Nokia E95 Communicator

[Othon Sdcd]

Lastweekend I went hands-on with Samsung's brand new Galaxy Fold in London. Yes, it runs Android and this is being published on AAS and AAWP, but I believe it's a very relevant current data point in terms of mobile computing on the go. Not least because it's a modern equivalent to the Nokia Communicators of old. But it also paves the way for thoughts on where Microsoft is going next with its Surface Duo...

The concept of a communicator predates what we know as a smartphone today. An all-in-one design, folding to give quick functions outside and then a larger screen and (usually) keyboard inside. Great battery life, always-on connectivity. The device for all occasions and needs.

With all this in mind, I was keen to compare the various communicators in person and - unsurprisingly - the E90 was indeed the closest match. This was a 12 year old Nokia device running Symbian (S60 3rd Edition) and - obviously - with QWERTY keyboard rather than second (or curving) screen. But the feel was almost identical in the hand when closed and, when trying to type using the landscape touch keyboard on the Fold, I got much the same 'ultra-mini-laptop' vibe:

Now, while there's a lot to be said for physical QWERTY keyboards, they're not smart in the way that software keyboards have been since about 2008. We've become so used to virtual keyboards that auto-correct our most common typing mistakes and even predict the phrase we're about to type next that it seems somewhat quaint to try plastic keys rather than glass. Or, in this case - famously - plastic (folding) screen!

More importantly perhaps is that all the space taken up by a physical keyboard is now available for content. Unfolded, the Galaxy Fold is a game changer with a 7.3" diagonal display, equivalent to a 'mini' tablet. The screen is AMOLED and vibrant and can display up to three running Android applications at the same time, in 'tiled' form. I haven't got a photo of this in action, but YouTube is your friend here for various videos on the device.

In person, the Galaxy Fold is a lot more impressive than it sounds, especially if you've watched Zac Nelson's famous durability test. Yes, if you try to dent or scratch the folding plastic then you'll succeed. But Matt had been handing this out for dozens of people to try over the last fortnight and there wasn't a scratch or blemish on the display:

The 'crease' in the middle is interesting in that it's both inevitable and evident to the touch every second of use. And yet the mind quickly learns that this is just part of the display and a necessary evil for a tablet that folds to be super-narrow in the pocket. I was expecting the plastic to seem somewhat 'clammy', but it really wasn't. Either because Samsung has coated it with something oleophobic or beause the plastic used is merely friction-free.

At each hinge end is an extra t-shaped piece of plastic fairing that aims to stop dust and debris entering the hinge system and getting under the display - this seems to be doing its job though, admittedly, this device has only existed in retail form for a few weeks, so it's early days. Also shown below is part of the in-box clip on 'carbon fibre' case. This looks and feels a million dollars and also doesn't show fingerprints, unlike the native Galaxy Fold itself:

The OS and interface is Android 9 with Samsung's One UI gestures and layout and it all works pretty well. Almost every application fills the unfolded display just fine, almost every app also works in landscape (including using virtual keyboard) if needed, and it's just the home screen itself that doesn't 'rotate' (an Android quirk for years).

Now to relevance on these sites. AAS readers will have moved to new platforms quite a while ago, but the closeness of this design to the classic communicators will hopefully be of direct interest. Yes, the Galaxy Fold is insanely expensive (best part of 2000), but it's something to keep an eye on. Especially if the expected Galaxy Fold 2 next Spring also brings along S-Pen stylus support, bringing yet another way of interacting with your smartphone to the table.

AAWP readers will also be interested in something that folds and is cutting edge, not least because the recently announced Surface Phone Duo also folds, albeit using two panes of glass, so we do seem to be entering a new era in terms of smartphones that physically transform. I'll have more thoughts on the Duo shortly, don't worry!

The codes applicable for devices of Series 60 does not suit for Nokia communicators 9000, 9110, 9210, 9300, 9500 but there are methods to return to the factory settings, as well as the full formatting system:

Many moons ago, a laptop, a cell phone, and a cinder block got together for a hot three-way love fest. The product of this freaky, sweaty, and possibly illegal union? The Nokia E90 communicator - a device with some serious identity issues, but also one with some serious talent too.

