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Nokia World 2009 reaction round-up
By Charlie on 07 September 2009
GLOBAL – We looked around to see what folks talked about from Nokia World 2009. It turns out that the Nokia Booklet 3G and the Nokia N900, even though they were launched before the event, dominated discussions.
Nonetheless, analysts far and wide weighed in on the announcements. Below, we’ve mentioned a few choice articles, representative of the general discussion out there. So read on for a full flavour round-up.
The Nokia Booklet 3G
The guys at Engadget were excited with the new Booklet 3G, but were cautious about some things related to it. They were curious to see if the half-day battery life would hold up to real-life testing. Also, they were a bit surprised with the €575 price tag despite comments from Nokia executives that the Booklet would be heavily subsidized by operators.
A search on YouTube also revealed a ton of videos, with hands-on reviews, promo videos, and interviews.
The Nokia N900
The first Linux-based Maemo phone has everyone talking, as well. Here’s a video of a demo given to Mark Guim. We don’t know how he managed to sit still the whole time, so close to this device.
The Nokia X6
Taking a page out of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic’s book, the Nokia X6 is sleeker and packing a bit more than its predecessor. While we are not always super enthusiastic about small technical features in a product, it seems like many folks were relieved to hear that the X6 had a fancy capacitive touch screen. I suppose that’s a signal folks were looking for that Nokia indeed was going to come out with capacitive touch devices.
The Nokia N97 mini
Folks were happy to hear about the N97 mini. And the folks at Avec Mobile pointed out that while most of the differences are seemingly slight, one difference between the bantam and the bigger sibling is significant: price.
Lifecasting
One little item that did indeed get some mentions was the Lifecasting app for the N97, which makes it easy for folks to update their Facebook profile from a mobile. When the N97 launched it was called the Facebook phone. Now, it’s even more so.
Lionel Laurent from Forbes reports on Facebook’s forays into mobile and its growing relationship with Nokia.
You can get the Lifecasting app at Nokia Beta Labs. Here’s a video (kinda) demoing it. Though you don’t need a funky emo-doo to use it.
Parting shots
We also want to point out two articles that represent a feeling that’s out there. Basically, there is an underlying interest in the new products released, that Nokia is continuing to make moves to change user’s expectations of mobile devices of all types. But there is also a feeling that there was a lot that was not done or said at Nokia World, either for US customers or in response to competitors.
What do you think? What do the products announced at Nokia World 2009 tell you about where Nokia is going and what it can achieve? Likewise, if you’ve seen more reactions out there on the web or offline related to NW09 that you’d like to share here (good, bad or indifferent) please share them below.
Image from MonsieurLui
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Tags | FaceBook, Facebook Lifecasting Ovi, Lifecasting, Nokia Booklet 3G, Nokia N900, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia World 2009, nokia x, Nokia X6, NW09
September 8th, 2009 at 6:24 am
hey charlie, good to see u here
i really am impressed with the x6 and bh-505, looking forward to them. one thing you missed is the v2.0 firmware for n97. it would surely pimp up the device.
since in the states for a while now, i feel that nokia is not exploiting its resources to the full and everytime something new goes live usa gets the beating. lets hope things improve.
regards.
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September 8th, 2009 at 8:26 am
I feel that while a lot of devices were launched in Nokia World and there were good news on some fronts, the overall message remains unclear. All the devices seem to point out at different directions and have different possibilities. This could be seen as good thing, giving people choice. But in reality, I think it just blurs the potential of the “Nokia exprience”, meaning the device + the services = all around cababilities, from the general public. I would say Nokia needs more focus, not so much variety (or choice), when it comes to mobilizing communications. Updating facebook or twitter is not really high-end anymore, it’s just normal for folks. So would you drop 600 eur for that? Maybe, if you knew that it would last beyond the next Nokia World too.
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Mike Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Really interesting question. Especially your point on limiting the variety of solutions. It’s certainly a great topic to debate. I’d question the concept that great variety and clarity can’t co-exist. What do you reckon?
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msav Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Yeah, variety of devices, but clarity in the, I would say “culture” of using them. Sure, people like the variety in price, looks, technical details etc. but in the end, for things to really hit off with the Ovi and so, people would need a really solid experience with the platform. Clarity in the sense, that they would know it’s worth going there, that their basic stuff would work. That could mean limiting or narrowing down the Nokia-style solutions into something simpler. Something, that tells people what they get, what the possibilities are. That’s the opposite of just saying that the possibilities are endless, that there’s no limit what you can do. Of course there could still be lots of 3rd party variety or something, but I think people don’t like being left alone with too much choice on the more fundamental level.
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September 8th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I’m kind of worried about devices like the X6 and N97m. Repackaging existing tech into a new, slicker package is nice, but it’s probably going to reset the price too. And the online media is already depicting the updates to S60-5th as much-needed fixes, rather than a step forward. The failure to really explain the new “Xseries” brand suggests Nokia feels the same way.
The comparison people are going to make when they get into the store is that the Nokia Workd handsets are just more expensive versions of the 5800 and N97 that do exactly the same things. That’s not accurate, but when the X6 and N97m are on shelves next to their older, cheaper siblings, that’s what people are going to think.
The N900 could arguably be Nokia’s big, exciting, attention-grabbing new device. It’s only a shade more expensive than the N97m, and it’s a striking argument for the “pocket tablet” device as the future of doing things on the go. Yet it’s awkwardly positioned as a non-phone and there are rumours that it’s not going to get operator subsidies to the same extent as other handsets, or even the new netbook.
Now, this might be part of Nokia’s shift to be a “services company”, where the services will drive device sales, and therefore the devices don’t have to sell themselves. However the effect is to make Nokia rather faceless.
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September 8th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Can someone tell me if Nokia intend on entering the notebook/mobile computing industry? The Nokia Booklet 3G seems to be a step in this direction…
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