Qik has announced that its video streaming software will come pre-installed on Nokia’s just-launched 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone – the first deal of its kind for the still-young startup. The deal marks a big win for Qik, as it will expose the company to a wide audience while removing its biggest barrier to entry (many mobile phone users are reluctant to download and install new software).
Qik allows users to stream live video recordings directly from their phones over Wi-Fi or high-speed data networks, effectively turning the phone into a “mobile television studio”. These videos can be viewed live on Qik’s homepage or in embeddable players scattered across the web (all videos are archived for future reference). The software is available for a variety of phone models (you can see the full list here), including jailbroken versions for the iPhone, though Apple has yet to allow any video apps on the App Store.
The deal may help give Qik a leg up on its competitors Kyte and FlixWagon, neither of which come preinstalled on any phones.
Update: Now we’re being told that Qik is actually part of the “Downloads!” folder on the phone. This basically means that it’s displayed as a featured shortcut that will download the client in a few seconds (you won’t have to manually find it), but the client won’t be there until you hit the icon the first time.
Here’s a video demoing the process:
http://qik.com/swfs/qik_player.swf
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