Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition
We've covered the Nokia
N810 before, a neat little Linux-based handheld
computer with excellent internet capabilities.. but
unlike most Nokia devices, the N810 doesn't have a built-in
phone. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is not just
a black variant of the N810, this version adds WiMAX
technology to the N810's WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The WiMAX version of the N810 also introduces
an updated version of the OS 2008 Maemo operating
system with several enhancements. This version of the
OS is also available to existing N810 and N800
users free of charge.
What is WiMAX?
Most of our readers will be familiar
with WiFi and 3G technologies such as UMTS. Although
WiMAX is a different technology to WiFi or 3G, it can
effectively be viewed as a cross between the two. WiMAX
offers city-wide wireless broadband access without the
need for a SIM card. WiMAX base stations cover a relatively
large area, but the access mechanism is similar to a
WiFi hotspot.
WiMAX
networks are being rolled out across the world, usually
in large urban areas (but sometimes in rural locations
too). One complication though is the proliferation of
frequencies used by WiMAX networks. WiMAX frequencies
worldwide can be more or less anything, usually in the
range of 1.7 GHz to 5.8 GHz. Some typical implementations
are 3.5 GHz (common in Europe) and 2.5 GHz (common in
the US).
Xohm
The Nokia N810 WiMAX supports a fixed
frequency of 2.5 GHz and is designed to work with the
Sprint Nextel Xohm
service. This means that at present, the N810 WiMAX
Edition is a US-only device. It is possible that other
WiMAX-enabled versions of the N810 will follow, but
as yet nothing has been announced. Despite this limited
availability, the new version of OS 2008 is available
for other N810/N800 users.
Nokia say that this version of the N810
is not locked into the Xohm network, so it can be used
potentially with other 2.5 GHz WiMAX networks in the
US (for example Xanadoo
and Clearwire).
The N810 WiMAX Edition should be available
during summer 2008. Exact pricing is not known, but
it should be roughly the same price as the existing
N810 which retails.
Nokia
N810 WiMAX Edition at
a glance |
Available: |
Q4
2007 |
Network: |
None |
Data: |
WiFi
+ WiMAX (2.5 GHz) |
Screen: |
800
x 480 pixels, 65k colours |
Camera: |
0.3
megapixels |
Size: |
Large
PDA-style device
72 x
128 x 14mm / 229 grams |
Bluetooth: |
Yes |
Memory
card: |
microSD
/ SDHC |
Infra-red: |
No |
Polyphonic: |
N/A |
Java: |
N/A |
GPS: |
Yes |
Battery
life: |
4
hours continuous use, 14
days standby |
|
