Nokia Updates Beta Suite Desktop Sync, Adds Partial Support for N9

Nokia has updated its bleeding edge Beta version of the Nokia Suite desktop client to version 3.5 for Windows, which adds partial support for the still popular MeeGo-based N9 smartphone. The updated beta client allows for the following functionality with the N9:

• Saving your text messages
• Transferring multimedia items, such as music, photos and video, to and from the PC
• Downloading of important software updates to your phone
• Nokia Maps data sync
• over the wire software updates

Major functionality missing from the initial N9 support includes lack of contact sync and Nokia Store access on the desktop client, but is expected to be remedied in future updates. With the Beta Suite update, Nokia may be quietly holding to its commitment to support the N9 outside of standard device updates, but what remains to be seen is whether that extended support will remain in place, since the team that managed both MeeGo and the N9 internally for Nokia are now a part of Jolla Mobile, which would make further N9 support difficult, if not impossible as well as the recent reveal that Nokia will shut down the Qt Australia office at the end of the month, ending its four year venture with the software framework.

As the phone is also officially discontinued, that puts another wrinkle into long-term support plans, as the remaining stock is dwindling rapidly and new units ceased to be manufactured since the middle of last year, with the majority of stock being held by third-party resellers and select carriers in Latin America and India, where the phone was an unexpected surprise hit and held its own against Android and the iPhone.