Nokia Communicator
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Nokia Communicator [ kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtə ] refers to a series of mobile phones from the Finnish manufacturer Nokia . The term smartphone has established itself as a generic term for this type of telephone in recent years , with the communicator and electronic organizers again forming a separate category.
Development and equipment
In contrast to conventional mobile telephones, smartphones have more extensive equipment for organizing and processing data and are designed more for business users. So also the Communicator, whose extensive equipment includes PIM applications, communication functions via SMS , MMS , fax , e-mail , Bluetooth and infrared , as well as office software , mobile Internet and data access and the option of installing external applications and programs. In addition, the Communicator was one of the then still rare multitasking -capable wireless devices from the start.
The Nokia Communicator was in the fifth version Nokia E90 (part of Nokia Eseries ) in 2008 . The second variant of the fourth generation, the Nokia 9300, had been on the market since the first quarter of 2005 . In contrast to its big brother, this one does not have WiFi or a camera. At the beginning of 2006 the Nokia 9300i appeared , which is the same size as the 9300 and also has WLAN according to IEEE 802.11g, the T9 text input aid , an improved Bluetooth implementation (Bluetooth v1.2) and a stronger battery (due to the high power consumption of WLAN) . It is therefore considered the “little brother” of the 9500, which ultimately only differs in terms of the VGA camera.
A feature that many buyers missed is the lack of a vibration alarm. All communicators in common is that they are similar to a laptop can open, a large display and a full QWERTY - keyboard included ( clamshell design). Outwardly, all models have so far stood out due to their size (hence there are also other nicknames such as “brick” or “telephone booth”). This is explained by the size of the display and the keyboard. The 9300i is now much more handy and comparable to a Nokia 6310i (except for the height).
Since the 9210 all communicators have been running on the Symbian operating system . The Series 80 user interface is used on the 9210 (i), 9300 (i) and 9500 (i) models . The Nokia E90 Communicator uses the Series 60 user interface and has numerous functions, from a 3.2 megapixel camera to a GPS receiver and communication interfaces such as MiniUSB, Bluetooth 2.0, infrared, WLAN, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA and MicroSD -Slot.
Popular with managers and gadget lovers, no communicator has managed to sustainably penetrate the important market of the “normal” business user, which ultimately left too much room for further solutions in the segment and the success of the Blackberry and various Microsoft-operated ones Devices made possible.
Models
Nokia 9xxx
Nokia 9000
The Nokia 9000 Communicator is the ancestor of all subsequent Communicator models from Nokia and was first available in Germany on August 15, 1996 at a price of 2700 Deutsche Mark (equivalent to 1380 euros).
In addition to short messages, it can also be used to send and receive e-mails and faxes and to access websites with an HTML -capable web browser . At that time, this was not yet standard, even on the office work computer.
Like its successors 9110 uses the 9000 that the PC coming DOS -based operating system PEN / GEOS why he hardware side almost a complete IBM PC is pocket-sized.
The 9000 as a pure single-band device was originally only available in a GSM 900 version, but was later supplemented by models for the DCS 1800 (model 9000e) and the PCS 1900, which is particularly popular in the USA . Since the successor 9110 was only built as a GSM 900 device, the 9000 was the current communicator in the USA until the 9290 was released. The maximum data rate is 9.6 kBit / s, data transfer works via the ISDN- like CSD . Another special feature of the 9000 communicator is the variable multi-articulated antenna, which ensures reception even under the most difficult conditions.
The stand-by time is a maximum of 24 hours. Technically, the GSM part was largely based on the Nokia 2110. The weight is just under 500 grams.
The specialty of this and the following models (up to and including 9210i) was that the loudspeaker and microphone were housed on the back, i.e. the side opposite the buttons and the display. This sometimes gives the impression that you are holding your cell phone the wrong way round when making a call. Only the 9300 and 9500 models were designed “the right way round”.
