The N950 could have been the "business" model, as someone mentioned in another thread, a "communicator" device aimed at managers, executives etc. You know, Nokia's high mark-up market segment that previously bought devices like the E7, E90 or 9500 Communicator. Just add some business software onto it and together with utilizing Linux' security model would have been the perfect model to market to the business segment.

One could even imagine a Nokia branded business ecosystem around these devices. The fact that the OS is mostly open source doesn't mean people can't make money from closed or pay-to-use business software if made and marketed well.

It's a pity Nokia's been bullied into having no "Plan B".

until I see hard, concrete number stating the N9 outsold the Lumia line, we're speculating and talking from our arses. Same goes for that bitter dude that left Nokia after the Elopacolypse.

Here's the deal, let's talk flagships... If the Nokia N9 had the best of the best of what Nokia had to offer it would be considered a flagship. Sadly it is not. The N950 would be considered more of a flagship than the Nokia N9...

Not necessarily.
There r many who'd never buy a phone with a HKB. They don't need a KB jutting out from their devices... making it unnecessarily bulky and prone to disfigurement. We r pretty happy with a VKB... it solves our purpose.

Similarly there would many who'd desire otherwise. Their usage preferences might call for a phone with HKB. I'd opine that the masses would be divided, with a tad bending towards a non-HKB model. Which is why most phones aren't made that way.

However, the wisest idea would have been to maintain both... and let the users decide. Thus, two variants of the same device - a N9 & a N950 going concurrently, with similar specs could be a better KSP.

Sad, Eflop and [regretfully] the Nokia BoD thought otherwise...

I won't burst your bubble so you can keep dreaming of the N9 being used as a flagship....

...N9 without any kind of marketing, it wasn't sold in major markets, phone which was dead before sales started - overshot 1.5 milion sales. 2 Lumias (710 and 800) with the best marketing in Nokia's history - just 600 000 units...

No, that's not just speculation. Nobody knows exactly, we are talking about that sales gap.

Despite a disappointing set of financial results, Nokia’s smart phone performance in the fourth quarter gave cause for optimism. It shipped 19.6 million smart phones, down 31% from the record high of a year earlier, but up 17% on Q3 2011. The total was helped by 1.2 million and 0.6 million shipments of its Windows Phone and MeeGo-based products respectively, as well as improved Symbian Belle volumes from competitively priced devices such as the Nokia 500, 700 and 701. Its total smart phone shipments for the year came in at 77.3 million globally.

No but this guy will