Nokia may be making Windows Phone its primary smartphone operating system, but if it doesn’t pester Microsoft to stick some of MeeGo’s greatest features into the Mango update or future versions, how shall we put it? We’re going to have a problem. Read on as we look at the best bits of MeeGo on the Nokia N9 we’d really like to see copied. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Swipe to unlock
While we like the ability to take a photo while the handset is locked with Windows Phone 7, we love the Nokia N9′s buttonless unlock. You just double tap the screen, swipe and you’re in.
Multitasking cards at a glance
Android (on mobiles, not tablets) and iOS both use boring stock icons to show which apps are open when you jump to their respective task bar/multitasking bars. In other words, you can’t see what web page you’re looking at.
Windows Phone does use screenshots, but you have to roll through them all one by one – MeeGo stuffs plenty onto one screen, and you can see them all at a glance just by swiping vertically from the top or bottom of the screen. More of this please Microsoft.
Intuitive copy and paste
Select some text. Swipe back (left( to copy. Swipe forward (well, right) to paste. Jobs a good’un. Microsoft’s implementation arrived far too late, and while it’s farily elegant, it’s still not as fast and easy as this.
Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot
Windows Phone needs the ability to use a 3G connection as a Wi-Fi hotspot pronto. Android has it. iPhone has it. Even Symbian has it – and of course, MeeGo does to.
TV-out. Somehow. Anyhow.
The Nokia N9 doesn’t offer HDMI-out TV connectivity, but it does kick it old school with TV-out through the 3.5mm headphone socket, like many Nokia Symbian phones before it. Want to do the same on Windows Phone? You’ll have to use the Play To app exclusive to LG’s Optimus 7 phone, and hope it streams your file.
