The first official OS2008 update came to Nokia’s internet tablets late last year, and those yearning for yet another can finally breath a sigh of relief. Reportedly, the company has pushed out the OS2008 Feature Upgrade for the N810 and N800, but we are told that users will still need to “reflash the device in order to install this release.” Thankfully, future OS updates are slated to be provided over-the-air without the need to reflash. The changelog is actually quite lengthy, but the highlights include an open source email application based on Modest and the tinymail framework, simplified account setup and the introduction of Chinese character rendering support in email, browser and RSS feeds. Let us know how it goes, will ya?

[Image courtesy of Seartipy, thanks Ryan]

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It’s been a solid tick since the North American N95, also referred to as the N95-3, received a software update. For those clamoring for a little love from Nokia’s dev team, listen up: an administrator over at the outfit’s forums has admitted that the Software Update crew has a new version in the works. We’re told that they’ve heard the demands for a fresh release, and they’re toiling away in order to bring it to N95-3 owners by early June. Unfortunately, we’re not told what new features we can expect, and even worse, “early June” seems like eons away, doesn’t it?

[Via Symbian-Guru]

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If you want to see the future of Nokia handset design then you have to go to the source. Finnish-based Provoke Design is one of Nokia’s main design contractors. As such, take a close look at the three concepts it’s showing off in New York at the HARDCORE New Finish Design exhibition starting May 17th. According to Provoke, its Express, Share, and Feel concepts (pictured left to right) represent its 2012 vision of mobile handset design. Each will be presented as fully functional prototypes “demonstrating the core innovation” proposed. The look of the Express concept can be changed electronically and customized to your personal tastes. The Feel handset pair are meant for couples and feature a specialized UI and touch simulation to enable, uh hem, “deep communication.” The Share concept allows cults and anarchists to communicate in personalized code formed in subgroups of like-minded weirdos… or something like that. Read for yourself in the press release posted after the break.

Nokia just announced a trio of “Beautiful to use” Nokia handsets with its Nokia 6600 slide, 6600 fold, and 3600 slide. The €250 6600 fold is said to smoothly arc open with the press of a button to reveal a 2.13-inch OLED display sporting 16 million colors. It also features tap commands. When off, a double-tap of the monolithic cover reveals the time, messages and missed calls. A double-tap also snoozes alerts and silences or rejects incoming phone calls. The €275 6600 slide (pictured left) features the same tap technology but bumps the digital camera up from 2 to 3.2 megapixels with a 2.2-inch QVGA display based on LCD tech, presumably. The 3600 slide offers the same camera with built-in background noise cancellation — a first for a Nokia handset — for a respectable €175. All three ship in Q3.

Nothing shows your complete and unwavering devotion to a handset maker like buying an ultra-rare vehicle with its logos on there, wouldn’t you agree? Those vigorously nodding up and down (well, those vigorously nodding up and down in Brazil) can get set to grab a limited edition Renault Sandero, which will come “fully equipped with Nokia’s navigation system and [undisclosed] car add-ons.” The super-special Sandero will come stocked with an N95 and cost around €17,650 ($27,693), but you’d better hurry, as only 1,000 of these niche motorcars are being built. It’s like Nokia heard your cries for letting the chance to nab one of those co-branded Twingos slip through your too-busy-texting thumbs or something.

While we patiently wait for Nokia’s current, “no major new products” fiscal quarter to expire, we’ll have to trudge through releases like these 5320 (left) and 5220 (your other left) candybars. As members of the XpressMusic range the devices themselves are fine. Unfortunately, fine isn’t going to win back that 1% lost market share. The 3G HSDPA 5320 (€220 / $351) features dedicated music and N-Gage gaming keys, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, up to 24-hours of play time, up to 8GB of expandable storage, and a “Say and Play” voice controlled playlist; speak the name of the artist or song you want and the phone will play it. The (€160 / $255) 5220 removes the HSDPA but adds a lanyard… hoorah!? Expect both to land in Europe sometime in Q3 2008.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/

Step aside Universal Music, Sony BMG is now offering its catalog of music on Nokia’s Comes With Music service. You know, the freebie, all you can eat music download service expected to launch mid-2008 (oops) “second half” of 2008. Remember, you’ll have to buy a Comes with Music device first and the free download period from the Nokia Music Store (to your PC or phone) only lasts for 12 months. Still, consumers keep the downloaded (and DRM’d) tracks at the end of the period and “can transfer their downloaded material by substituting their new [Comes with Music] device or computer for the original devices” later on. While no Comes with Music devices have been announced yet, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Nokia’s touch-screen Tube or some other S60 touch device was first.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/