Nokia 9110
The Nokia 9110 Communicator was built from 1999 to around mid-2001. With this model Nokia made a big step forward. So was z. B. solved the problem that the storage space for documents was previously relatively small. This was implemented using an MMC card drive. Gradually, there was also more and more software from other manufacturers that expanded the functionality of the communicator. Since the 9110 and 9000 hardly differed in terms of the operating system, many of these new programs also ran on the 9000 models.
The model is only half the size and half the weight of the previous model. The stand-by time increased to almost a week. The GSM technology came from the Nokia 6110. The maximum possible data rate rose to 14.4 kBit / s.
Nokia 9210 (i)
The 9210 was built from around mid-2001 to around the end of 2002, the 9210i variant from around mid-2002 to around mid-2004. Nokia began working with DesignworksUSA with the 9210 . Nokia got there professional support for the product design of the Communicator series. But other new technologies were also introduced into the Communicator series with the 9210 - e.g. B. the color display and support for HSCSD data transmission.
The most radical change, however, was the hardware switch from an x86 to an ARM architecture , and thus the change in the operating system from GEOS to Symbian OS . Applications for 9000/9110 therefore do not run on the 9210 and vice versa. The 9210 is a dual band device for GSM 900 and DCS 1800, for the USA there is a PCS 1900 variant with the designation 9290. Symbian 6.0 Series 80 v1 was used as the operating system.
Many users viewed the lack of the packet-oriented data transmission standard GPRS , which was already widespread when the 9210 entered the market, as a major shortcoming .
A relatively short time after the 9210 was released, Nokia released an improved version, the 9210i. The main difference was the enlarged flash ROM . Many of the supplied applications were now pre-installed and no longer had to be started from the memory card, as with the 9210, which relieved the unchanged 8 MB RAM .
This brought noticeable advantages , especially when using Java applications or the web browser. The proprietary browser of the 9210i has also been replaced by the Symbian version of Opera . The software versions of the 9210 in particular - without i - were notorious for their susceptibility to errors. The interior color display was groundbreaking and was not featured in any other mobile phone at the time. Externally, the 9210i differs from the 9210 in the silver color of the keyboard.
Size and weight remained almost unchanged from the 9110. Thanks to HSCSD, the data rate rose to 43.2 kBit / s. MMC cards up to 1 GB can be used.
Nokia 9300 and 9300i
The 9300 is the smaller version of the 9500 and does not have a camera. The dimensions are much more manageable at 132 mm × 51 mm × 21 mm. A display with 128 × 128 pixels and 65,536 colors is available on the outside.
After opening, the large main display with 640 × 200 pixels and also 65,536 colors, but with a smaller diagonal than the 9500, appears. Like its big brother, the internal memory is 80 MB. This can be expanded to 2 GB with MMC cards, which has been working without restriction since the last firmware update was released.
The tri-band -Telefon for GSM 900 , DCS 1800 and PCS 1900 supports GPRS class 10 and HSCSD. You can connect to other devices via Bluetooth. An infrared interface is also included. Like the Nokia 9500, the operating system is Symbian OS 7.0s with the Series 80 v2 platform.
The newer 9300i also has WLAN (802.11g). The Bluetooth implementation and details in the operating system have also been improved. Like the E90, the 9300 (i) can be opened 180 degrees and is therefore very flat when opened.
Nokia 9500
This model is one of the last Communicators based on Series80. It was released in November 2004. The 9300i is the last Series80 device to be released.
The Communicator 9500 is a tri-band device for GSM 900, DCS 1800 and PCS 1900. It was presented for the first time at the 3G conference in Cannes . The main new features compared to the previous model, the display, now with 65,536 colors, the integrated include VGA - camera , GPRS, EDGE , MMS, Wi-Fi, and increased storage management (64 MB RAM, 80 MB user memory). Symbian OS 7.0 with a Series 80 v2 interface is used as the operating system.
All versions of the device have the option of exchanging the upper shells (covers). Apart from the size (148 × 57 × 24 mm) and the differences that come with it, it is identical to its smaller 9300 counterpart, except for the existing WLAN, the camera and the larger battery. MMC cards up to 2 GB can now be used.
