Certain details are available on the internet about a possible iPhone-killer that Nokia is planning to bring out this year. The phone will run on Symbian S60 operating system and will have several features that were seen on the iPhone including the touchscreen, accelerometer and gesture as interface.
The key for both companies is innovation. If Nokia, for example, merely takes the 12-button experience and moves it to a touchscreen, then the paradigm doesn’t change much. Users want a different experience, Greengart insisted.
“The real challenge and the real benefit of using the touchscreen is that it gives you the ability to create a differentiated experience,” Greengart said. “We are starting to see some stuff come out of Nokia’s labs that is quite exciting in the realm of using touchscreens, accelerometers and sensors.”
The device will support Java, which may be giving it one advantage as opposed to the iPhone. Perhaps it will be the developer community that will see Nokia really give Apple a run for their phones. As of now the Cupertino, California company is getting ready to bring out a 3G version of the iPhone.
Nokia did mention that the efforts from its R&D labs have brought about lot of interesting applications for a touch based phone. Having always been based on the stylus with navigation button based browsing, perhaps touch is one lesson learnt well from Apple.
But differentiation is what people will be looking for. Apple has won its awe with the splendor of its gesture centric device. Nokia will have to conjure more than just an iPhone clone if it has to get a serious challenger out. Its market share in Europe and the plans to support DVB-H for mobile TV .