Nokia N900 is revolutionizing mobility!

[Cleverboy]

Ok, so I was recently reading an article on another Apple-related website, and saw this brazen, eye-catching ad from Nokia. Like the Droid ads hailing the device's game-changing nature, Nokia is shouting its "revolutionizing" qualities from the rooftops.

In 2007, I took a look at whether the Helio Ocean's device lived up to the iPhone-killer label it was trying to encourage (someone also revisited the question in 2008 comparing the 3G, with some interesting pros and cons). I like Nokia, but I'm looking at all the "shouting" and wondering if their recent lawsuits with Apple have everything to do with wanting full access to Apple's patents as well as a higher percentage of iPhone revenue than they currently get from other licensees who don't represent such a palpable threat.

Anyway. Here's the content of their latest product's website and ad:

NOKIA N900 IS REVOLUTIONIZING MOBILITY

VISIT: Official website
VISIT: Ad Landing Page

• 5-megapixel digital camera
• Carl Zeiss optical lens
• Dual LED flash
• 800 × 480 resolution video recording
• ARM Cortex - A8 superscalar microprocessor core running at 600 MHz
• Up to 1 GB of application memory (256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory)
• Linux-based operating system
• 3D graphics accelerator with OpenGL ES 2.0 support
• 32 GB internal storage
• Expandable to up to 48 GB with an external microSD card
• 3.5G and WLAN connectivity
• Quadband GSM with GPRS and EDGE
• Data transfers over a cellular network 10/2Mbps
• Data transfers over Wi-Fi 54Mbps
• Flash 9.4 support
• Full-screen browsing
• Touch-sensitive screen
• 3.5" WVGA display
• 800 × 480 resolution
• Tactile and onscreen QWERTY keyboards
• Removable battery
• Assisted-GPS receiver
• Ovi Maps pre-installed
• Maemo media player
• Music playback file formats: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a
• Built-in FM transmitter
• Ring tones: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a
• FR, EFR, WCDMA, and GSM AMR

What Everyone Are Saying:
"Replacing a CPU could help make the device much faster but it would kill margins. Hopefully the N900 is different. Can't wait to try it." - anon
"The Nokia N900 is a true mobile powerhouse in every sense of the word." - mobile-review
"N900 seems to have all S60 features and functions in it: Mail for Exchange, Maps, OVI Store, online sharing, etc. I'm impressed!"
"Nokia's N900 is on par with Palm Pre, iPhone thanks to its #ARM Cortex-A8 processor." - pmptoday.com
"I'm not a Nokia fan but I'm impressed by the N900. The lines between mobile phone & netbooks are really disappearing." - anon
"Now this is a mobile computer. Great official N900 site too." - anon

Processing power
At the heart of this mobile computer is its powerful 600 MHz processor and up to 1GB of application memory. The superscalar ARM processor delivers exceptional power and enables you to run all your applications quickly, smoothly, and simultaneously.

Large internal storage
The built-in 32 GB storage is big enough to store up to 7,000 of your favorite songs or 40 hours of DVD-quality video. And wit an external microSD card you can expand the storage to up to 48 GB.

Fast wireless broadband
For the first time get high-speed broadband that's as fast as an Internet connection at home. Enjoy rich interactive content across the web and view pages the way they should be seen with stunning full-schreen browsing.

High quality digital camera
Capture vivid images and DVD-quality widescreen video with the intergrated 5-megapixel camera. the Carl Zeiss optical lens brings added clarity, while the dual LED flash let's you take great pictures day or night.

Innovative design
Powerful hardware packed into a sleek, compact design. the Nokia N900 mobile computer features a sharp 800 x 480 touch-screen display and a fully integrated QWERTY keyboard.

Integrated A-GPS
Find your position quickly and accurately with the built-in Assisted-BPS receiver. The Nokia N900 works seemlessly with OVI Maps to give you the quickest available routes as you make you way from A to B.

MAEMO

A web browser like no other
The powerful Maemo Browser has a fast Mozilla engine and gives you full ccess to rich interactive content - just like a browser on your home computer.

Multitasking made easy
Tap the daskboard to follow everything at once. Keep track of missed calls or new emails, and switch instantly between open apps and ongoing conversations.

Personalize multiple desktops
Decide how you want your desktops to look. Add the calendar, map, and media player widgets, and choose your favorite application, contact, and website shortcuts.

