Phone maker launches how-to app tutorials for smartphone users

Nokia has launched a series of web-based tutorials designed to help prospective app buyers understand the functions and uses of applications they are interested in purchasing.

"One tricky part of buying mobile applications is that very often - unless you've read an in-depth review or have seen the app working on a friend's device - you don't know quite what you're getting. Yes, the description says what it can do, but can it do those things well? You normally don't know until you've got it" explains Nokia on their Nokia Conversations blog on June 1.

The new web-based tutorials are designed to take the "pain" out of purchasing paid applications on the Ovi platform. Each tutorial comes with step-by-step instructions that will help you complete specific tasks and make sure you get the most out of your app.

For the moment, Nokia's selection of only five application tutorials pales in comparison to the multitude of app reviews that can be found on dedicated Nokia application review sites like http://nokiapp.com/, http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/all/Applications/, and http://www.nokiaapps.co.uk/. They are, however, much more useful for prospective application buyers, providing a look at the key application features, screenshots, and instructions about how to use the application to its full potential.

In the future Nokia plans to release one new application tutorial per week. Nokia tutorials can be found by clicking on the "Tutorials" link at the top of the page on http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/.