Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong on May 5th - with PR1.2 & extra goodies!
 

According to Chinese.WindAndMac.com, Nokia will officially announce the Nokia N900 Hong Kong Edition in a press conference to be held on next Thursday (April 29th 2010). Stocks will be immediately available in local shops thereafter.

Wilson Communications Limited, a company that operates eletronic product retail chain stores in Hong Kong, has worked with Nokia Hong Kong to organize an N900 experience session in Mongkok last night (April 23rd 2010). Alan Mok, Product Marketing Manager, GTM Markets, Nokia Hong Kong and Macau, gave a brief introduction of the forthcoming N900 Hong Kong edition to the attendees.

In addition to the features that we already know, I was a bit surprised to see the following features being mentioned and demonstrated:

• Nokia has not provided any official Chinese support up to the current firmware version (PR1.1.1). Currently, Chinese users who bought their N900 from overseas would have to use community-created UI and MSCIM input method packages. In last night's session, Nokia demonstrated the Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese User Interfaces and input method support that would be provided as built-in features in Nokia N900 Hong Kong Edition. The official Chinese UI look and feel very similar to the community-created versions. Built-in input methods provided are Cangjei, Pinyin, Zhuyin, and the Chinese handwriting solution developed by Penpower, These input methods all based on the MSCIM engine, created and maintained by FirstFan and maintained by the communities.
  
  
  
  http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...Support-UI.jpg
  
  http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...eseSupport.jpg
  
  Youtube video
  
  
• The Hong Kong edition will have the yet-to-be-released Maemo 5 PR1.2 built in. New features include enhanced application menu, night mode camera, and many more new features and bug fixes. Full change log can be found here.
  
• The Hong Kong edition will NOT provide the FM transmitter hardware and software due to legal restrictions in Hong Kong. However, FM radio module will still be provided.
  
• The N900 Hong Kong edition will also be the first smartphone ever to support Skype and Google Talk video conferencing. I'm not sure if this is part of the PR1.2 features, but this is really a great feature that must be highlighted. However, native 3G video call is still not yet supported.

As an existing N900 user based in Hong Kong, I really wish that I can download the Hong Kong edition firmware from the Nokia N900 firmware site so that I can flash it to my US-edition phone. I wish I can also get the PenPower Chinese handwriting solution from either the Hong Kong edition firmware; or through a free / paid download from Ovi Store.

Of course, it will even be better if Nokia can release the PR1.2 firmware to all language variants as soon as possible!!;)

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I wonder if this means that song sorting in the media player is fixed for, hopefully all, Asian languages.

Do you know if the handwriting input engine is open source?

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

sounds good, sounds like we may get PR1.2 next week as it will be on the chinese n900

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

So I guess Tuesday 27th April is when we may see PR 1.2 as an update.

(or rather this is my hope).

I must admit not having the FM transmitter hardware and software would have made me less likely to purchase the N900. This feature makes the N900 a great device for road trips.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

- *man writes on the N900*
- character shown on the N900
- Crowd goes:* OOOOOH.... *

Lol... :D I like the video

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

If pr 1.2 will be installed on handsets to be shipped and sold in Hong Kong by next week (on the 27th), then it's clearly been finished for some time. Release it for the rest of us, already!!

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Hope next week has something for us -- current and long-time (early bird) N900 users..

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwP1bW7ieaM


Is this PR1.2 on his device???

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

So my guess of an April 30th release for Pr1.2 might be spot on :D In any case it should be somewhere around the 29th.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

That's why god qwerty12 gave us fmtx-faker.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I made this video and my N900 is a PR1.1.1 one (US edition). I just installed MSCIM and that's why I can type Chinese.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Thnx for clarifying the situation :)

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

An official chinese support is very welcomed.
I uninstalled MSCIM once I realized it disabled the virtual keyboard and english dictionary

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I hope they will include the Chinese support in the international version firmware soon, or some good soul here will make a custom firmware combining the goodies.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

hmm.... what do u what to fake when the hw is missing.... read proper.... there is only a reciever and no transmitter...

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Amanda I have always been wishing to thank you for your hard work on the input method pack! I'm from Hong Kong and I must say the decision to acquire a N900 is mostly fuelled by the your input method. Thank you very much.

I was trying to establish a Hong Kong or I should say a traditional Chinese community for N900. Any suggestions or it there's some out there except Mobile01 please do let me know.

