S60 Open to new features

I'm really interesting in Beta Labs because of being on the top of S60 progress.

I really like Nokia Beta Labs cause it's really raising the bar across the phone industry.

offtopic: if mine is choosen, can I get a picture of it in use :)?

I really like Nokia Beta Labs because it shows that Nokia is a company that is listening to consumers. Rather than just pushing products out the door, Nokia is starting a concept, then pushing it to their users, and asking for feedback, and actively using that feedback. It shows alot of respect and concern for the consumer, which is rare in this industry.

Posted by: Ricky Cadden | October 4, 2007 05:39 PM

> if mine is choosen, can I get a picture of it in use :)?

I'll ask. I mean, in case these will be used in the actual presentation (it's not 100% sure yet).

Thanks Ricky, that was a good one. A bit lengthy, but probably acceptable.

Nokia always cared about the consumers. But now (in the last two years) I can see that. I can feel that. I have the beautiful feeling that my voice is heard. I am part of what is happening. And I'm happy.

I really like the beta labs program because it enables advanced users to participate in the development of new applications directly with Nokia and 3rd party partners. It's great to share feedback through our blogs and see that you are listening as things change back on the beta site...

The best thing I can say about Beta Labs is what it says about Nokia itself. Beta labs is great because it shows that Nokia is committed to working with and listening to its users/customers, and it gives us the end user, a chance to have our feedback committed back into the product itself. This kind of "circle of life" is what makes for great software.

New features and (hopefully) software/firmware updates for free (FP1 for my E61i please!), who can complain about that. I was excited before buying my phone... now I have more to look forward to after buying it. :)

I think the Conversation beta is great. We need more tweaks like this.

i believe the betalabs sets nokia apart from other handset manufacturers. it really does bring in its fair share of that "je ne sais quoi" that fosters a stronger sense of community and technological leadership that others lack - bring it on nokkie :)

Well, its too long, but that is what I think:

Making people think they need something, what they really didn't is just a sales pitch.
Creating products what people like to use is good engineering work.
Creating a community, which gives you the feedback needed for good engineering is art and compassion.
Bearing fruit of a vibrant community feedback is leadership at its best.

it would be said if sales pitches would "out do" a lively community and good engineering...

see A2DP for E-series, SDHC for all S60V3, FP upgrades, etc...

Beautiful engineering and signs of a shaping great community Nokia! I wish You bear the fruits of it! For all of our sakes... :-)

I like Betalabs, because it is about achieving together (better products) and it's got very human touch (Tommi is doing superb job)!

i ♥ beta labs because it let's me be part of nokia.

Nokia's way to let us users see what's coming next, is the true essence of web 2.0, making us the users, a full partners of the eco system. thatS what i call innovation.

Beta Labs gives a feeling of getting to the edge of todays technology, and it's not just about software, because it also shows us what the devices are capable of. In our own hands, with our shared ideas.

Nokia Beta Labs is all about exploring the future: New techniques; new products; new ideas. Working with people directly experienced and enthused with your leading products.
It's exciting, lively and thought-provoking.
In short, it's exactly what Nokia should be.

ps. WE already know what's important for Nokia in the future -- why aren't you asking us to help you?

Nokia Beta Labs, a doorway into the mobile community. It lets us be ourselves, express our delights and concerns about beta applications in the way we see fit. Nokia Beta Labs lets US shape our future.

The quality and innovation of the applications on the Nokia Beta Labs site is very good.

However, it must be noted that although Nokia is showing some good innovative approaches, the same opportunities are not extended to third party developers.
Example: Conversation application (http://www.nokia.com/A4568203) includes an interface to extend the S60 Contacts application ("Nokia Contacts Services Support Package") - not available to third party developers.

Restricting access to such interfaces prevents innovation outside of Nokia (losing benefit to Nokia products).
Third party developers would also like to innovate, but are restricted in doing so because Nokia is restricting access to a bunch of useful APIs.

