In Brazil for example (not that I have any hope of the N900 being here any soon), most people will buy a smartphone like this on contract, especially because the data plans that make a phone like this worth it will almost always be on contract. Mine for example is R$ 69,90 / month for a 1gb quota at 600kbps, and believe me, that`s kinda cheap for Brazil, and you don`t get to pay what I pay out of contract.
(Today`s exchange rate: US$ 1,0 = R$ 1,88)
Just for comparison terms, the cheapest iphone you can get here is around R$ 550 (this is BRL, not US$), but only on a plan that will set you back around R$ 350 a month. Most expensive Iphone (out of contract) will lighten up your wallet at around R$ 1,800 to R$ 2,400.
Yeap, we get it bad here =(
Is that because, last time I knew, Brazil has a tariff (or other disincentive) on imported consumer computer products? Someone actually asked me to buy a Dell for them in US and bring it with me on my trip to Sao Paulo.
It's a smartphone. T-Mobile prices smartphones higher, initially. $300 is usually the neighborhood they're in.
If indeed this is marketed as a T-Mo subsidized 3G smartphone, then the best analog for pricing I think are comparable 3rd party T-Mo subsidized 3G smartphones rather than the earlier NITs. The HTC Touch Pro 2 started out at $399, and is now $149 at amazon.com after a short period of time.
My guess is the unlocked N900 will be relatively expensive like the N97 was, but that the purchase price of the T-Mo subsidized version will be much less.
The Nokia marketing vids are amazing, but ... Nokia is no Apple when it comes to reality distortion fields, fanboys, etc. I don't doubt that the N900 will do _well_, but I do doubt that it'll outsell the iPhone.
I think people are exaggerating the role of the N900 here. The N900 doesn't have to outsell the iPhone. The long run question is whether Maemo can counterbalance the sliding of Symbian. It has to establish Maemo as a mainstream (phone) platform. The real profit comes later on (just as the 1st gen iPhone's purpose was platform establishment, the real $$$ came with 3G/3GS and the Appstore).
I have a question that I havent seen addressed anywhere...if the N900 is subsidized and carried bt T-Mobile will they laster some dumbass t mobile logo on the front?
It has to establish Maemo as a mainstream (phone) platform. The real profit comes later on (just as the 1st gen iPhone's purpose was platform establishment, the real $$$ came with 3G/3GS and the Appstore).
I don't think that nokia aims to make significant profits with the platform itself. If that would be the case they would have locked-down Maemo (like WebOS or iPhone OS).
It's nothing wrong with being just a phone-manufacturer.
I have a question that I havent seen addressed anywhere...if the N900 is subsidized and carried bt T-Mobile will they laster some dumbass t mobile logo on the front?
you know i was scared of that when the first rumor of the N900 hit the web.
I have a question that I havent seen addressed anywhere...if the N900 is subsidized and carried bt T-Mobile will they laster some dumbass t mobile logo on the front?
as opposed to the dumbass at&t logo on their branded phones? or verizon's dumbass logo? or ... etc. ?
(or, as with other nokia's, being able to buy it straight from nokia without any carrier logo ... but then you don't get a discount)
Any logo on the front is a dumbass logo as far as I am concerned.
Well i think the NOKIA logo on the n900 is very well placed for nokia advertisement. When you see someone else using the n900 you will definitely know that it is a nokia product. Most of the manufacturers use thier logo on the back.... how often do you see anyone flipping the back of the cell phone?
I just dislike logos on the front of any device such as this, and on anything in general. Hell, when I had my N800 I took the faceplate off, which was aluminum, stripped it down to the bare metal, and powdercoated it and made it black.
