Nokia N95 8GB nabs new firmware, gets automatic screen rotation

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 17th 2008 at 10:56AM

The user community already had a number of hacks available for this, but you can't help but get a warm fuzzy every time a manufacturer snatches up cool functionality and bundles it into the official firmware. N95 8GB firmware v20.0.016 is now out and about, offering automatic screen rotation based on the device's in-built accelerometers (why this wasn't functional out of the box is beyond us, considering the requisite hardware was already in place) along with browser and WiFi updates. As always, we suspect this is hitting the Euro-spec N95-2 first -- but we imagine an update for the N95-4 can't be far behind.

[Via All About Symbian]

Filed under: Software, Nokia, Symbian

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, firmware, n95, n95 8gb, n95-2, N958gb, nokia

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

Engadgetluvsappl @ Apr 17th 2008 11:58AM

Exactly how is installing a piece of freeware a "hack"?

Why is this breaking news when the firmware has been available for over a week now on NSU and about 2 weeks in Nokia Service Centres?

If the N95-3 is anything to go by, the N95-4 will never see this update.

Seriously, why are you posting this? I thought this place only ever posted Apple's minor firmware updates, no? What's gotten into you?

Highest Ranked

Fernando @ Apr 17th 2008 12:07PM

I know engadget luvs apple, but Chris Ziegler is different, he is a S60 fan as he said in another post.

So stop being so critical and be glad someone still cares about world's #1 smartphone manufacturer in this blog. (oh the irony)

Neutral

namtastic @ Apr 17th 2008 1:05PM

"If the N95-3 is anything to go by, the N95-4 will never see this update."

This could not be more true.

Signed,
An N95-3 owner

PS: Nokia, please prove us wrong.

Neutral

Engadgetluvsappl @ Apr 17th 2008 12:59PM

Fernando, to me it doesn't seem like he(or any of the Engadget crew) cares.

I feel that if they're not going to put any effort into these Nokia/S60 stories then there's no point in posting them at all. For example, Nokia's Q1 results were posted today with some interesting figures and revelations, but of course there's nothing on it here. I may say this alot but you all know it's true: If it were Apple's results, they would be up here in no-time.

He may claim to be a S60 fan, but it doesn't look that way to me...

Highly Ranked

Chris Ziegler @ Apr 17th 2008 1:14PM

Looking through your comment history, sir, I see that *you're* the fanboy here, not me. And let's be honest: only a Nokia fanboy could have the stones to pull the Apple card when I post an upbeat Nokia story.

Find a new angle, man.

Neutral

carlo2 @ Apr 18th 2008 2:16AM

I agree on the n95-3 limbo thing. It's a little frustrating, but the phone as it is is just amazing.

They thought of everything, 3d ringtones are fun. I just want embedded flash.

Neutral

Mattmoo @ Apr 17th 2008 3:52PM

Engadgetluvsappl whilst i am also a mega fan of the N95 8GB having only owned it for 4 weeks and loving it, i have to say your comment history does look a bit fanboy stylee.

To be fair if you were not so biased with your comments as well as your generally tone maybe people would take you more seriously and after all if you don;t like engadget you can stop subscribing.

As for the news, i had not heard about this although i am on Vodafone's firmware and i heard i had to wait until they released their own version is this true?

Matt

Highly Ranked

Engadgetluvsappl @ Apr 17th 2008 5:25PM

Ziegler, I guess I am a fanboy then. Oh well.

What is this Apple card that you're talking about? Isn't it true that all Apple stories are covered on Engadget Mobile aswell as Engadget classic? Isn't it also true that this isn't the situation for Nokia news? Quake 2 running on the N95 with Accelerometer control... Months before the iPhone/iPod touch - no mention. That's just one example.

Before someone comes saying that I should go to a different blog, hear me out first. I like this blog and I don't care that there's a plethora of Apple posts being churned out... I know how to scroll down a page. All I want is that other manufacturer's stories aren't treated like they're less important.

So, Chris, I'll find a new angle when you start posting Nokia's quarterly results, for example.

Neutral

Goofytek @ Apr 18th 2008 6:43AM

Quote: "based on the device's in-built accelerometers (why this wasn't functional out of the box is beyond us, considering the requisite hardware was already in place)"

The accelerometers was active out of the box. It was use to tell which way you was holding the unit when using the camera in portrait or landscape. So when you view the photos in the gallery, they all will be correctly displayed.

Unless you was solely talking about the auto rotate function with them, they used it for the N82, so maybe they was thinking, "Oh why not" =)

Neutral

JonnyBruha @ Apr 19th 2008 1:28PM

Back on topic, 3rd party software isn't a hack, which both Chris from EM and Will from IntoMobile have so mistakenly labeled it. RotateMe has been around for years now, manually rotating phones like the N80 that do not have orientation sensors.

The only tie I can see between this and Apple is that HACKS like Installer applications are somehow redefining what 3rd party software truly is.

Neutral

Billy Thurston @ May 5th 2008 9:25AM

when will the new firmware update (v20.0.016) be available in the UK. My phone is locked on vodafone and i am aware that might elongate the release. Engadgetluvsappl said that the update was already available but when i looked on NSU and nokia service center it said that my phone was up to date, i have v15.0.015.

any help on this matter would be much appreciated

thanks