Nokia Debuts Symbian Belle Update
Aug 24, 2011, 7:32 AM by Eric M. Zeman
Nokia today took the wraps off a new version of Symbian, called Belle. The most significant update to the system includes refreshed widgets and home screen graphics. The widgets are resizable, and include toggle functionality (to turn Bluetooth on/off, for example). Symbian Belle ups the number of home screens from three to six, allowing for far more user customization. It also adds an Android-like drop-down notification shade to the status bar so users can quickly see their incoming notifications. Belle features slicker navigation between menus and screens; new applications from Microsoft (OneNote, SharePoint, Exchange ActiveSync); support for near-field communications; and updated multitasking that makes it easier to switch between open apps. Symbian Belle will be available on new handsets in the coming months, and will also be made available as an update to the Nokia N8, E7, C7, C6-01, X7, E6 and 500.