Will the N900 be a success??
 

I know we all can't wait for the postman to come knocking, parcel in hand hopefully 17th/18th ish. But I cant help but wonder if it will be a success story amonst the "general users". Will it have the same impact as the Iphone? the same sales figures ect...

Im only asking as the next generation or evolution of the N900 I guess depends on how this device sells and is accepted as not just a toy or plaything for enthusiasts.
I know the interface is alot more appealing and user friendly but is this going to be enough to get everyone on board and not be considered as a niche product for the few.

Time will tell I suppose..

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Yes if Nokia start working for there money ie adverts etc then i see no reason why it cant topple the ifone.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Correct.

codename: short message system

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Same impact as iPhone? Not in the US, but maybe elsewhere.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I agree, I don't think n900 has a chance in hell in the USA right now. Besides the fact that the iPhone pretty much dominates the mindshare (and marketshare probably) in the USA. The n900 can only do EDGE on AT&T, the largest GSM provider in the states. TMobile is limited mostly to the East Coast and major cities in the states. It's currently unsubsidized (people are used to buying their devices subsidized in the USA). Then you have competitors like the Droid and other Android phones (and BlackBerries).

And on top of that the way Nokia's shipping the n900 out they're going miss this year's holiday season at their current pace. Though as it is they'd only be fufilling pre-orders anyway (though they may be losing pre-orders if people don't get their devices by December).

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Success has to be measured against a target. If there is not target defined, there can't be any success.
So by which target do you mean the N900 to be a success? By Nokias? We possibly can't know Nokias aims for the N900. Is it just to bring Maemo a step further, eg. the device itself plays a secondary role and the system is actually all that matters. Or should the N900 mark a certain milestone in a big business plan and there is a rocksolid figure of units to be sold?
I for myself consider the N900 a success if it meets my expectations, if the following device (building ontop of the N900 base) will exceed my current expectations and if a solid circle of engaged developers can be formed to build up an ecosystem around Maemo and the devices it powers so that I will actually get something out of the device *after* I bought it. I wont consider the N900 a success if it beats the iPhone 3GS in polygon rendering benchmarks, if it beats the Palm Pre in upload speed or anything similar. These are *not* the things which matter (most).

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Agree with the U.S thing. I'm sure it'll have a bit of a cult following, but the upfront cost will just scare off too many people unless it gets subsidized. I'm spending more on an n900 than a laptop I bought 3 months ago, most people think I'm crazy :)

I also just got back from T-mobile, and corporate discounts don't apply to the unlocked phone plans, so in essence the monthly plans I want between AT&T with a subsidized phone are exactly the same as the T-Mobile plan with an unlocked phone ($60/month). /fail.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Perhaps the same impact like with the N95?

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Yeah there really is no benefit in bringing an unsubsidized phone in the US. And yeah my gf pointed out to me that I'm spending slightly less money on the n900 then what she paid for her brand new spanking modern laptop (though PC companies have been hit hard in the recession).

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

i think it will be and already is a hit..i mean...there are more pre-orders around the world then units available...doesn't that speak for itself?

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I think it will be a success for its intended market which is supposed to be developers and early adopters. If you start comparing it to the iPhone, it has already lost because its not *supposed* to compete with it directly. I think the real test will come with the next model and maemo 6, but I'm sure that's been stated many times before.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

What im trying to ask really is if the N900 falls flat on its face with sales figures and such that will surley stop development by Nokia in this direction. Either that or maybe mistakes with communication and promotion may hit home hard to the people at Nokia that a great product in it's self will not sell if people cannot:-
A) Put aside the money for a product as they do not know when they will be able to buy it. With all the new devices out at this time of year and alot better marketing they are surley missing out.
B) Get simple answers they are so dearly after, it does seem to have gone quiet on all fronts.

The device is not in question but the marketing "Guy turning into a N900 ect" is not very forthcoming. I mean how many of you have even seen a billboard advertising the N900. I havn't and i've been looking. Is this going to be a case of product comsumer chinese wispers where we buy the product and promote the product ourselves. It does seem that Nokia have just put it out there to the Tablet community and said here it is come and get it and yeah spread the word for us....

