Nokia no more!

So, it finally happened!

That was more or less my first reaction to the news of Microsoft buying Nokia's handset business as I read it on Twitter during my morning commute. It's an outcome many have feared, some have expected and that no one was really able to prepare for. 

I was surprised to find myself also relieved – Nokia would no longer be kept a prisoner of its past, having to explain to Finland on a quarterly basis why it is losing the game in the handset business. The company has enjoyed such success in the past that the general public has not given up hope that Nokia would regain its spot as the No 1 phone manufacturer. That Finnish distortion field has now dissolved.

It's hard to try and form an honest opinion on today's news. Nokia has surprised Finns in the recent years with multiple rounds of layoffs, a partnership with Redmond and now this sale of its its best-known business to the controversial giant Microsoft.

Entrepreneurs live with constant change, and thus are usually able to see the opportunities in situations like this – perhaps more so than the public at large.

Nokia, however, is such an integral part of Finnish society that it keeps on bringing out new sides to people, even those close to me. It's a subject everyone has an opinion on, possibly more than our national politics.

It does have to be acknowledged, however, that Nokia and its staff have played a key role in supporting Finland on several levels. Much of our mobile industry owes its success to the presence of Nokia and its willingness to source services and applications from local companies. This has generated a huge pool of talent that continue to bear fruit for the Finnish technology space.

Nokia has also supported recently successful entrepreneurs, those who leave the firm to start their own companies with enough money to set up for the first 12 to 18 months. It has been said more than once that Nokia's severance packages make it the largest early stage investor in Finland.

While Finns are beginning to overcome cultural taboos around failure – and, in the case of some startups, celebrate failure with champagne – it would be madness to celebrate failure of this magnitude. It's a sad day to have to acknowledge that the once so mighty Nokia and its widespread handset business is no more. 

After the emotional rollercoaster on comments on Twitter and Facebook when the news broke, discussion and analysis became more rational; the consensus now is on the future, and what Nokia will do with the fresh cash in its coffers.

Working in the technology field, I do believe this is perhaps the best way to reboot the company for the future, and I'm personally optimistic that the legacy and burden of its previous success is now gone and Nokia is able to start fresh and light.

Perhaps a status update I saw earlier today sums up the prevailing general view quite well: "Nokia's catastrophe may be a good opportunity for Finland – we're a nation that tends to get stronger the heavier we're kicked between the legs."

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Nokia Lumia Bandit: Specs & camera features!

The phablet war is becoming very tough in the market. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Nokia Lumia Bandit specs & camera features makes interesting reading

Nokia is apparently to join the phablet flurry sometime this fall. To take on the competitors like Samsung Galaxy Note series, the Finnish mobile firm is all set with its Windows Phone 8 OS. The company wishes to raise severe threat to the dominance of all popular Android phablet devices out in market with its Windows Phone 8-based phablet or phablets this fall, reports Reuters referring to some unknown sources.

A phablet means a handset that sports a 5-inch or bigger display. Reuters further writes that the Finnish mobile firm is all set to announce one or more phablets at an event to be held in New York late September. We have no access to the rumored specs or other features of the devices except that a Lumia 825 is rumored to come with a 5-inch or big display.

“The sources would not elaborate on details such as specifications and price but said the new models will include a phablet, a common name for smartphones with screens over 5 inches,” writes Reuters. By the way, the site refers to the fact that technology blogs have started to talk about the phablets to be expected from the leading Windows Phone maker.

However, Nokia officials haven’t also commented positively to the rumor. But, chance is high that we could expect some phablet from Nokia sooner especially in a time the upcoming Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update is said to most likely support FullHD and big screens with proper customization for the phablet-like larger gadgets.

Nokia Phablet Vs Samsung Phablet
Samsung is the first gadget maker ever that introduced a phablet through its 5.2-inch Galaxy Note two years back. In the following year, Samsung upgraded the device with a second edition called the Galaxy Note 2 to give a new vigor for the phablet market, which has recently received a lot of new models including the ones from LG, Sony, Huawei and more.

Indeed, the move from Nokia to imagine a phablet might have come from the need to take on Samsung and Apple, which outdo the Finnish mobile firm in smartphone sales across the world. For a while, Nokia has been designing more competitive models of handsets that are able to fight with the alternatives from Samsung, Apple and other leading tech firms.

Lately, you might have witnessed to the rollout of Lumia 1020, a camera-centric phone with a massive 41MP PureView rear camera to compete with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Zoom and other alternatives. “Market leader Samsung has led the way in phablets, proving wrong early critics who said they were too clunky,” says Reuters.

For sure, during its early days, the Galaxy Note original was blamed for its bulkier form factor, but now it is the trend. Samsung’s latest upgrade to the Note series, the Note III is not rumored for official rollout in a September 4 event in Berlin, Germany. That means things won’t be a pushover for Nokia with its rumored Lumia phablet.

Nokia Phablet and GDR3 Update
As per reports, Nokia will be waiting for the GDR3 update to roll out its much-touted phablet. The Windows Phone GDR3 update is expected to bring in support for larger screens along with FullHD display. It is also to enhance the Windows Phone 8 with many more improvements including a revamped look for its Live Tiles-based home screen.

As per reports, the GDR3-updated WP 8 will let you customize the Live Tiles in a way you can place three medium sized-tiles in a single row. Of now, only two tiles can be placed in a row, meaning that the new feature is something essential for a phablet, which is rather bigger!