Nokia has quietly opened Ovi marketplace to the US and elsewhere, giving Symbian users the world over an app store to call their own. And from the looks of it, it’s a nice one. UPDATED
The web interface is attractive and easy to use, with a simple “Send to Mobile” button serving in lieu of a central transfer program like iTunes. App selection is fairly thin right now, with quick, easy repackaged content apps making up the bulk of the first wave, but there are some promising early signs, like the availability of mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and tethering apps, and somehow, there isn’t a single novelty fart app. Symbian users, let us know how it works in the comments.
https://gizmodo.com/giz-explains-all-the-smartphone-mobile-app-stores-5199933
UPDATE: Official US access looks like it’ll be delayed for a while, unfortunately. Boooo.
UPDATE 2: Contrary to the above PC World piece, Ovi is open to the US; it just won’t support carrier billing (credit cards are fine) until later this year.
[Ovi—Thanks, Tim]
