Products & Services
Nokia N900 begins shipping!
By Mike on 10 November 2009
GLOBAL – Today sees the first batch of Nokia N900 handsets boxed up and shipped out on their maiden voyage into wild. The N900 has been the most discussed device we’ve ever reported on here at Conversations, so many of you are sure to be stoked to discover that the Maemo 5 device will be touching down in Europe, the Middle-East, Russia and North America shortly. Read on to find out what Nokia’s Vice President for Nseries had to say about the N900’s release, get more details on the new N900 as it begins shipping, and share your comments on the landmark launch of Nokia’s first Maemo-powered phone.
As the N900 begins to appear on shelves around the globe it will be price-gunned at around 500 Euros SIM-free, with plenty of contract deals making it available at a reduced cost and in some cases gratis.
José-Luis Martinez is Vice President for Nseries and had this to say about the N900 as it finally departs on its worldwide travels:
“The Nokia N900 has generated a lot of interest since its public launch in August, which has been reflected in the device preorders. What’s exciting is the Maemo software, which takes its cues from the desktop computer and offers a full browsing experience like no other handset. We believe the Nokia N900 will be a very compelling device for people who are passionate about technology.”
The N900’s Maemo 5 backbone is indeed one of the key ingredients that makes this such an milestone mobile, and is the main contributing factor as to why the N900 gets better the more you use it.
When the N900 launches it’ll be compatible with most networks, although it won’t initially be available on new 3G SIM cards from 3 in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria – a software update is in the pipeline and is slated to become available before the end of the year.
We’ve been lucky enough to have early hands-on access with the N900 for a couple weeks (find all our N900 coverage here), and we’ve got some cool stuff planned for it shortly, so stay tuned. Until then, soak up more details on the N900 in our Almanac entry, join the debate on the N900, and leave your comments on the global launch directly below.
Related posts:
- Tell us what to do with the Nokia N900
- Finding Maemo – the new Nokia N900
- First small over-the-air software update for Nokia N900 incoming…
Tags | Linux, Maemo 5, N900, Nokia N900, nseries
November 10th, 2009 at 9:56 am
WOW , great news !! thank you !
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blink Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
when will n900 reach malaysia?..
still waiting..huuuu =(
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November 10th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Starts singing “AT LAST” like Etta James
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Hooray! Well done!
Question – Does this mean they are shipping from factory to resellers, or that resellers have them and can now ship to customers ? It’s not clear from the blog I’m afraid..
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JBC Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
@Chris – sorry for lack of clarity – the release is to say they are now leaving the factory, en route to stores.
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Chris Samuel Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
No worries, thanks for the reply!
Any news on N900 for Australia ?
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Justin Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 5:01 am
I’ve heard Australia wont be getting the N900. There are posts here somewhere about it.
Chris Reply:
November 17th, 2009 at 4:36 am
I’m in Oz and just ordered from Amazon.com (getting posted to a relative there). From what I read it should be OK on Telstras GSM network, so will hopefully have one here around xmas.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:12 am
ASIA pleaaassseee!
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I wonder what is the definition of “new 3G SIM cards from 3 in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria” – how can I tell which one I have?
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Peter Schneider Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
There have been some questions on the 3 SIM cards, let me clarify this a bit.
There is a limited number of new Hutchison 3G SIM cards in some markets (UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Italy) that require a specific SIM ATK support from the mobile device. The Nokia N900 has not originally been designed to support this requirement.
As soon as we found out about this in our internal testing, we started working to fix this issue. This only concerns a limited number of all Hutchison SIM cards, however we apologize for the inconvenience. The good thing is that a software update for the Nokia N900 available later this year will solve this.
Peter Schneider
Maemo Marketing
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Miia Ranta Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 8:24 am
but the question is, how can I tell if I have an old or a new sim card from 3? Is the only way to test to try to use it in an OpenMoko or N900 phone? or is there a certain series of “serial” numbers that you can check?
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Paul Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 11:00 am
OK thanks Peter – I use 3 in the UK. My sim must be about 2 years old at least. Works in other unlocked nokias. Does that mean I’ll be safe to receive the N900? If it doesn’t work now, assume its ‘just’ a software upgrade, so if its not working now it will as soon as the new release is installed?
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Can some tell me why this will not work on 3’s 3G network?
Kuru
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:34 am
When are you guys bringing it to India? Even your India Corporate office says they dont have a clue (via email). Tell me NAO or I buy iPhone.
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Doomed Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Bye an iPhone…
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Ashwin S Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Thanks. But I would rather have the release date from Nokia. As you can see, I was referring to Nokia when I mentioned “YOU”.
