Insights into an engineers mind and the technologies that might shape our future

I am a Nokia fan, ever since I got my Nokia 3310, I have been hooked onto the Nokia bandwagon. However, in the past few years Nokia is slipping in the SmartPhone segment. They have tried their hand at the N97, N97 Mini and now the N900 to try and bridge the gap between the iPhone (which is now considered the leader in the category). Let’s look at the competition to get a look at the same, the iPhone, the Google Nexus One, the Samsung Droid, the Blackberry and Nokia N97; the list seems to fizz off when it gets closer to the Nokia. The only one in the list which sports an Ageing Operating System. However it’s not really the Operating system or the functionalities of the phone that Nokia users talk about most, it’s the durability of the phone. Nearly everyone that has owned a Nokia has dropped their phone, not because they wanted to but just because they have been a bit careless having faith in the durability of the phone sets from Nokia. I am no example, right from the days of my Nokia 3310, right until the N95 which I currently own, I have dropped the phone on many a occasion, be it from the first floor balcony, or a fast moving motorcycle, It always fits back and Just works.

That being said, I started to look at the QA & QC procedures for the sake of my knowledge. And what I did see was really astonishing, Nokia has some of the most rigorous tests for a mobile handset ever and here are some pictures from the Nokia Labs.

Repeated Button Press.

Humidity

Various liquids, creams and gels…

Bending Test, Ouch!

Dust Test

Those are hard and sharp plastic for scratch test.

These are enough for me as a fan that the Mobiles are tested well enough. However there is a complain about the Nokia devices not being Innovative. I will compile some for the next post.