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Time will tell but i don't think it will be as dominating as the iphone.
The iphone brand has been around since 2007 and has to much goodwill to be beaten by the n900.

We can only hope that it will be as good as the n95 sales. More phones = more developers = more app's and a better OS.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

My answer to OP's original question really depends on how success is defined.

I think its allready bigger success than I expected as "step four out of five". I don't think it will be N95/AnyOtherMainstreamPhone kind of success story. That would require helluva lot more of marketing and localiazation.

My guess is that it will be same kind of success as the first iPhone was. I mean that it will be a phone that it will see release in relatively few markets. Sale figures will be small compared to "big picture". Despite this it will manage to receive helluva lot of more hype and enthusiam than the actual sale figures would justify. Whetever Maemo will be success will depend on Maemo 6 and later devices (a.k.a Step 5).


Wrote this after friday night vodka&beer binge with friends. Prolly full of typos, finglish and horrible grammar. indo-european languges are a ***** to drunken brain porgrammed in finno-ugric.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Mainstream success? No...

Interesting experiment success? Yes I would say so, a surprising success for Nokia even.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Personally, I think the N900 is already a success. I also think the preorders have exceeded Nokia's expectations.

While I would like to see a US nationwide mainstream media blitz like Verizon is doing for Droid, it seems that was never something Nokia envisioned for the N900. I think they were caught a little by surprise at the high level of enthusiasm for this product. But Nokia clearly see the N900 as a stepping stone.

On the one hand, I think that marketing strategy is a bit too conservative for my tastes, but on the other hand, there is nothing conservative about bringing a pocketable computer based on Maemo/Linux to the market! :)

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

For the N900 to be a success. It needs more apps.
But who needs mini game apps when you can play free flash games? :p

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I'm getting the N900 because I think that, as a hobbiest and potential developer, it will serve me well for a while to come. That being said, as a consumer, I think this is going to be something of a let down, largely because it will never have enough of an install base to attract a lot of developers.

Getting that sort of install base is critical, and it takes massive advertising, like what Apple did, and like what Motorola/Verizon are trying to do now. Nokia just doesn't seem to be puting itself in the mainstream sphere enough, even the geeky side of that sphere just seems to focus on iPhone vs. Droid - just look at todays xkcd - http://xkcd.com/662/

To be honest, I'm starting to feel like the delays in shipping have really hurt them in this regard. I'm still patiently waiting for my pre-order but had the N900 shipped out 2 weeks ago, all the iPhone vs. Droid comparisons would have been iPhone vs. Droid vs. N900 (OK, not all, but at least a third more)

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Developers are ditching Apple already because of their strict policies.
Example, that guy who made the Facebook app for AppStore.

I hope Nokia won't be doing the same or else the N900 will be a big failure due to lack of interest from the developers.
It's already 2 years behind in number of apps compare to the Appstore.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

N900 will be hurt in the US due to poor 3G coverage. If you are near wifi or a 3G connection (which 3G is VERY sparse for Tmo), the N900's web will be great.

Problem is the 800X480 display and Flash will take a toll on performance for people like me (about 90% of Tmo users) who are lucky to have steady Edge in areas. The other features will be fine, but most Tmo US users will run into a reality check with 800X480 and Flash.

I am trying a Droid out right now. Very fast and I literally have 3G EVERYWHERE I have tried. One bar GSM signal or no bars for Tmo is two bars of fast 3G with Verizon. Wild.

I really wish the N900 was a Verizon device.

UPDATE: Droid is FAST, so the N900 with Maemo should be ludicrous speed fast. WOW.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

who is going to tell ALL of the n00bs on this forum, who do not know anything about linux/maemo/programming, including me that is, that the N900 is only 65% cool when you are a 'normal user'.

Please make a thread and tell us because i will get disappointed when it arrives on my doorstep otherwise.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

US media blitz? I'd settle for a US retail presence. People here seem to think that T-Mobile will be carrying the phone in the US. At the moment, their website returns "No Results Found" when searching for the N900. No press releases, no preorders, no nothing.

According to the Nokia US website, there are exactly two Nokia Stores in the entire US. Those two stores are the only places where Nokia suggest the N900 can be purchased (when clicking "Where to Buy"). The closest store is about as far from me as London is from Paris.