Add context with geotags
Know exactly where your pictures were taken with automatic geotagging. Maemo turns GPS tags into familiar, user-friendly names.

Connect to all your friends
See the availability of your Ovi, Gtalk, Skype, and other IM contacts and choose the best way to get in touch - all from the same view.

So, some MAJOR items the N900 SmartPhone KILLS the iPhone (and Android) on... Flash support, 5 megapixel Carl Zeis lens, 800 x 480 touch screen, and DVD-quality video recording.

But, I have to say... out of the starting gate... I imagine the unlocked-version-only price is a non-starter for everyone looking at the iPhone 3Gs, Palm Pre and Motorola Droid.

http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/amazon-lowers-nokia-n900-price-down-to-480/

Basically the final price is $479.99 but in order to see that you will have to pay $529.99 and then fill out and send in to get your rebate back, which happens to be $50.

Still, all things considered this is not all that bad looking of a device, especially if paired with a T-Mobile SIM for connectivity.

Combine that with Apple's $229 iPod Touch alternative, and most people are left scratching their head about when the "revolution" is supposed to happen.

Couldn't Nokia crank in some subsidies and get a $199 version somewhere?
One error on Amazon.com certainly had early-bird deal hunters scrambling last year:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/dead-new-nokia-n900-us-199-probable-price-error-782512/2/

Nokia has always had super-high tech pricey phones that never enters the mainstream.
It would be nice to think they're looking to shake things up.

~ CB

 

[blancoBronco]

am I really supposed to read all that?

 

[Theclamshell]

I love my HTC droid, but that phone is pretty sick. The memory is very good, 256mb of ram and up to 768 virtual wow Nice post.

 

[BergerFan]

It's never been about specs alone. Nokia's N95, which was available before the original iPhone, had more impressive specs on paper, but as good a device as that is, the user experience(there's that phrase again) was certainly no revolution.

Judging by the N900 review videos, it's a handy device, but Nokia themselves are pitching it as a 'device that has phone capabilities' rather than a full-on smartphone, in the traditional sense.
The Maemo(pronounced My-moh) OS looks decent too, but it looks too geeky to cut it, in the mainstream space.
Also, when will Nokia join the capacative screen party?

 

[greygray]

I love my HTC droid, but that phone is pretty sick. The memory is very good, 256mb of ram and up to 768 virtual wow Nice post.

What's a HTC Droid? You mean a Nokia iPhone?

 

[ucfgrad93]

I would love to get my hands on an HTC HD2. Nokia just doesn't do anything for me.

 

[chris975d]

What's a HTC Droid? You mean a Nokia iPhone?

He means the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon, I would assume. The HTC Eris and the Motorola Droid (the one with the slide out keyboard, the one everyone associates with the "Droid" advertising) were actually released as both phones being in the "Droid" family of Verizon smartphones.

 

[Theclamshell]

He means the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon, I would assume. The HTC Eris and the Motorola Droid (the one with the slide out keyboard, the one everyone associates with the "Droid" advertising) were actually released as both phones being in the "Droid" family of Verizon smartphones.

yes, that

 

[greygray]

yes, that

Oh . . . I'm sorry.

 

[robj]

I really love this toy, but as you said is for techies and geeks.

Maemo offers A LOT of possibilities, and it's completely open. You can even run many of your linux favourite apps.

The problem with this N900 is the price. N800 and N770 wasn't so expensive, due to their lack of phone functionality.

If the price would be around $200 I'd go for one without any doubt.

 

[greygray]

I really love this toy, but as you said is for techies and geeks.

Maemo offers A LOT of possibilities, and it's completely open. You can even run many of your linux favourite apps.

Yup. But Android is more open . . . And Maemo is still a largely undeveloped platform due to the fact that it retails at a high price. In my country, Nokia does not sell it but only displays it besides the N97. Kind of weird.

 

[Cleverboy]

am I really supposed to read all that?

After the first two paragraphs, feel free to skim it. It's mostly info provided so that you don't have to jaunt all over iCreation to form an opinion.

I think something I'm seeing... is that a lot of the battles are going to be over PRICE, not simply spec. For all the criticism Apple gets, for what they're offering, their prices are VERY good (and sometimes unbeatable and uncontested due to the product's uniqueness).

