Nokia announced the availability of new firmware of three devices – E71, 5800 XpressMusic and N96. The E71 software now moves to v200.21.118 and includes lots of changes.

Changelog from NokiaAddict:

- Internet Radio application
- My Nokia application
- 3G power reduction for applications using keep-alive style messaging
- User experience improvements:
- Easy Dialing support for Simplified Chinese language
- Device Lock improvement: Open device lock with LSK + Fn-keys
- One key input method switch for China language
- ‘Mute’ option in Right Soft Key when wired headset / hands free is connected
- ‘Loudspeaker’ option in Right Soft Key immediately when phone call is started
- Enlarge characters in Chr-table
- NTLM v1 and v2 support for Intranet Browsing
- New black and red themes

Changes/improvements made to MCU SW version 200.21.118:

General
- Time zones updated
- Improvements to localization
- Localization fixes
- Missing localizations added
- Operator name database updated
- Startup Settings updated
- Certificates updated
- Security updates
- Stability and functionality improvements
- Barcode reader icon changed from 1D icon to 2D icon
- Windows DRM keys are not lost during NSU update from 110.07.127

Qwerty keyboard
- Stability and functionality improvements
- Keyboard mapping corrections

Browser
- Stability and functionality improvements
- Flash Lite improvements

Connectivity
- WLAN stability improvements
- EAP-FAST/TLS stability improved
- WLAN roaming functionality improved
- BT IOP and Dial-up stability improvements

Maps
- Several stability and functionality improvement

Messaging
- Stability and functionality improvements
- Performance improvement

Quickoffice
- Several stability and functionality improvements

VOIP / SIP
- Many stability and functionality improvements

Email
- Mail for Exchange upgraded from version 2.5.5 to 2.7.22
- Improved functionality when sending email via SSL/TLS SMTP server

Mobile dictionary
- Stability improvements
- Improvement for installed languages. Installed language can be removed.

Camera
- Camera image improvements & slow capture correction with certain HW’s
- Stability improvements

Music player
- General functionality and stability improvements

Java
- Update for CLDC-HI (Sun 1.1.1s Java VM)

Device encryption
- Device encryption functionality and stability improvements

Switch application
- Application updates and stability improvements

The latest for 5800 XpressMusic’s is now 11.0.008. Indian 5800 buyers are most likely to be equipped with the latest firmware.

Changelog from S60inside

- Homepage is not defined for Vodafone Live!
- Last word disappears when selecting receiver in SMS
- My Nokia: phone displays “#” in front of Application name.
- During Back-Up & Restore operation, calendar entries are not restored
- Operator menu link within Welcome application
- Invalid message pops up before playing the file received via Bluetooth.
- Input Method, VKB just display number when selecting a WLAN access point which contains a password.
- Chinese box HWR control buttons and FS HWR control bar are too small.
- Unable to add image to Contact bar from Gallery when there is about 5 GB of data in memory card
- In Arabic UI, in calendar, the arrows on the top are reversed in week view and day view
- UI-rotation is too sensitive
- Search: Google search service is missing in Search.
- Contact could not display when switch numbers in Singtel 2-in-1 SIM card
- Maps: Wrong layout of the strings in the Maps search and favorites views
- Could not send new email if user name and password is not pre-defined
- Phone drops from service when both A5/3 +GEA3 used simultaneously with WLAN
- The Messaging application crashes a lot specially when replying or trying to send SMS you have to remove battery to be able to use the device again
- License Manager for Maps is not integrated to SW
- 5.0 Touch: Phonebook crashing when adding detail: Birthday, Anniversary
- Web screen is messed up
- Non stop Music Player “Library update”
- Clock, Alarm is inactive when phone is power off.
- APN Configuration Settings Update to be used for the Setting Wizard
- Ex-Factory settings are wrong
- UE unable to open Setting Wizard
- StartUpSettings version updated.
- Phone lost correct time during power off
- USSD – “Call Control Send USSD” command
- UE drops from 3G, then cannot sync to 3G cells
- Browser: Flash objects causes problems while browsing

Lastly, N96 also got some love with the new 12.043 or PR1.2 firmware. The update list is quite small when compared to the phones above and the update is also available over the air.
Changelog:
Functional and image quality improvements are included with the PR1.2 firmware release.

New features include:
- Application stability improvements
- Image quality improvements
- Uninterrupted viewing/recording of videos
- Improved Bluetooth interoperability
- Compatibility with Nokia Email service

All the updates are available via NSU software.

Update: The phone is also available in China.

Are Bruce Lee fans limited to the boundaries of Hong Kong? Heck, no but Nokia seems to think otherwise because they have launched the N96 Bruce Lee edition to please the Hong Kong locals. The feature packed phone sports a Bruce Lee image and signature on the back plastic while also bundling some never seen before pictures of the legend and an action-figure doll. The phone goes for 8,788 Chinese Yuan ($1,286).

Product Page

[Via Unwiredview]

It’s a bitter truth. Apple iPhone in US has managed to surpass RAZR in the last quarter by selling 6.9 million units whereas in India, it sold just around 4000 units since its launch. A story by Business Today shows that it’s not only iPhone that has fared badly but even Nokia’s N96 which sells for almost the same price of iPhone. Under 1000 units were sold off the shelf.

Of course, the gray market must have sold more units than the official channel but the only reason that they are able to sell more is the price. A difference of about Rs. 2-3k ($41-62) for a consumer is more than enough in India’s price sensitive market. Its high time fellas, lower the prices of your phones because we know (and even you know) that the phones aren’t worth Rs. 30k ($620).

E-Magazine (Page 24)

[Via Digital Inspiration]

Nokia today unveiled the Indian price of N96. The phone will be selling for Rs. 34,999 from September 16 with loads of preloaded content. Sharukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om movie will already be loaded on the phone along with a 50 music videos and a blend of around 100 Hindi and English soundtracks. Three fully licensed N-Gage games will also be preinstalled.

Nokia further announced a contest ‘24Gig is Big’ challenge which will run from September 15 to September 30. The details about the contest are scarce at the moment but it has to do with the filling up the memory with multimedia content.

Nokia’s powerpacked Nseries phone, N96 has hit the retail shelves. The phone is available now at all Nokia outlets for a whopping price of $796 (Rs. 35,000) excluding taxes and subsidies. For those who are still unaware of the mammoth device, this one packs 16GB of internal storage (expandable to 24GB with microSD card), 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, aGPS, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, DVB-H and N-Gage gaming all running on Symbian OS with Feature Pack 2.