So I did my own search for an N900 advertised for sale or preorder at any of the major US retailers. The following report no hits searching for "N900" on their websites: Best Buy, CompUSA, Radio Shack, Staples, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Sears, Kmart, and Sam's Club.

The N900 may do great in Europe but as things stand now it's dead in the States.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I didn't, and I didn't get one. The phone I wanted at that point was the N82, and I got it. First time I ever bought a sim-free unlocked phone.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

You would've gotten the same results searching those sites for a Moto Razr when it was released. Doesn't mean much.

But I do agree with your basic point that Nokia is missing in action in the US.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Yes, and if you read Joe hewitt's Twitter he said that for ever developer that leaves iPhone app dev because of apple's policies 1,000 more will join. It's an unstoppable train.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Actually a great commercial would be to point out the amount of redundant applications on the iPhone market and how most of them don't make developers any money. =P

Like take there "there's an app for that commercials" and go "fart app, fart app, beer drinking app, rss feed app for this one site, rss feed app for this other site" =P

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

If someone in the US buys the N900 sim free, are there any sim only deals that are cheaper than if you'd got a handset on contract?

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Whether or not you agree with apple's iPhone app policies they do an amazing job with their SDK and developer support. I'm a web developer and I taught myself ObjectiveC/CocoaTouch with in the span of 4 weeks.

I don't really see the same coddling of developers with Nokia.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Until it's subsidized you're not going to see it in any of those locations.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

That's what T-Mobile's 'Even More Plus' plans are all about. No contracts, no subsidized phones for a cheaper monthly rate.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

How much "subsidized" are phones in the US?

If one would compare the total cost of phone+monthly+calls (if minutes are more/less expensive) over the time period of the lockdown, how much would the subsidy be (in general or on specific examples)?

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I think people are putting way too much weight on the numbers of apps.
Imo many will stay using OS X, S60, WM whatever because it got lots of good apps, but because Maemo 5 don't have 1 000 000 apps don't have big impact of how many will buy it at the end. It might have impact of how many will stay using the platform, but thankfully there is much done in here already and it sure is moving 10x faster than with Symbian.

It has been a surprise for me how many are lining for the N900, but can't believe it being as big hit as N95. At best something like E71, and that would be more than enough already for Nokia to take a second look at how aggressive they will be with Maemo in the future.

And no i don't think N900 makes any difference in USA. Don't think it's even the right phone with Maemo for Nokia to go all out there.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Note that, contrary to my earlier post, someone has found a web page on Best Buy indicating that they carry the N900. However, the page still doesn't show up if you search for N900, whatever that means.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=34544

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

I just noticed this on JK On The Run. On the day of the Droid's launch in the US, it accounted for 2.63% of the web browser market share for phones in the US. It will be interesting to see numbers for the N900.

http://jkontherun.com/2009/11/13/dro...age-at-launch/

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Does anyone have initial sales figures for the N900?

I read and certainly hope that the device is successful, but I could not yet find any numbers that show (initial) success / failure in the market place.

If no hard numbers, do you know about observations / anecdotes that provide some insight?

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

Nokia's Q42009 result conference is 28.1.2010. They usually tell exact sales numbers for few best selling models, but I doubt that N900's numbers are high enough to make it to that short list. Only availeable for half quarter, restricted suply, networks didn't start shipping subsidized units until December etc.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

IMO, that isn't true at all. I know Windows, I love cell phones, I had an iPhone for 1 year but I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on linux/maemo/any kind of programmation. N900 is still a really versatile phone and the difference between me and a programmer is that the programmer can do what he wants with the device, and post it here after. People like me will have access to everything, it will just take more time.
If it wasn't of all the developpers, sure the N900 wouldn't be a good choice for the n00bs! For now, I can do what I want with the N900 and I would NEVER EVER go back to iPhone or E71.

Re: Will the N900 be a success??
 

IMO its not meant to be a success in the US anyway. Hopefully they will get some firmware updates, find a carrier and then maybe they can sell some phones here. A good marketing blitz would also help.

Android is making ground, Iphone's and blackberry's. They best Nokia can do is get some buzz ready for the next device, IMO.

2010 is going to be the year of the smartphone, and there is some cool things coming from lots of manufacturers, IMO.