Let's be up front about it: this monstrous device at 7.4 ounces and 5.2 x 2.24 x 0.79 inches is not attractive in the slightest. In fact, the unappealing shell and sheer physical size make it a colossal pain in the ass to lug around in public. Clearly, the E90 is made to fit in briefcases-not skinny hipster jeans. Business folks and texting junkies, though, will love the full QWERTY keyboard, a feature that makes composing legalese missives, or elaborate IMs a relatively painless process. (Ever try tapping out a Google doc on the iPhone's touch screen? Yeesh.) But even more appealing is the impressive palette of functions Nokia manages to cram into the beast: a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, 640 x 480 video resolution at 30fps, 3G compatibility, Wi-Fi, infrared, and Bluetooth connectivity, a voice recorder, GPS Navigation, push-to-talk, both Flash and (scoff) Real Player.

No, it's not going to tuck you into bed at night, and we're guessing it won't get you chicks either (really though, what gadget does?) but the E90 is definitely a good choice for those who want laptop functionality dressed up in the guise of a cell phone.

Simon used ROM-DOS, a modified version of MS-DOS designed specifically for embedded systems. The very idea that a mobile phone could offer similar functionality to a computer was virtually unheard of at the time. And even though Simon only sold 50,000 units and lasted for a mere six months on the market, it certainly paved the way.

In 1996, Nokia introduced the Nokia 9000 Communicator. Widely considered as one of the first smartphones in the market, it ran on GEOS 3.0 and had some ground breaking applications. It could do everything that Simon could but had even more capabilities including a graphical web browser. The clamshell design that would dominate the market for years to come hid a full QWERTY keyboard. This was long before BlackBerry would immortalize the physical keyboard on mobile devices too.

Microsoft had already started dabbling in handheld prototypes as early as 1990. However, the company did not have a clear vision and was mostly interested in porting a version of Windows into mobile devices. This led to the development of Windows Mobile in 2000 though no actual hardware was released until 2002. At the height of its popularity, Windows Mobile actually had the largest market share in the US.

The vast majority of those early smartphones did not make as much of a breakthrough as you might think. Very few people were actually interested in purchasing such devices. The very first devices to be massively adopted were developed by NTT DoCoMo in Japan. The phones used a mobile internet service known as i-mode. By the end of 2001, there were more than 40 million subscribers of the service nationwide.

In the meantime, Andy Rubin was developing his own version of a mobile OS called Android. After being purchased by Google, the first Android phone was released in 2008. HTC was the first company to adopt the OS with the HTC Dream or G1 as it was known in the US. Both the iPhone and the HTC Dream were already considered innovative when they launched but few could have actually understood their future impact. Many people criticized the devices and believed they were severely lacking in comparison to existing platforms.

Of course, Google and Apple had other ideas in mind. For starters, Steve Jobs had already understood the appeal of the new kind of smartphone long before he actually presented the device in 2007. After the iconic conference, Apple knew that it had a winner on its hands and it focused its efforts on reproducing that success with similar devices such as the iPod Touch.

Good article guys, you are missing the HP connection, this was the basis for the Nokia communicator which attached a HP PDA to the Nokia 2110 if I remember correctly, Nokia did proof of concept then full integration. I was Head of Devices at Vodafone UK/Global so from 1993 to 2006 was very well placed to view and shape in some respects the Smartphone industry. Psion also led then fell away. Those were certainly fast moving times!

The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) debuted the first smartphone the world has ever seen. Known as the IBM Simon, the smartphone was then dubbed a personal communicator, a device featuring an early touchscreen. It could send and receive emails and faxes, act as a pager, and perform other smartphone-like functions. Then, such a device is considered revolutionary.

The 9000 Communicator was the first device to offer a combination of a keyboard, quality screen, and business and internet software in one package. It had for the first time all of the features of a computer on the phone, putting email, web browsing, fax, word processing, and spreadsheets into a single pocketable device.

Nokia went on with several revisions of the Communicator over the next few years, adding a color screen, slimming the unit down, and updating the operating system. Eventually, the last Communicator model, the E90, was released in 2007 and was only available in the US as an import.

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