Telefonica exec echoes what we already know: Nokia's new handsets are too spendy

Nokia has certainly had a reputation of keeping its premier phones at a high price, but it's not too often that we hear a head honcho in the industry say anything about it. Telefonica European General Manager Simon Lee-Smith went on the record to voice his displeasure over the exorbitant cost of the Lumia 800 as well as the N8 and N9. Speaking with Telecoms.com, he mentioned that the only way Espoo's going to push a significant volume of Windows Phones is to offer them at a reasonable price point. Vendors, according to Lee-Smith, have unrealistic expectations of what consumers -- and carriers -- will pay for smartphones. Sayeth Lee-Smith: "All device manufacturers seem to think that a €400-plus device is the norm. Well, it isn't. Customers and operators won't pay that cost for a device which doesn't differentiate sufficiently." In other words, the Lumia 800 (priced at €420, or about $585) needs to offer something more unique to customers in order to justify its cost. It does make us curious to see if Nokia can satisfy the needs of US carriers if it doesn't bring down its asking price. Head over to the source to read more of Lee-Smith's quotable quotes.Telefonica exec echoes what we already know: Nokia's new handsets are too spendy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechnoBuffalo  |  Telecoms.com  | Email this | Comments

Nokia Lumia 900 teardown peeks behind that $99 price (video)

We've always admired Nokia's ability to make a solid phone to a budget, when it's done right, your average user won't notice the difference. Given the strict hardware limitations imposed by Windows Phone, the Lumia 900 was never going to be a hyper-powered handset, but now we can see how the company have managed to get it out for just $99. Tech Republic tore down its review model to confirm the handset's internals are almost uniformly modest. There's a single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU paired with 512MB of RAM, a fixed 16GB of storage and that limited (but pretty) 800 x 480 AMOLED display. Still, the accountants didn't get at that beautiful 8-megapixel camera, even if it is the same unit we'd seen in the N9 and Lumia 800. If you'd like to watch the handset get torn to pieces (the secret's in the SIM slot) then take a look at the video we've got for you below.Continue reading Nokia Lumia 900 teardown peeks behind that $99 price (video)Nokia Lumia 900 teardown peeks behind that $99 price (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink WMPoweruser  |  Tech Republic  | Email this | Comments

Nokia N9 gets axed in Germany, global tour looks even more meager

Like slowly waking up from a sweet dream, the Nokia N9 is gradually slipping away from our conscious mind before it's even released. We knew Stephen Elop & Co. didn't have high interest in the one (and only) Meego smartphone in its repertoire, but it's becoming very clear exactly how much the handset doesn't matter to the company. Nokia's confirmed with German site MobiFlip that the N9 will in fact not be making its way to Deutschland, just days after making it known that it has no plans to send the device to the US or the UK. Granted, those who can't shake off their desire for the one-of-a-kind phone will still find alternative methods of procuring it, but this is still a solid indication that Espoo is only staring ahead to its future with Windows Phone, and the N9 is merely in its peripheral vision. Nokia N9 gets axed in Germany, global tour looks even more meager originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  MobiFlip (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Nokia N9 spotted running Ice Cream Sandwich, dual-boot in the works

This above is the first glimpse of Android 4.0 running on the Nokia N9. Yes, it looks like Ice Cream Sandwich is in being ported to the company's iconic handset by no other than Alexey Roslyakov and team NITDroid -- the folks who previously put Android on the Nokia N900. The project, which is still in its early stages, made significant progress after recently overcoming a framebuffer driver/HAL hurdle, allowing ICS to be displayed on the phone. In addition, a dual-boot solution is in the works letting Meego and Android 4.0 coexist on the device. We certainly can't wait to experience using Ice Cream Sandwich on some of the hottest white hardware around. Can you?Nokia N9 spotted running Ice Cream Sandwich, dual-boot in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Steve Troughton-Smith (Twitter), Netbooknews  |  Alexey Roslyakov (Twitter), talk.maemo.org  | Email this | Comments

Nokia publishes Lumia 800 'making-of' documentary (video)

