News - Nokia extends Symbian Anna software update to U.S. market

News - Six months after first introducing its Symbian Anna software update, Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is rolling out the upgrade to the U.S. market. The @NokiaUS Twitter feed confirmed Symbian Anna's arrival on U.S. shores, adding the update is available either as an over-the-air download or via the Nokia Suite desktop connection across the Nokia C6-01, E7 and N8 smartphones.

Launched in conjunction with the Nokia E6 and Nokia X7, Symbian Anna includes new icons and usability enhancements. Highlights include split-screen viewing while typing as well as a faster, easier-to-use browser, virtual portrait Qwerty for more efficient typing, and refreshed Ovi Maps integrating new public transportation routes.

Although Nokia is embracing Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system as its primary smartphone platform moving forward, the handset maker says it plans to ship 150 million new Symbian-based devices and will continue serving its existing installed base of 200 million Symbian handsets. In April, Nokia reported that its current customer base is now responsible for more than 5 million Nokia Store downloads each day, adding that users of the latest Symbian devices account for about 15 percent of each day's downloads.