Email from Elop: Nokia N9 UK Availability On Contract – It is up to the carriers.

[Jedibeeftrix]

http://jedibeeftrix.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/nokia-n9-uk-availability-on-contract-it-is-up-to-the-carriers/

My email sent this morning:

Dear Mr Elop,

Please understand that I am not writing to you to rant about the WP7 direction, I accept the fact that Nokia did not believe Meego would bring them the level of success deemed necessary, rather I am worried that Nokia’s WP7 marketing strategy will prevent me from acquiring a Nokia N9 on a typical carrier subsidised contract within the UK.

I have no doubt that I will be able to buy an N9 from etailers such as Play.com, etc, but the N900 which I have happily used since its UK launch was £450 sim-free when it arrived, whereas my T-mobile contract with an unlocked handset was £110 upfront followed by eighteen payments of £20, or £470 in total. I am very keen to own and use a Nokia N9 but question why, in the UK, I would willingly pay the RRP for a phone when I can get it along with eighteen months of calls, texts and internet for £20 more.

I understand that you would urge me to have a closer look at Nokia’s new, and no doubt innovative, WP7 handsets that will be arriving in the near future, but I remain uninterested in them just as I remain uninterested in iPhones or Android phones. I merely seek reassurance that Nokia’s UK product support for the N9 will not preclude UK carriers from offering this handset on contract?

If you can offer this reassurance then I will be a very happy person, and can promise to remain a happy Nokia customer for years to come.

Kind regards

JBT

The response just a few hours later:

Hello there,

I can’t comment on what specific operators may or may not do in each country – many of those decisions are happening right now for the latter part of the year. In all cases, the operators will make decisions about which products will be made available, with which rate plans, etc. Each operator in each country only has so many “slots”, and they divide those up between ourselves and our competitors, and within Nokia they can mix between N9, Windows Phone, Symbian, etc. Right now, many of the larger operators are showing a strong preference towards WP…

Regards,

Stephen

[oweng]

Hmmmm, I wonder why that maybe Mr E!

[Jedibeeftrix]

Update – Further clarification

Thank you very much for the swift reply, it is greatly appreciated.

Just to quickly clarify; do I understand correctly that the availability of N9 handsets on carrier-contracts in the UK will be determined by carrier interest in the N9, vis-a-vis other Nokia smartphone handsets, and not by Nokia themselves?

I am quite content that the N9 compete for the attention of carriers.

To which the reply came:

Ultimately, the operator makes all decisions about which products they make available.

[oweng]

I have emailed UK carriers, and I may have copied in my email discussion with Mr Elop.

I wonder if they will reply or take it seriously?

[shallimus]

Although the reply doesn't appear to say much, it basically seems like a tacit admission that you are correct, i.e. that WP7 marketing may well make it difficult for you to own an N9.

[Jedibeeftrix]

Although the reply doesn't appear to say much, it basically seems like a tacit admission that you are correct, i.e. that WP7 marketing may well make it difficult for you to own an N9.

as long as WP7 marketing does not require that the N9 is not available for UK carriers to choose i don't care, i.e.

Dear Sir,
we cannot offer the N9 on contract because that product is only certified for retail support from Nokia in the UK, which does give carriers such as ourselves a sufficient level of warranty-cover to offer replacement to cover loss and damage to our subscribers.
Regards

Yes i just mad ethat up, but you see what i mean?

[Rugoz]

Each operator in each country only has so many “slots”, and they divide those up between ourselves and our competitors



Ultimately, the operator makes all decisions about which products they make available.


I don't understand, here in switzerland i can buy every phone on the market on contract with every carrier. Is it different in the UK? Or did operators reserve "slots" for the N900 when it was released? I doubt it. Advertising is a different matter of course.

By the way why should carriers in sweden, switzerland, austria, italy, australia etc. be more interested in the N9 then those in the UK or germany? Sounds like a lie to me.

[gazza_d]

as long as the N9 is available in the UK, i am sure that 3rd party resellers such as carphone warehouse will pair the device with airtime contracts.

my N900 and the wife's E7 are both on t-mobile contracts, but not carried directly by t-mobile.

the question is if Nokia will allow the sale of N9, other than through gray imports, and once again we are getting mixed and conflicging messages from Nokia. firstly that the N9 will not be coming, and then that it is up to the operators. WTF? Come on nokia , one answer please.

this schizophenia where one hand does not know what the other is doing is the main reason why Nokia is in the mess it is in, not devices. if they kept everthing clear and one message, then they would be able to develop and deliver first class devices.

Jedibeeftrix - can you forward your email trail to nokia customer care and sales and marketing and ask them to comment.

[Chuck Norris]

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=SE#/watch?v=QyLxxeOXpxQ

Whats going on at 0:48. I want that phone :D

Edit: oppsss...wrong thread:o

[Rugoz]

as long as the N9 is available in the UK, i am sure that 3rd party resellers such as carphone warehouse will pair the device with airtime contracts.


what is an airtime contract?

[don_falcone]

what is an airtime contract?

Means, probably a reseller (provider) that buys minutes from the carrier(s) and resell them using their own t&c / contractual agreements, often even their own billing.

[erendorn]

Or possibly just a carrier contract. In France I bought my N900 from the carephone warehouse, with subsidies, but with a carrier that did not sell it itself. (ie third parties get "cash" subsidies that they can apply on any phone when they sell a contract in behalf of a carrier)

[geneven]

I bet that since selling the N9 in certain countries isn't part of Nokia's strategy, the pricing for the N9 won't be optimal from the point of view of carriers in those countries. In other words, the N9 will be running a race wearing a ball and chain.

[gazza_d]

Or possibly just a carrier contract. In France I bought my N900 from the carephone warehouse, with subsidies, but with a carrier that did not sell it itself. (ie third parties get "cash" subsidies that they can apply on any phone when they sell a contract in behalf of a carrier)

Basically Yup.

[twrist]

I popped into my local Orange shop today to see what deals I could negotiate on my contract if I was to buy the N9 sim free. The answer was, rather disappointingly 'we wouldn't do a deal, i'm afraid. you could continue on your contract as-is' - so this looks to be an expensive couple of years for me, phone wise.

Ok, I thought, let's try a different tack - 'are there any plans for Orange to carry the N9?'. 'Hm, I read an article that it isn't even coming to the UK so I think we're pretty unlikely to'.

I really do think we've got an uphill battle if we want carriers in the UK to offer the N9, folks.