Nokia first unveiled its vision for a next-generation Internet Tablet device when it announced plans for Maemo 5—a new version of the Linux-based tablet operating system—at the Open Source in Mobile event last year in Berlin. Early plans indicated that the OS would be paired with a device that would include 3G connectivity and an OMAP3 processor. Ever since that announcement, mobile Linux enthusiasts have eagerly anticipated the arrival of an actual Maemo 5 device.
A Nokia product codenamed RX-51 recently cleared FCC approval and has now appeared in leaked photos that made their way onto the Internet; it appears to be the long-awaited Maemo 5 product. The source code of Maemo 5 provided some early clues about the RX-51 last year. Maemo fans have been poring through it and documenting various technical details that provide insight into the hardware.
The new pictures also seem to indicate that the device is a phone, and not just a Web tablet like its predecessors. This would be a major step forward for Maemo and could reflect a more Linux-centric mobile strategy for Nokia. The handset maker announced a project earlier this year called ofono, which seeks to build a complete telephony stack for mobile Linux platforms. The emergence of ofono and Nokia's move to make Maemo a viable smartphone platform has raised a lot of questions about the company's commitment to its other mobile OS, Symbian.
Nokia acquired Symbian last year; its phones ship with its own S60 variant of the OS, which is increasingly anachronistic compared to modern smartphone platforms. Nokia's plan of opening the Symbian platform appeared to be part of a move to modernize and strengthen it. Several reports have emerged this year, including one in the past few days, saying that sources close to Nokia are suggesting that the handset giant sees Symbian as a dead end and is preparing to move entirely to Linux.
