Nokia getting ready for the iPhone
The internet tablets form Nokia N770 and N800 have been hard to understand since they came out.
The idea of an internet tablet was an interesting one in the first place - Nokia chose not to make the tablet a phone like device but rather a pure wifi device. I think I am right that Skype now runs on it - and other IP based communciations software - but this device was never intended to be sold by operators.
There are some screens shots over at Engadget that show how Nokia has had to respond to user feedback about having a better way to use the internet and type in addresses. In my mind there is no question that Apple will have to introduce a keyboard into the iPhone - but if you take the two devices side by side is the N800 really the competition that Apple should be worried about.
If Nokia go from the basis that they do not have iTunes access from their device - and therefore tackling music and video is going to be difficult then they will have to move in a couple of directions. A they could create nTunes - but this may well leave them with problems with Operators own systems - perhaps Apple will show a way ahead here - and Nokia can try to become a media company also. They can search for a partner who has a great content system. They can lobby the European Commission about iTunes and anti-trust and look to get access to iTunes at least in the EU. The most worrying idea might be to ignore music and video on the phones.
If you take the fact that the internet access on the iPhone really requires wifi to work in anything like a reasonable way then the N800 is a competitor for easy browsing of the web away from the computer. How can they make more of this? is it by allowing zooming of web pages and other ideas? I think not! I think that if Nokia can get some partnerships with Yahoo / Flickr and Facebook they could create some interesting apps. Integrate a camera that kicks the iPhone- make it autosync with these websites etc. Look to implement google gears or firefox 3.0 offline capabilities - really open things up.
Eventually they will have to add in phone capabilities - but maybe in a smaller version - I think if Nokia play the game correctly they can compete with Apple - not in the music market - leave that to SonyEricsson - but in all of the rest of the functions - but they have got to start looking for partnerships with some popular websites and to try and flex some muscle with the operators - even to spin off a company to do this.
The iPhone will continue to change the world - but by making life easier for manufacturers and operators - not necessarily a great way for Apple to make money -but at their prices they hardly need volumes!
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