This week Whatley’s looking at firmware and comparing the two giants, Nokia and Apple…
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Two weeks ago, after writing my review/rant about the N81 8GB, Stefan Constantinescu (of IntoMobile fame) left a comment:
‘With the new N95 firmware out that breathes new life into the device I too can’t understand why anyone would want the N81.â€Â
Fantastic point Stefan, the new N95 firmware does INDEED breathe new life into the N95 and anyone that comes anywhere near me with their pre-V20 firmware will get it upgraded in a flash.
What a great move by Nokia… That is, of course, if Nokia actually bothered to TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT!
Yeah yeah yeah, so Nokia told a few bloggers and released a techie press release (maybe). But fundamentally – WHO is actually going to benefit?
Ok – so as an old friend used to say – let’s do a quick fag-packet analysis:
I reckon, best guess, maybe… 5% (and that’s being EXTREMELY generous) of all N95 owners are aware that they can update the firmware (or ‘software’ as a normob may refer to it as) on their handset maybe?
Of that 5%, how many actually are going to know/check that there is a new firmware available.
You could probably argue yourself up to quite a high figure, what with the ‘firmware aware’ having a higher propensity to be techies/mobile geeks… But still.
Of THAT percentage, how many N95ers are going to risk upgrading their firmware, having had their fingers burnt in the past trying to upgrade a previous handset?
Or, what about those of us who have no intention of going anywhere near the Nokia Software Updater (NSU) after having heard such horror stories about ‘bricked’ handsets and ‘nudged USB cables’?
Right – ok – how many hands are left up? Not many.
And even you brave few who are left standing still aren’t guaranteed a new piece of firmware… because guess what?! Computer says no.
(Or in this case: Your Operator/Carrier – see some of the comments from last week’s article as a case in point).
Moving on from this – let’s take a look at the iPhone model.
The sync cradle becomes (as I heard recently) the centre of gravity for the user. They charge it, sync it and, above all, update it from one place.
The user is told, at point of sale, ‘plug this into your PC/Mac and register online’. That is the first thing the user does and immediately the user-behaviour has changed. Or has it?
How many iPhone users out there own (or have owned) an iPod? A fair few? Ok so how many of those users already associate having an Apple product that must be plugged/synced up to their Mac to optimise usage? Again – I’d bet a reasonable amount.
Apple have been very clever in a) Tapping into that pre-defined user behaviour and b) Educating the new user on how to get the most from their iPhone.
Nokia, to me at least, have a lot of catching up to do in this department. My N95 is a phone that happens to play music. The iPhone is sold as an iPod that happens to make calls.
This one simple, strategic change has resulted in a paradigm shift in how the end user benefits from updates ‘back at base’.
To put it simply: Push instead of pull.
When updating the firmware on a handset, Apple have it nailed.
Nokia we love you but, to reach the masses, you have a lot of catching up to do.
So true…
I wouldn’t mind guessing that the number of UK N95 owners that have the very lastest firmware probably numbers no more than a few hundred.
I loath having to update my N95 because of all the syncing and reinstalling involved.
I’m going to have to disagree with you here, Whatley.
1. Nokia used a press release to announce the new N95 firmware. Admittedly, this is not the best way, but it’s more than you mentioned. http://www.nokia.com/A4136002?newsid=1172650
2. One of the features of the PC Suite application is that when you have your phone connected, it will automatically check to see if there is a new firmware available. Again, there are issues with this. As far as I can tell, it only works if you’re connected via USB cable. If you use bluetooth like me, you’re SOL. Also, as you mentioned, it’s limited by product codes, and carriers, etc.
I personally feel like Nokia needs to hire someone who specializes in rock-solid PC applications to redesign PC Suite from scratch, and then advertise the hell out of it. I also know that Ovi will have its own PC Suite, which should give it a more public position, such as iTunes has.
@Ricky – Fair enough mate, let me tackle your points:
1) I mentioned: “Nokia… …released a techie press release (maybe).” – if that link you provided ISN’T a ‘Techie Press Release’ then I don’t know what is.
WHO is going to read that? The Press maybe? Which ones? The Techie Press per chance? Yessiree Bob!
Ok – so all those journalists who received that release on Monday morning – how many of them first thought: “WOW! COOL!” – only to discover upon plugging into the NSU that in fact there was no update available… (not for the Operator branded N95s out there anyway). And then – even if said gadget-based journalist managed to make it over that hurdle (by some non-branded N95 miracle) – then managed to upgrade without bricking their handset and THEN decided to actually write something about it…. Who would read it?!
TECHIES.
2) My PC suite has never EVER told me that there is new firmware for my handset. But, even if this did work 100% of the time, it still requires the user to plug into their PC/Mac (and let’s not go down THAT road – re Mac Compatibility), to upgrade!
This mental model simply does NOT exist within the standard Nokia user.
I’m making MASSIVE assumptions based on personal knowledge and experience – if anyone wants to prove me wrong then by all means.
Do not misunderstand me – I am a massive Nokia fan and V20 is the cat’s pyjamas – but why should I be the only person in my N95 owning circle of normob friends who reaps the benefit?
Why aren’t Nokia and the Operators sync’ing up their releases?
Why aren’t I receiving SMS’ from Vodafone telling me to plug my N95 into my PC at the earliest opportunity?!
AARGH!
Ahem…
I’ve never had a message about available updates from PC suite either. Very few Nokia users will install the software on the CD for one reason, they are never informed what’s on there. Sales staff in shops just tell you ‘There’s a cable, a charger and a memory card. Oh there’s a CD too, but there’s nothing you need on there’.
I wouldn’t fully blame Nokia though. What’s wrong with the shop you bought it from telling you. When you buy a handset, they have the handset model and your number. How great would you think the aftersales service was if you got a text from Phones 4U (for example) informing you that by following a certain proceedure it’s possible to upgrade your phone, and also what those updates would be.
Also, what about the Nokia service that sends you ‘useful’ tips about your phone (can’t remember the name). I subscribed just out of interest, and they’re forever sending me messages about ‘How to delete multiple texts’ (yeah, cheers for that…) but why not one about updates?
I do agree with Ricky though. PC Suite needs an overhaul.
I received that notice from NSeries PC Suite last night. But that was after I plugged in my phone to perform the update…
I think the route with one good working app on my pc, being it Ovi Suite or something else, is a good idea. Just as long as it’s something I would like to use often. The current media software sucks. I don’t use it. Don’t see why I should either. So this would only work if it was as important as iTunes is to iPod/iPhone users.