You've already heard Nokia's Peter Skillman talk design regarding the N9, and now it's Nokia's turn to show you what kind of magical mayhem went into the the making of the Lumia 800. It's an eight-minute long clip discussing the decisions behind the company's "first Windows Phone," with Nokia calling it "as much a story about collaboration and taking risks as it is about design." Taking risks, indeed. It's a good watch regardless of your platform affiliation, and it can be found just after the break.Continue reading Nokia publishes Lumia 800 'making-of' documentary (video)Nokia publishes Lumia 800 'making-of' documentary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Nokia  | Email this | Comments

Nokia N9 Is Up For Pre-Order In Australia

Nokia N9 is now up for pre-order in Australia. It should be available via all major carriers and phone retailers. However, there’s one carrier that have accepted a pre-order. Harvey Norman is offering the handset for AU$829 which the unlocked phone. It’s very expensive for a smartphone. Maybe if you are interested in it, you [...]

Nokia's N950 splayed by FCC, 12-megapixel camera lurking within

Our friends over at the FCC have somehow both scored and already torn asunder Nokia's new flagship MeeGo development phone. Slicing and dicing Espoo's latest confirms the watered-down N9 specs we'd previously heard about, except for one: a 12-megapixel camera. An intriguing addition, as the N950's official specs list an 8-megapixel shooter, which the Finnish firm touted as "different" than the unit in its brother. Perhaps different means the additional 4-megapixels we spotted earlier this year? Sure, last minute component changes aren't unheard of, but if you ever manage to convince the Finns to throw one your way, do us a favor and let us know what it's packing. Ok?Nokia's N950 splayed by FCC, 12-megapixel camera lurking within originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear  |  My Nokia Blog  | Email this | Comments

Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, probably not running 'Internet Tablet OS 2008 Edition'

With barely a few weeks before the phone giant's annual hurrah, Nokia World, kicks off in London, details have leaked of a new phone possibly winging its way to the Finnish faithful. According to MyNokiaBlog, the 710 is slightly longer and wider than the MeeGo-powered N9, with a 1.4GHz Cortex A8 processor, a 3.7-inch TFT screen and a five megapixel camera topped with some 720p video-capture frosting. All these details were swiftly pulled from the site, but not before the blog managed grab the screenshot above. A Nokia 710 also made a brief appearance on Occasional Gamer, which registers phone use on WP7 games. Most of the details match up with the Nokia Sun we saw earlier this month, though there are some inconsistencies -- is it TFT or AMOLED? We're hoping for the latter. It'll be a few weeks before Nokia has anything official to say, but whatever it is, it's going to have to wow us. The competition's never been tougher.Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, probably not running 'Internet Tablet OS 2008 Edition' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechnoBuffalo  |  MyNokiaBlog  | Email this | Comments

Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video)

Half the fun of trade shows is when unexpected beans get spilled at PR stalls and here, my dear Watson, we have another intriguing example. A TechBlog.gr pundit picked up a new Nokia 700 at IFA and was confronted with a stored promo video depicting a totally different and unfamiliar high-end handset. It looks slightly curved like the N9, runs the latest version of Symbian and possesses a rather attractive edge-to-edge LCD. The main gist of the promo is a wireless platform called Air Cloud, which apparently allows the phone to pair up with an audio system via NFC. Word on the street is this could be the N8's successor -- the so-called 801 -- but there's not a great many clues to back that up. In any case, check out the video after the break and savor that fleeting sense of infinite regress.Continue reading Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video)Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink PhoneArena  |  TechBlog.gr  | Email this | Comments

Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs

Sure, Nokia's Lumia 900 and 808 PureView may have garnered much of the spotlight lately, but lest we forgot about its flagship MeeGo handset. If you've been anxiously hoping to somehow score an unlocked N9 in the US sans gray-market importers, apparently Fry's Electronics has you covered. Phone News spotted a listing for the phone in the store's latest weekly ad -- although upon closer inspection, it appears that the retailer isn't too sure about its actual specs. Aside from describing the 3.9-inch slab of polycarbonate as a 4.3-inch device, it's also flubbed on the OS, calling it "Mego." Perhaps the most interesting error, however, is that the handset's ClearBlack AMOLED display is listed as Super AMOLED -- Samsung's competing technology. Assuming these are merely copy errors, you'll be able to pick one up for a spendy $600. Hit up the source link below to view the full ad.Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 02:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phone News  |  Fry's  | Email this | Comments