felt needed fine-tuning!

Read on for the changes and screenshots of Share Online in action!

This BETA version of Share Online works as an upgrade to version 3.1 that is preinstalled on several Nokia Feature Pack 2 devices - for example - the 6220 classic, 5320 XpressMusic, N78, N79, N85 and N96.

What’s new in this version?

• Improved upload/download experience: You no longer need to wait for your photos to be uploaded before starting to upload the next one. You can also refresh your feeds, add comments, or exit the application while still uploading your media!
• Outbox: You can see a list of pending uploads, as well as review, cancel or retry specific uploads. You can also use the Outbox to keep track of which photos and videos you have already uploaded.
• Economic sharing: You can now disable the use of cellular data in the Share Online settings if you don’t have a data plan set up with your service provider, and queue your photos and videos to be uploaded as soon as a free WLAN connection is available. There are now data counters available, in case you want to keep track of your cellular data usage.
• Active standby indicators. Your outbox infomation is visible and accessible in your active standby screen. You can now also TURN OFF the Active Standby feature alltogether - which was one of the issues people felt needed addressing with the existing version.

Unfortunately this version of Share Online will only work on Feature Pack 2 devices because it uses enablers which aren’t available in previous versions of S60 which is a shame as there are many users of the N95 series and N82 that may want to benifit from this update.

Also, the BETA is currently only available for users of the N96, 6220 classic, 6210 navigator and 5320 Xpressmusic with the N78, N79 and N85 becoming available ‘in the following weeks’ so I am unable to extensively test this version myself.

You can find the download here as well as news of compatibility updates and known bugs.

Have you tried out the new Share Online? What do you think and more importantly, how do you think it could be improved?

The Nokia N78 today has received support for the N-Gage application!!! I am a little disappointed that it has been so long before the N78 received support for the N-Gage application and I’m surprised there wasn’t a version made available at it’s launch but it’s finally here and is much better than it not be supported at all!!!

A new version of the N-Gage application has been released and compatibility for the Nokia N78 and the 6210 Navigator has been added. Now users of both these devices can enjoy the games and features the N-Gage service delivers!

The application has been updated to 1.10 (1345) vs the previous 1.10 (1318) and should work fine on all compatible N-Gage devices. So far there is no changelog showing what has changed between the two versions but it is reported that it also cures bugs that caused some problems on the N85.

Have you downloaded the latest build of the N-Gage application for your device and have you noticed any improvements over the previous version? Let us know!!!

First of all a big thank you to everybody that voted in the first poll!!! 112 people placed their votes which is great but I know that we can do even better!!!

Be sure to check every couple of weeks for a new poll that you can take part in and if you want to see the results of the previous one!!!

The results are as follows!!!

During the first week of votes opinions were surprisingly mixed between the N85 and N96 and to be honest, I completely agree. There is very little that stands out to persuade you towards the one over another (especially if you live in a country where DVB-H isn’t available on the N96).

Despite this only one can be crowned the ‘winner’ and the device that you have chosen to be your ideal replacement is the Nokia N85 with 35% of your votes! Perhaps this is because of its more compact size, larger battery capacity or next generation OLED display? What do you think?

After many swops and changes, the Nokia N96 settled in second place with 27% of the votes, and the N79 in third place with 21% of the votes! I was really surprised that the N79 didn’t pick up more votes than it did. It seems to be the perfect entry level device packing in many of the features that only flagship Nseries owners could only enjoy before.

Is it because of its unusual design or does the N85 make more sense to you being the mainstream product and its reasonable price point?

18% of you decided that none of them would replace your current device and would rather wait to see what was coming next! Did you vote for this category and if you did, let us know why! Is it because you already have an N95 or N82 and you think the newcomers are too similar in specs to justify changing, or is it just that they do not interest you?

What did you vote for and what do you think about the results? Are they what you expected? Let us know!!!

A New Question!!!

I’m sure we can do even better with our next poll and we’d like as many people as possible to participate!!! This time, we have a multiple choice question that you can answer!!!

Which multimedia strengths are most important to you?

Your Nseries multimedia computer can be used in many different ways, and each is enhanced for the best multimedia experience on a mobile device! Some recent Nseries handsets are focussed on a particular feature - for example - music (with dedicated media keys) or imaging - (with a high resolution camera module and a dual-LED or Xenon flash).

Everybody is different and you will look for different things in a device, but which features are most important to you? Tell us what you think and if you’d like, share your thoughts with others by leaving us a comment!

A site you should definitely take a look at is the Nseries Workshop. It is an official Nseries ‘blog’ which has unboxing videos, tutorials on how to use different features and services on your new Nseries and gives you a closer look at the devices themselves!

The latest unboxing videos are of the new N85 and N79 - and if you are interested to see what you can expect in the sales packages or just want another look at the pair then the links are below for your enjoyment!!!

A great thing about these unboxing videos compared to others you see on the net is that they are also recorded by the same model handset so you can see how good the video quality of the device is at the same time - now that’s efficient!!!

http://workshop.nseries.com/2008/10/exclusive-n79-unboxing-video/435

http://workshop.nseries.com/2008/10/exclusive-nokia-n85-unboxing-video/394

It’s a good job there’s plenty more where they came from because i’d be nervous of the N85 being on the edge of the roof!!!

As well as reading posts on the blog telling you what our thoughts are, we would also like to know what you think as well!!!

On the left sidebar (available on every page) you will now be able to find a poll!

This will be updated fortnightly with different questions so that we can get a higher number of people to participate and more accurate results! Every time the poll is updated there will be a new post to let you know - and here you can also tell us more about why you have chosen a particular answer!

When the fortnight is up we will post the results for all to see!!!

The first poll question to start us off is: Which new Nseries is your ideal replacement?

Maybe you already have an Nseries device and would like to upgrade/try something new… Maybe you are coming from a different manufacturer or even considering an Nseries as your first ever ‘multimedia computer’!

Which of the latest Nseries offerings fits the bill or perhaps you are going to wait and find out what’s next?! Tell us what you think!!!