For instance, its weird to me, that I see Palm PDA's and iPod Touches as competing devices now... yet, the iPod offers MUCH more... and generally costs MUCH less (by $100-$200 in many cases). This said... Apple's "profitability" leads Nokia (a recent analyst report)... yet they are making products available for less (while leaving some features out).

Apple has been lowering iPhone prices since it debuted as it optimized its production. I'm not sure how Nokia can "revolutionize" anything if most consumers (especially after a worldwide recession) cannot afford to participate in the "revolution". I'd love to hear Nokia's full-throated response to that reality, but I'm thinking this ain't it.

Edit:
I just read this on electronista (or at least, Alex read it to me)
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/01/04/nokia.claims.new.hardware.and.services.key/

The responses while important nonetheless underscore a deficit in Nokia's performance. Although still the largest single smartphone maker, it has repeatedly lost share to two of its newest competitors and is behind Apple in apps despite the iPhone occupying only a small fraction of the smartphone market versus Nokia's 200 million. Critics have also observed that key Nokia services like the unified Ovi Store and Comes With Music have failed to gain ground while most of Nokia's touchscreen phones outside of the 5800 XpressMusic have had lackluster sales.

Most of Nokia's hopes are placed on Symbian^3, which should finally give it multi-touch and an interface built more for touchscreens from the start.

To me, that makes it VERY clear why Nokia is fighting Apple on patents now. This is exactly the space (multitouch) that they feel they need to occupy.

~ CB

 

[nfl46]

Nokia's always have the best specs and usually the best cameras on their phone - but one important thing it lacks - user experience.

 

[Jiten]

We may not have flying cars in 2010 but damn we do have some really nice smart phones.

 

[renewed]

We may not have flying cars in 2010 but damn we do have some really nice smart phones.

Were you listening to XM this morning? Just curious because on one of the stations they were talking about how disappointing technology advancement has been since 2000 and how cars should fly and the such.

I wanted to call them and mention the iPhone among other things.

 

[Small White Car]

Were you listening to XM this morning? Just curious because on one of the stations they were talking about how disappointing technology advancement has been since 2000 and how cars should fly and the such.

I wanted to call them and mention the iPhone among other things.

Getting more off topic...but yeah, I think this thought-process comes from the fact that people think "oh, yeah, I had the internet in 1999...nothing's changed!"

What they DON'T remember is that in 1999 there was no Youtube. No Wikipedia. No Facebook. No online virtual worlds. Online shopping was quite limited and video chat was something you only saw on tv spy shows. Yeah, you had the 'internet,' but it wasn't much like what you use today.

People tend to overlook the small, incremental improvements. We may not have flying cars, but a time-traveler from 1960 would be amazed by our cars' mileage and safety features.

 

[7on]

Nokia's always have the best specs and usually the best cameras on their phone - but one important thing it lacks - user experience.

The user experience is quite good. I find the menus really intuitive. That being said, this is really a geeky phone. Dive too deep and you may find you need a couple hours with gainroot and vi. I am one of the few with the "random reboot" issue which to fix you have to set enable_off_mode to 0 in pmconfig. And one of the reboots apparently corrupted something because about a day later I had to reflash the thing because I was losing my settings.

Regardless, I love my N900 and while it is geeky you can avoid most of this by filling out an RMA - I'm just glad Nokia lets us actually get into our phones and lets us fix things ourself (but I do hope a FM update fixes that pmconfig issue as setting it to 0 does shorten the battery life a tad).

Maemo is a lot more open than Android btw, at least these aren't Java apps.

 

[greygray]

Getting more off topic...but yeah, I think this thought-process comes from the fact that people think "oh, yeah, I had the internet in 1999...nothing's changed!"

What they DON'T remember is that in 1999 there was no Youtube. No Wikipedia. No Facebook. No online virtual worlds. Online shopping was quite limited and video chat was something you only saw on tv spy shows. Yeah, you had the 'internet,' but it wasn't much like what you use today.

+1. It's kind of scary to me when I realise that I was using a Nokia 8250 just 8 years ago and the fact that it was up to date during that time. How fast has technology progressed indeed . . .

 

[t0mat0]

Nokia.

Playing catching up since 2007. Realising it needs to do more? Hmm, not sure if they've got that one yet (see their recent proclaiments about future phones, and why they'll be the preferred choice).