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:35 am
“although it won’t initially be available on new 3G SIM cards from 3″
–> How stupid isn’t that to roll out a hi-end online phone that can’t be online in one of the biggest wirelessbroadband operator, 3?
Don’t rush with the stuff, have it working before releasing..
Stupid Finns…
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Loki Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Seeing as the phone works with *every other network* apart from 3, who’s more likely to be at fault here?
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Finn Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Maybe it is 3 who is having the issue, you newer know.
Still the phone is soon here, enjoy
( Finns are not stupid
)
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November 10th, 2009 at 10:45 am
read here – left the production factories at the weekend!
http://www.phone-review.org/phone-review/nokia-n900-ships-today-maemo-enhancements-get-video-demo
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November 10th, 2009 at 11:03 am
It would be very nice if there were S60 virtual machines allowing users to run legacy applications!!!
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Loki Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
It’s only a matter of time…
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November 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am
How about any 3G SIM cards in use in Norway? How can I see whether my SIM-card will or will not work with the N900?
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November 10th, 2009 at 11:36 am
I still don’t have mine yet!!!
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November 10th, 2009 at 11:39 am
HTC HD2 rocks
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_xxx Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
sorry pal, wrong thread, you won’t be supported here.
And WM just sucks balls, so HTC HD2 might be a good device, but powered by wrong OS.
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November 10th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Thank you, great news ! Now just waiting…
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November 10th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
won’t work on 3??????
When I asked whether it would specifically work on 3 I was told yes, it would work on all networks. So I placed an order and waited 3 months to be told this.
Not great. Think I’ll buy another make actually. Thanks for nothing
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Loki Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Find another network.
No, really – 3 are pretty rubbish.
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Paul Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 8:50 am
It works, I’ve got a great deal on it and Nokia said it would work on all networks.
Seems like they ran out of time so major networks have been sliced out. Great effort.
Further clarification around the reference to the latest 3 3G sims would help.
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November 10th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Please put the chip for Latino America 3G (850 – 1900 Mhz)
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November 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
When will it be available in Canada?
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Anonymous Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
As soon as the telecommunications monopolies decide on the best way to screw Canadians.
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November 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I’m still confused and frankly angry that you guys chose to not include the AT&T 3G frequency for this device in the US. I can’t help but see it as a huge mistake, regardless of the reasoning behind the decision. I wanted this device, but now it’s just a joke for the vast majority of US consumers since T-Mobile’s coverage, and especially 3G coverage, is so lame. You guys keep getting so close to a homerun…
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Kip Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 1:35 am
I totally agree with you EB, i was set on pre-ordering this phone till i found out it doesn’t support the 850/1900 3G bands. Seems Nokia decided to leave out the customers of USA’s biggest gsm carrier for no reason. Seems like a really good phone, guess i will hold out for a Maemo phone that supports my 3G needs or get an Android phone.
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November 10th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
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November 10th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Nice to see that it will display Flash! Maybe Apple will re-think their stance on not supporting Flash when they see market share slide.
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ToeCutter Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
A great phone with no network? That’s sounds so familiar?
Apple has nothing to worry about until Nokia ships a phone that uses a real 3G network that extends beyond a few cities on the east coast.
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Fargus Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Maybe AT&T shouldn’t use their own set of frequencies? Funnily enough most of the world is able to cope with the frequencies given. Why does America seem to think the whole world revolves around them anyhow?
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ToeCutter Reply:
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Oooo, a European bitching about America! Such a unique perspective!
Big bad America throwing it’s weight around by making it soooo hard for poor little Nokia to sell their phones here!
But wait, why can’t Nokia simply make a phone that works on local freqs? Apple, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and HTC offer phones that can be used across the globe, so perhaps it’s just that Nokia doesn’t understand how the market works outside of Europe?
Nokia’s ass is burning right now because they’ve ignored the American market. Their market share here was once above 30%. It’s now around 5%, practically nothing. That equates to billions of dollars in some else’s pocket (Take a guess whose?)
They say they want to make nice and work to earn business here, but it’s not going to happen if they continue to try selling phones that simply don’t work here.
Further, like we American consumers have a choice which freqs our carriers support? Like any consumer does? I just want to use the damn phone and Nokia controls which radio is in it. So guess who I’m going to bitch at?
I’ve never owned a Nokia. The N900 was to be my first. But considering how often Nokia steps on their own appendage, I doubt they’ll be around long enough to finish the transition to Maemo. I think they’re pulling a Palm by releasing the N900 with only T-Mobile 3G support.
Too little, too late, it seems. It’s a damn shame, as they could have targeted frustrated iPhone users like myself that rely on AT&T for their wireless service, but would like something different.
