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What I learnt in Dubai: Software

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What I learnt in Dubai: Software

madbilly madbilly
Super User  /  edited January 2019

Hi everyone!

Following my post about the general Q&A we had with @juho, here's the parts of the Q&A which related to software and also some things I learnt later in the evening:

Customizing Android One:

  • It is an option they have
  • I.e. some customisations are possible, but Juho didn't go into details about what
  • I will post another thread on the focus group session we had with the HMD representative for marketing in the MENA region in which we got some more hints about what might be possible

Call recording:

  • HMD are aware that people want this and it's very important in some markets

OZO audio API

  • Wilson asked about the possibility of an audio recorder which uses OZO Audio
  • Juho said he didn't realise this was something that people wanted but it should be easy to do and could be made available as an optional download on the Play store
  • I also mentioned that many people would like the API for OZO Audio to available to other apps but Juho didn't comment on this.

Bootloader unlocking:

  • Juho respects that the developer community wants this
  • It requires a lot of work from the software development team to provide official solutions for this
  • Doing this on the whole range is not feasible due to limited resources
  • He may poll on Twitter or something to ask which one next.
  • Post Q&A a few of us talked about this in more detail and think that it won't be enough for the development community to provide an official unlocking method for devices which are more than 6 months old (certainly more than a year old is too long)
  • What HMD should do is produce a device with the specific intention of providing developers with an official method of unlocking the bootloader, source code and device trees from launch, not several months to a year later

Custom software/ROMs:

  • Importing a phone from China and installing the Global ROM will prevent the OTA updates from being received
  • More generally, this would apply to all models, if you install a ROM onto a phone for which it's not intended, OTA updates may/will not work
  • Personally, I think HMD should make a strong effort to crack down on the unofficial sellers who are selling Chinese market phones with Global ROMs installed, because they're damaging the Nokia brand

Different models for different markets:

  • Each specific radio configuration for each markets won't necessarily work in all others
  • Antennas are tuned in each TA model variant for the frequencies they expect to be used with
  • So, whilst it might be possible (unofficially) to change the ROM and/or activate different frequencies in the modem configuration, there's no guarantee that those frequencies will actually work

After the Q&A we went to the event, mingled with the HMD staff and partners, journalists and the many “influencers” who were present. Here’s a few things I learnt about software whilst chatting with a gentleman from HMD’s MENA (middle east and north Africa) office in Dubai who was responsible for the various approvals needed to sell HMD’s devices in those markets:

  • Approvals generally don't require software changes – HMD have already done all the testing themselves before the approval stage and the most demanding approvals (e.g. FCC, CE, EEC, TENAA) are normally sufficient for all other markets
  • It's only the first software version for a device which needs approvals, not OTA updates
  • Except on network branded devices, as the network provider wants to test every update to ensure compatibility with their system.

And after the software discussion I learnt a little more about HMD in general:

  • 60 percent of HMD staff are former Nokia (so therefore I assume were transferred first from Nokia to Microsoft then from Microsoft to HMD)
  • They don't have a staff presence in all markets, instead they have partnerships with local specialists where it makes sense.

Right that's all I can remember, over to you all, especially @SeqTre, @nitheesh, @sajwaz, @singhnsk, @wilson shrestha, @juho lemmetyinen, @nokianchetan and @morozshaun :)

Comments

  • stipe1906 stipe1906
    ✭✭✭  / 
    Really interesting post. Thanks for this. :) The part about making OZO Audio API available for 3rd party apps is impossible, I think, because HMD pays Nokia a license to use the APIs, so other apps using it for free means that either HMD will have to pay for them or Nokia will give up on monetizing OZO, which I don't think they will do (doesn't make sense).
  • nitheesh nitheesh
    ✭✭✭✭  /  edited December 2018
    @madbilly you have a good memory :). It's a helpful section. Cheers!!!

    It's not related to software, but we also discussed hybrid sim slot and the screencasting options too.
    The interesting thing is, they are not thought about the dedicated sim slots.

    Hope, we can expect the dedicated sim slots by upcoming devices

    You can explain these things also very well...
  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    @stipe1906 yes, your explanation about OZO Audio makes sense. I hadn't thought that app makers would also have to pay a licence to Nokia to use the API, not only the device maker for providing it (and the certified hardware).

    However, maybe Nokia are missing out on something here - if they make the API free to use for apps and only the device makers have to pay for it, then this may encourage more apps to use it, which would make it more popular and ultimately more device makers may want to include OZO Audio which may be more profitable for Nokia overall.

    @nitheesh hybrid-SIM slots and screencasting was raised in the focus group session we did the day after the event. I was going to post a separate topic about the focus group when I have time.