[I won't get started on how Symbian Signed stifles innovation in the most heinous manner...]

More Apps, it takes to long to post a new applications at Nokia Labs, And it's very hard to find it on Nokia's WebSite and web properties, the users need to deeply want to find it to really fint it via Google.

I think it should be more integrated with a Blog style and not that static as it is today.

Firmware updates are a MUST HAVE feature.

I find Nokia Labs as another step of nokia becoming an Internet company. It's a win-win relationship between the company and its clients. It allows Nokia to get more feedback from the users and allows the clients to have more interaction with their beloved brand.

Thanks, good testimonials. Keeep those coming, I'll wrap up this thread next week.

Nokia Beta Labs allows new applications to be tested in real world end user conditions. Developing applications and releasing them in beta form via Beta labs should help ensure in built applications on new handsets are solid, reliable and of great value.

The Beta Labs projects Sport Tracker, Mobile Codes, Gizmo, Conversation, and now Share 3.0 are phenomenal leaps in quality applications for Symbian phones. The features in Sport Tracker are what drove me to need the GPS to be inside my phone, I went from a N80 and LD-3W to a N95 and did not even think about it. Conversation just this week is a huge step forward in SMS messaging on symbian phones. It is great to have a group doing things with the resources to also make the updates to the rest of the OS and then share back these abilities to the greater application development community. Cheers Nokia!

Beta labs has been an exiting avenue for us users. For ever so long, Nokia has always had the edge over its competitors because of the extra applications and better inbuilt applications.

Beta labs is giving not just the users, but even Nokia a chance to shape its products to suit the users, and hence, develop a satisfied user base. For us Users, we can now see our suggestions and most needed features into the applications in a much quicker time frame.

Posted by: alsiladka | October 7, 2007 06:28 PM

The typical consumer electronics business has a primarily one-way relationship with their customers. Any opportunity for the customer to respond is via carefully controlled market research or filtered feedback through customer service. The Nokia Beta Labs concept closes the loop by allowing personal, two-way communication with the customer during the development of new products. As a customer, I feel like I'm being heard for the first time.

BetaLabs is a great opportunity for Nokia. One thing Nokia is leading the industry is in is how they actively solicit and utilize customer feedback. BetaLabs is a perfect sandbox type of area for experienced users to provide direct feed back for your products before they are unleashed upon the masses. This extra step of refinement will show.

I sent a summary of your comments, and a link to this page, to Mr.Ojanperä today. He seemed to love it, so thanks everyone :)

I know this is late Tommi, but I have something to add! Like others, I believe Beta Labs demonstrates Nokia's willingness to listen to its customers. That said, there are so many other exciting projects I see on other Nokia sites like research.nokia.com and opensource.nokia.com among others that most people don't even know about and may be languishing because of it.

I think these sites and their projects should be merged or at least linked into Beta Labs so that it becomes more of a true one-stop lab and playground and spurs more interest and discussion among more advanced users and developers (especially in the open source software). I think that would lead to quicker development of more diverse projects. I see it as a win-win situation as both Nokia and its users benefit from the increased interest from other developers who are willing to invest their time in developing and improving S60 software and further reinforces and spreads the "open to anything" message.

OK maybe this is too big to publish but it's a fundamental point that Nokia needs to address.

Great to be able to shape the development of new apps, but needs more consistent followthru by Nokia. E.g. Sports Tracker is a great app BUT it was published on Beta Labs April 16, 2007, and last updated in June 07, 2007?
That's FOUR MONTHS with no development. If this is beta, we should see development of the app continuing! What has happened to all the customer feedback in te meantime - ignored apparently and contributors' time wasted!
Nokia needs to demonstrate better follow-thru if it wants itself and Beta Labs to be trusted and its claim to listen to its customers to be taken seriously!

While I already love y'all, you would have my undying love if y'all would just put out a comprehensive Mac Suite for Nokia. My friends and family are all Mac folk, not a pc amongst us to borrow, and I need to update my firmware.... ;o)