[3GScottishUser]

From Reuters (04/10/2006):

HELSINKI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Mobile technology firm Nokia has sealed a deal with operator Orange on customising mobile phones for the France Telecom unit, Nokia said on Wednesday.

The Finnish-based firm said the collaboration would boost the place of phones using the Symbian S60 smartphone operating system in Orange's line-up.

Nokia said the plan was to create software specific to Orange which would help to speed up customising the operator's handsets.

Symbian's S60 operating system is used in the majority of the world's smartphones, allowing them to run applications similar to those used on computers.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=allBreakingNews&storyID=2006-10-04T055126Z_01_L04432684_RTRIDST_0_TECH-NOKIA-ORANGE.XML

[Ben]

Well that sounds sensible, let's face it Orange have been making a pigs ear of the job by themselves, sometimes to the extent of not releasing handsets at all. Nokia is probably sick of press reports stating their phones haven't passed Orange's strict testing procedures when we all know the reason for this has been Orange trying to get its buggy homescreen and second line features to work.

The deal might just make a S60 on Orange a viable choice again.

[3GScottishUser]

There have been roumours that Orange customers have been complaining about N80's and have been offered exchanges due to software issues... any more info on this?

BTW: I suppose Nokia had no option but to satisfy Orange's needs as they have 80 million subscribers and that's significant enough to make any manufacturer want to go the extra mile to get a slice of.

[Ben]

Orange customers have been complaining in droves about every Orange branded S60 handset since the 6680 and maybe even 6630 (I can't remember if it had homescreen but I know it was fault-ridden). Their treatment of the smartphone market will have, I would imagine, lost them countless high spending customers.

[3g-g]

If Nokia bring in the Orange SW as they require, placing the relevant shortcuts underneath the today screen, and within the normal Nokia menu structure I'll have no problems using a Orange branded S60 handset... However, if it's just the Orange homescreen on the today screen "made by Nokia" it'll be back to a Nokia repair centre for a flash, quite literally, as quick as a flash!