    Cheers :)
  • nitheesh nitheesh
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    Wilson asked about the possibility of an audio recorder which uses OZO Audio

    @madbilly I think @wilson shrestha also asked the possibility to implement the OZO audio in the video recording. What do you think?

  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    @nitheesh as far as I know the HMD camera app already uses OZO Audio for video recording, if the device supports it. I think @wilson shrestha was asking about a dedicated app for recording audio only, using OZO Audio.
  • nitheesh nitheesh
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    @madbilly sorry for the misunderstanding :)
  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    Please please no need to apologise, we're just chatting :) I've misunderstood lots of things and you've helped me understand :)
  • nitheesh nitheesh
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    :)
  • SeqTre SeqTre
    ✭✭  /  edited December 2018
    @madbilly How do you manage to remember all this and that too in so much detail?
  • singhnsk singhnsk
    Super User  / 
    @madbilly Hate you for not leaving anything for me to say 🤧. Well summed up man! You're perfect at what you do :)

  • wilson shrestha wilson shrestha
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    madbilly said:
    @nitheesh as far as I know the HMD camera app already uses OZO Audio for video recording, if the device supports it. I think @wilson shrestha was asking about a dedicated app for recording audio only, using OZO Audio.
    Yup, you got that right @madbilly I was asking for the same thing. 
    :)
  • wilson shrestha wilson shrestha
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    SeqTre said:
    @madbilly How do you manage to remember all this and that too in so much detail?
    I think @madbilly was secretly recording the whole conversation on his phone. 
     😂
    Just kidding!
  • wilson shrestha wilson shrestha
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    singhnsk said:
    @madbilly Hate you for not leaving anything for me to say 🤧. Well summed up man! You're perfect at what you do :)

    Yup, @madbilly is too good. I don't even remember what I ate yesterday for dinner and he manages to remember all this and explain it so nicely. 
    😂

  • wilson shrestha wilson shrestha
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    Same as @stipe1906I too personally don't think Nokia has to make the OZO Audio API available to 3rd party software developers if Nokia themselves manages to pull off a good audio recording app and use this OZO Audio feature on other native apps of theirs where ever it may seem fit.

    @madbilly OZO Audio is one of the many things that makes Nokia unique so I don't think Nokia would want other device makers to use this feature on their device. So, even if it will be profitable for Nokia in the end I think Nokia won't sell this.

    stipe1906 said:
    Really interesting post. Thanks for this. :) The part about making OZO Audio API available for 3rd party apps is impossible, I think, because HMD pays Nokia a license to use the APIs, so other apps using it for free means that either HMD will have to pay for them or Nokia will give up on monetizing OZO, which I don't think they will do (doesn't make sense).

    madbilly said:
    @stipe1906 yes, your explanation about OZO Audio makes sense. I hadn't thought that app makers would also have to pay a licence to Nokia to use the API, not only the device maker for providing it (and the certified hardware).

    However, maybe Nokia are missing out on something here - if they make the API free to use for apps and only the device makers have to pay for it, then this may encourage more apps to use it, which would make it more popular and ultimately more device makers may want to include OZO Audio which may be more profitable for Nokia overall.

    @nitheesh hybrid-SIM slots and screencasting was raised in the focus group session we did the day after the event. I was going to post a separate topic about the focus group when I have time.

    Cheers :)


  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    @wilson shrestha There's a difference between HMD and Nokia. Nokia own the Nokia brand all of the IP for OZO Audio. HMD licence the Nokia brand and OZO Audio from Nokia. This means that Nokia could licence OZO Audio to other manufacturers if they wanted to. I agree that it might be a bit confusing and might be detrimental to HMD's sales of Nokia phones, but if Nokia decide they can make more money by licencing OZO Audio to other manufacturers then I think they will - Nokia (apart from networking products) are all about IP and licensing it now.
  • wilson shrestha wilson shrestha
    ✭✭✭✭  / 
    Thanks for the further information on the topic @madbilly.
  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    @SeqTre @singhnsk @wilson shrestha I was taking notes during this Q&A ;)
  • madbilly madbilly
    Super User  / 
    :D
    No, I didn't record the Q&A, I just took notes.
  • suraj krishna suraj krishna
    ✭✭  /  edited January 2019
    If nokia ever got around to customising their android one software, a ful screen gesture navigation system ( like their Chinese variants) is certainly something that I wanna see on their global devices in the future.😀
  • user1525853904317 user1525853904317
     / 
    Well well Nokia is not giving up
  • heetteja heetteja
    ✭✭  / 
    You can easily play grand theft auto video game in your Nokia mobile check...
    https://gta-hub.com/
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