Nokia 5800 firmware update adds kinetic scrolling, revised home screen

Nokia has started rolling out what appears to be a major new firmware build for the venerable 5800 XpressMusic, bringing a couple key features to the phone that inaugurated S60 5th Edition over a year ago. And seriously, by all accounts, this is a big one -- in addition to kinetic scrolling, the v40 release apparently brings the 5800's home screen up to spec with the 5530's and an automatic switch to QWERTY mode input when using the handset in landscape. This would certainly seem like the perfect time to put that new Windows 7-capable NSU client to the test, too, since it's apparently not yet available over the air -- and if we had to guess, not all product codes of the 5800 are seeing it yet either, so stay close and check often until you manage to grab it.

[Sunil Posted Jan 13th 2010 2:59PM]

We got a firmware just when the phone is in the museum.

[pachi72 Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:05AM]

@Sunil Hahahaha

[WickedEast Posted Jan 18th 2010 11:30PM]

@Sunil Care you explain why it should be in the museum? Is it because it doesn't sport the fancy UI eye-candies and animations that dazzle your juvenile mind? Other than that, this phone is still a very capable device.

[Sunil Posted Jan 19th 2010 4:01AM]

@WickedEast

One has to agree that 5800 has some good hardware... Music quality, 8GB card in the box, Senheiser headphones (in my country) and also a large no. of apps for download and installation. What I sorely miss is
1. A capable, intuitive brwoser.
2. Well-written camera firmware.
3. Some less lags everywhere.
4. Some human input about the whole symbian thing (ie sensibly designed OS).

This has become a norm these days... Stick some good proc, RAM, and screen, but not some intelligence into "how it should work". Good hardware marred by mediocre OS. No, Nokia is alone here, this "religion" is propunded by Microsoft.

[textonly Posted Jan 13th 2010 8:06PM]

It seems there's no love for NAM models yet.

[RageTek Posted Jan 14th 2010 2:21AM]

if ur product code didn't get it yet,

google "how to change 5800 product code"
change it to euro 1 and update, later change back to your original code.

or

go to your nearest nokia care and let them do the update for you! :D

[fighterfelix Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:57AM]

Is there like a specific team doing update for 5800 or is it like the same team rotating between different models creating newer firmwares?

Coz i wonder why this update took a long time.

[leo980 Posted Jan 14th 2010 6:10AM]

The new home screen is pretty nifty but there is an annoying bug/stupid feature in the new firmware. When someone calls you there are new Answer/Reject buttons which flash on the homescreen. Pressing these do absolutely nothing. You can to take/reject the call with the hardware buttons or unlock the phone to use the buttons onscreen.

It's the same with the alarm as well. Pressing the buttons onscreen does nothing, even though they respond to your touch. You can see them change colour as you press them. To turn off the alarm or Snooze you have to use the hardware buttons.

A small gripe but it is a little annoying.

[leo980 Posted Jan 14th 2010 6:30AM]

Stupid me, it seems you now answer the calls/alarm by swiping. It never occured to me to try 'swiping' as pressing the button seemed the logical thing to do.

[Chris Ziegler Posted Jan 14th 2010 12:12PM]

Why hasn't anyone accused me of hating Nokia in this post yet?

[Cy5patrick Posted Jan 14th 2010 12:26PM]

@Chris Ziegler, because people don't care that much for this rather old 5800, by the way where is the Nokia N900 review? Iphone 3gs got reviewed, Nexus 1 got reviewed before it was even released but no love for the N900.. see you hate Nokia.

[Chris Ziegler Posted Jan 14th 2010 1:25PM]

@Cy5patrick Still working on it, I swear! We're putting a lot of love into this particular review.

[Cy5patrick Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:47PM]

@Chris Ziegler hurry up it might get obsolete when you done! android is a great OS but too bored for my taste. Thank you.