I’m really excited about Nokia’s new Remote Device Access program for Forum Nokia members, including free members.
A similar service has been available from Device Anywhere for some time now, but the service isn’t free (but definitely a lot cheaper than purchasing half a dozen test devices). I’m excited that Nokia have opened up a device testing service with a wide array of devices from the 5500 to the N95 to all developers including shareware and open source developers. It looks like I have 40 credits and a half hour with a device costs 2 credits, so it looks like I have the potential to test for up to 20 hours with my free Forum Nokia membership.
Here are some screenshots from the Java-based interface:
Nokia Remote Device Access device list
Nokia Remove Device Access N95 information
Nokia Remote Device Access N95 standby screen
Nokia Remote Device Access N95 home screen
Nokia Remote Device Access S60 browser
Nokia Remote Device Access maps
By default the bit-depth isn’t quite the same as the device (see Heikki’s comment below), so there’s a bit of dithering and as expected there’s a slight delay, but it’s definitely the next best thing to having a device in your hands. I was a bit disoriented when I put the S60 browser in horizontal mode and continued to use it with a vertical keypad, but that’s to be expected.
I think it’s a great testing tool and can’t wait to make use of it in the future.