Nokia MiniMap makes small work of the web

MiniMap browser works by creating a tiny image of an entire web page which can then be magnified

Nokia has lined up a new mobile phone browser that enables users to read web pages without having to fit the entire page onto a small screen.

MiniMap was unveiled at Nokia's Mobility Conference 2005 in Barcelona as part of its N series, and will be available on all new Nokia phones using Symbian's Series 60 platform.

The browser works by creating a tiny image of an entire web page and then allowing the user to move a magnifying panel over the section they wish to view.

"This is very different to any browser on the market at the moment," said Anssi Vanjoki, general manager for multimedia at Nokia.

"It's a browser that will truly make the phone an internet device. It's bringing consumers a new way of browsing the web."

The browser supports dynamic HTML and RSS and allows for text searching of a web page from the phone.

The Nokia N series consists of the N92, N71 and N80, all of which allow users to watch and record live TV and transfer music and video files to home PCs and printers.

The N80 features Wi-Fi connectivity, and the N92 has a built-in digital video receiver allowing users to watch and record live TV. The N71 features a stereo FM radio and a music and video player, as well as MiniMap.

Clearly targeting RIM's BlackBerry and its clones, Nokia's E60, E61 and E70 are all designed for easy, secure emailing.

The MiniMap browser is based on WebCore and JavaScriptCore components from Apple's Safari browser and is fully open source.

"Safari WebKit's performance, code base and support for open standards make it an ideal open source technology for projects like the new web browser for Symbian's Series 60," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.

The devices represent a leap from mobile phones to a form of handheld computer that can swap content with electronic equipment in the home as well as provide secure email.

The company has just launched three new handsets which it describes as "multimedia computers" and not mobile phones.

Nokia hopes that this will help it grab a large share of the emerging market for 'converged' mobile devices.

According to Nokia's own figures, web browsing accounts for over 60 per cent of the data traffic for mobile phones and these figures increase further at higher data rates like 3G.

All the handsets are due to be available by the middle of next year.