Nokia + Microsoft

please what do yu know about nokia C3? im worried about it cz its a cheap one and looks like BB ..500 ryals ..is it good?

..all the while, i thought buying from a network means you have to use their network..will QTel be able to support the IPhone then..?

..what's the use of saving money to earn headaches at every turn..?

..planned to be in Doha by 1st week of March...

I am in no doubt that Nokia's hardware had been far above and beyond it's rivals for many years, but recently, their foray into the touch screen phenomenon has been lacking. Symbian v5 was woeful, but the hardware on the N97 was pretty good. Similarly the E7 looks a very nicely made phone - again, the OS will let it down.

On the other hand, the HTC Android phones, whilst running beautifully, still do feel a little flimsy, so great software, but not as confidence inspiring when in the hand.

Nokia's problem was that they could not get to match the OS with the hardware. On one occasion they got it right , it was wonderful ( after a few FW updates ) - the N95. Perhaps their masterpiece. It's been downhill since then.

Happily for Apple , they have had the right mix of hardware and OS. But, it's never been a phone to inspire me, as much as I like Apple ( I've used Mac computers for over ten years now ) .

Anyway, it's an interesting debate and no doubt, many more interesting moments ahead.

..and how is vodafone when it comes to signal strength in qatar..am not yet sure about the nature of my work but am assuming i would need to be in so many places in qatar sometimes...

where are IPhones sold in doha..?..i mean, in all legal aspects and without functional limitations..i am reading so much about unlocking and jailbreaks...

..thanks for that last one..am just wondering why sony ericson, who were using metals for their previous phones, decided to use plastics for the arc..?..with the nokia-msn move, i just might go for the arc..never liked htc (made in china sickness, should i say)

..how about the video-calling for iphone - is it functioning, as well..?

..am quite convinced on the "robust" OS of Apple..just hope somebody post any feedback if the IPhone's functions are optimized in Qatar..

..the only reason i am not convinced on the android phones is the lack of devices that may compare with the materials used in the iphone..any suggestions..?

Never mind the N8 - what about the E7!! Just been launched and looks a lovely phone...

Nokia reckon they will still be selling in the region of 150 million Symbian handsets in the next couple of years, but I would suspect that support of these will be phased out by then, but to be fair, most new modern smart phones are outdated fairly quickly - I doubt people buying an N8 now bought it with the intention to last any longer than that.

I think it will be a while before we see the first WinMo 7 Nokia handset, maybe the rumoured N9 which was intended to run on Meego may be adapted for WinMo, but I think it would need a significant overhaul.

Symbian sets will be on pretty wide and general sale. But like you, I suspect the next phone I get will be Android.