Once again thank you very much for your great attitude in developing N900.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I wonder if the Skype videoconferencing is true. Or if it's a journalist/blogger misinterpreting SIPP and Google Talk video chat.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Yup. They physically removed it from the chip. With a chisel. :rolleyes:

Read: There is only one board for the N900. When it is shipped to some countries, the transmitter is being disabled.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Off topic but in respond to your question, I think there is none... if you want to set up a site, maybe I can contribute...

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Finally!!! THE long await PR1.2 is coming out to HONG KONG!! But where is mine??
USA N900

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

yeah! i hope this new firmware is still OVERCLOCKable

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Good news.
I hope this will bring PR 1.2 to Europe, too.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

good news. i wonder if it will officially hit australian shores.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

^^^ Yes, let's combine all threads into this ONE.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Looks like video calls for both Skype and GTalk is been confirmed for PR 1.2. Very nice :)

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

finally 1.2 is near
heeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

release on april 27th would make a nice bday present for me!

don't want to lose the overclock though, i couldn't go back to 600!

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

little bit OT: few weeks ago I was visiting Hong Kong and I was about to buy 16GB microSD card to my n900. Seller offered me 8GB card with prize just belove 1600HKD. I asked why it's so expensive. He tried to explain me that N900 can use that kind of microSD card as like extra swap memory having some kind of micro prosessor inside. I did not believe him. Now I regret why did I not even test it. Memory card _just for storage_ was 600HKD (16GB).
Have you ever heard about that kind of "special" microSD ? In my opinion he was BStting me.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

He was bsing you...sortof. The N900 won't do that by default, but if you hacked around with the N900 you could get it to do it.

He was probably thinking of the n800 and n810 where that was common.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

The only thing that could explain it was if that was a high-speed one (Class 6) which are generally more useful as swap than Class 2, but if so he clearly didn't understand what he was talking about.

Maybe PR1.2 will allow swap on SD cards? As Laughing Man said, current software won't do it without a little hacking.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

@amandalam: On the chinese Nokia web site, there is something called 3rd party apps, and there are 2 apps looks interesting, miniGPS and TigerMaps. Do you have any experience with these 2 apps on N900? Just curious. Especially TigerMaps looked very interesting.

TIA,

bun

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Those are symbian apps. They won't work on n900 since its base is Maemo

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I didn't do the input method part, FIrstFan did. I was doing the UI translation only :p

I had established a facebook group somewhile go. If you have facebook, feel free to join: http://groups.to/hkmaemo/ :cool:

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

http://www.allphones.com.au/showcase/nokia.asp

seems it might :D

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

That would be interesting. In the N900, FM radio reception is provided by a Broadcom BCM2048 chip--which also provides FM transmission and Bluetooth. So, removing the FM transmission hardware would mean swapping the BCM2048 out for another chip or chips and a complete redesign of the N900's electronics.

It would also mean the N900 variant for China would take different firmware, so PR1.2 for them wouldn't equal PR1.2 for everyone else.

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

I doubt it would be removed from hardware level too; but at least Nokia needs to be "political correct" and make a very clear "official position" that the N900 to be sold in HK will not include the FM transmitter in order to obey the local laws here. :p

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Passed through Mongkok today where Wilson and Citicall were both promoting the N900. The large scale N900 displays plugged into the video out of phone were cool. The guys in Nokia/Maemo shirts were running around with working units to play with and there were some promo models. Was in a hurry and the model photo guys were getting annoying so only had a chance for 2 quick questions.

Asked if the US model could be flashed with HK release and was told it could not. Really want that hand writing recognition ! I can only use Jyutping and the other input methods are painful with my limited chinese. Sure someone will figure out getting it on other models.

Asked if Maps was fixed for China and sadly the answer was no :(
Was told they are aware of problem and "maybe will be fixed later". So looks like Maps is still useless for China. Will have to go back and try it for my self.

Hoping for a world wide update for PR1.2 !

https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B8zDx...download&hl=en

http://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B8zDxH...download&hl=en

http://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B8zDxH...download&hl=en

-Jonan

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Is PR1.2 update for N900 just designed for HongKong version? Or is there a separate one for other countries?

Re: Nokia N900 will be officially launched in Hong Kong - with PR1.2 built-in and some extra goodies!!
 

Great pics Jonan!! I will go there and have a look tomorrow too :D