Nokia Eseries / Nseries
Nokia E90
The Nokia E90 was the official successor to the Communicator series and belongs to the Nokia Eseries models. This model was presented at the 3GSM 2007 on February 12th and has been available in the colors red and mocha since the third quarter of 2007.
The biggest innovations were the Symbian OS 9.2 operating system with the S60-3rd Edition FP1 surface, a 3.2 megapixel main camera with autofocus and a QCIF camera for video telephony. The change from S80 to S60 (or from Symbian OS 7.x to 9.x) made it possible to implement quad-band GSM, UMTS , HSDPA and a GPS receiver . The equipment list also includes WLAN compatibility according to the 802.11b / g standard with support for WEP and WPA- PSK 1 and 2. An infrared interface has also been installed again.
The Bluetooth interface supports the following services: SDP Server, Audio Source, Hands-Free Audio Gateway, Headset Audio Gateway, AVRCP Target, OBEX File Transfer, SyncML Client, Nokia OBEX PC Suite Services, SyncML DM Client, Nokia SyncML Server, OBEX Object Push , Dial-Up Networking, Imaging. The SIM Access Profile can be switched on and off directly via the menu.
It should be emphasized that this was the first Communicator model that allows applications to be started on the outside and, after opening, to continue seamlessly on the inside. This was achieved by replacing the previous S40 front with the S60 as well. Like all Communicator models, it has an integrated QWERTY and an external mobile phone keyboard. In addition, the text recognition software Tegic T9 was installed to make it easier to write messages on the front.
The integrated memory is 128 MB and can be expanded by up to 32 GB with a micro SD card . 512 MB are included. After a restart, approx. 80 MB of the internal memory remain (the predecessor achieved approx. 22 MB here). The device weighs 210 grams and lasts 14 days in standby, it has five hours of talk time in GSM mode. For the first time, a fax modem is no longer implemented in the communicator, but a vibration alarm. With this model, Nokia completed the integration of the Communicator series into the Nokia Enterprise division (E-Series). A radio receiver is also built in, but this requires the headphones supplied.
Nokia used a mini-USB interface for the first time on a communicator device. In addition to the previously used software PC-Suite for Microsoft operating systems, Nokia now also offered an Apple iSync plug-in free of charge for download from the company's website, which enables the communicator to be used with the Macintosh operating system .
Since the start of production of the E90, Nokia had to contend with various quality problems. Reports of creaking on the underside and defective microphones can be read more frequently, and on many models the keys on the internal keyboard seem to be pressing against the display and partially damaging its coating. There were also isolated reports of strong noise during calls on the phone side and rocking due to rubber nubs of different heights on the underside. German network operators spoke of a return rate between 50 and 70%. Because of these problems, rumors about the discontinuation of production of the E90 began to circulate and some of them were confirmed by the German network operators.
Nokia has modified the device several times since it was launched. Besides a few small things, this mainly includes the following:
- Second version: Modified keyboard frame with step to increase the distance between the housing halves
- Third version: modified interior display with (according to Nokia) scratch-resistant coating
- Fourth version: flattened keyboard
At the 3GSM 2008 Nokia presented the E90 in the color variant black (hardware corresponds to the fourth version), which has been available in Germany since August 2008.
With the Nokia E90, which categorically belongs to the Communicator series, Nokia removed the nickname Communicator from the official product name for the first time and has not used it since.
Nokia E7, N97, N97 mini
The Nokia E7 is equipped with a 4-line QWERTY keyboard and is enclosed in an aluminum housing. The folding mechanism to release the keyboard was designed as a hinge variant on the 9000 communicators. This device does not allow the user to replace the battery.
In terms of design and operation, the Nokia E7, like the Nokia N97 and N97 mini, can be assigned to the Communicator category, even if these devices are officially referred to as smartphones rather than communicators.
literature
- Colin Jörg, Boris Raczynski: The Nokia Communicator Power Book . Franzis 2005, ISBN 3-7723-6426-8
Web links
- German-language website for Communicator 9110 (Archive.org). ( Memento from August 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ↑ The “Nokia 9000 Communicator” started 20 years ago - the world's first smartphone cost 2700 D-Marks , Tagesspiegel, August 9, 2016.