Best of 2008, Our Business

Best of 2008 in Our Business – Product Leaks

By Charlie on 30 December 2008

ESPOO, Finland – OK. Leaks have dominated our device launches this year, stealing, with different lead times, the thunder from the Nokia E71, Nokia E63, and Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. But, it’s been interesting to watch, as well, how folks have been misled by fake-fakes, real-fakes, and what ever else the nasty cunning crafty Chinese counterfeiters can throw our way.

But will anything change for 2009?

Sure, I have said my piece in my rant-whine-cry-shout-grump-growl about product leaks and what they do to the market and the companies working on the products. And, the good thing is that it not only started a discussion outside our company, but also inside the company.

And I think the discussion inside the company has generated, at least on our side, a lot of good will to be more cautious and more conscientious about our materials, how we talk about devices, and all the hard work we put into a launch.

And, with foreshadowing of 2009, this caution has been working well, as shown by the amazing bomb we dropped on everyone when we announced the Nokia N97 – the one that DIDN’T leak.

So, yeah, expect a few more bombs from us because we didn’t trail a stream of leaked photos or mishandled prototypes or what. You’ll be surprised and quite happy.

Oh, was that almost a leak?

And check out out other stories on Our Business.

Image from andrewk100

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ARJWright Says:
December 30th, 2008 at 7:16 pm

You know something, this was probably one of the more defining moments for Nokia and this blog. While a lot of companies have not done as well in facing something of a PR situation as leaks and blogging about the dislike of them, the way that Nokia has handled things in public has been pretty neat.

That being said, it would be nice still to get the occasional leak, or even just some insight into the *possibilities* behind the closed doors. But if Nokia can manage to offer surprises, while at the same time keeping that same fervor of interest, I would think that all folks win out here.

Now, about that whole releasing devices with glaring issues…

matthew bennett Says:
December 30th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

I actually posted the full specs for the N97 on my site before the launch. Sure it was only a couple hours, but someone had to be first.

Thanks!

Roland Tanglao Says:
December 30th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

go charlie go! go “keeping the good stuff really hidden” go! all i want from nokia in 2009 is an N97 with S60 python built in and no QWERTY keyboard and an optical zoom and built in ShoZu and Qik and North American and European 3G in one model! i can dream can’t i ?

happy new year!
…Roland

ccraig Says:
December 31st, 2008 at 12:46 am

i read about n97 2 months before it was public knowledge although a lot of features was’nt in article it reported on the basics
@ mathew do you know the following for n97 CPU Count,CPU Type ,CPU Clock Rate ,RAM