Whatever. I guess I’ll just wait for something form HTC or Palm…
November 10th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
So when will I actually be able to walk into a network’s shop in Ireland and buy it? can’t wait!
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November 11th, 2009 at 2:56 am
Hello!
The 3G connection will work in Mexico?
Thanks and regards.
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November 11th, 2009 at 5:18 am
so will the software update make this compatible with the at&t 3g network in the future?
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November 11th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Please come to APac ASAP.
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November 11th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I just wanted to know with nokia making the operating system open for devolopers or and basically hackable when phones software corrupt or evan bricked will they repair it for free under the warranty ??
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November 11th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
When will this be available in India… I hate the Iphone…
Nokia is doing a lot of injustice to Indian customers these days… First no word about E72 now N900….
E72, E52 is already launched in Pakistan… No word about both phones in India…
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Tinku Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I had waited for the longest time on one of Nokia products few years ago and decided my best option would be buy it from one of the US online sites and have it shipped to me through a parcel forwarding company called Shipito. The site didn’t support international shipping and hence went with the option of using a third party. But at the end I had my handset and was one happy camper! Try that you might find some luck that way!
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November 12th, 2009 at 6:00 am
plzz n900 release date in india…???????
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November 13th, 2009 at 1:27 am
when is this phone being released in the uk stores?
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November 13th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Hello everyone
Could someone help with this please:
Good day,
I’m purchasing a Nokia N900 and would like some clarification please;
It is stated that the only technical deference between the US and Import versions of the Nokia N900 is the operating frequency;
Nokia N900 Mobile Computer Unlocked Import: Optimized for WCDMA 900/2100
Nokia N900 Mobile Computer Unlocked US: Optimized for WCDMA 900/1700/2100
QUESTIONS:
A) Would both versions work well anywhere with GSM coverage (calling, receiving calls, texting….)?
B) Regarding Data 3G Coverage; does it mean that the US version would cover/work well elsewhere (the rest of the world) but the Import version wouldn’t work in the US?
Kindly elaborate with detail not just “Buy US version for US market….” I look forward to your reply.
Kind regards,
Georges M. Esper
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November 14th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Hey guys i called yesterday to the nokia online store in USA and they told me that the Nokia N900 is now in the store!!!! But they can´t ship the device because the Nokia BH-703 Bluetooth headset of the promotion with the pre-order is not compatible with the N900!!!! what´s wrong with you Nokia? why you do this things in the North American market???? is for things like this that Nokia Is not a Lider in USA and Nokia need to be better a need to do better efforts to suplie the needs of the people of the USA´s market! What do you think about it NOKCONV?????
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November 14th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I don’t know if I should feel happy about this or not. N900 finally arrived. but Indonesia is not on the list at all….
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John Bradshaw Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 11:39 am
It could be worse, your country could be ON the list and you could be reading about it shipping since the middle of November but still be unable to find it in the shops, on any website and have no networks even acknowledging that it exists.
Despite being on the list the UK is no nearer seeing any of this vapourware than you are.
There are lies, damn lies and Nokia Press Releases.
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November 15th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Hey ,
Anybody has an idea whether the GARMIN would work with N900?????
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November 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Nokia Pls bring it to india….tell us the launch date we r waiting….
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November 17th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Sure!!! pre-ordered on Nokia USA on Sept 4th for $649/free shipping,free wireless headset deal, also added $19.99 ext.warranty special (usually $49.99).. Phoned today to ask bout shipping date after friend said he received his already, he ordered 2wks ago but paid current offer of full price $649 with no perks. Was told due to firmware problem with wireless headset so couldnt ship till resolved (what BS!!), said WTF, didnt want HS anyway, was just part of pre-order.. they said they would have to cancel original order (ie-no more shipping priority, go to back of line), then said credit card bounced after resubmitting, then said not credit card prblm, was their system prblm for submitting too many orders (huh??), then said call back in 5 days to buy at full price, so srry.. Definitely a bait & switch game, I will be contacting the Attorney Generals Office in my State for sure.. good luck all with Nokia, what a BS outfit..
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November 17th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
had a nokia….which I had to switch to AT&T to use.
It had symbian….so i thew it out of a 10 story building and switched to the iphone.
now this?
not supporting AT&T 3G?!!!!!
T-mobile 3G?! REALLY?! REAAALLY?
T-mobile easily has the worst service and coverage known to man. I live in a major city and, from what i recall, it was god awful.
F*CK you nokia.
F*ck you for making customers switch to AT&T, then creating a better device that doesn’t even work on AT&T 3G.
complete and utter failure.
worst. company. ever.
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November 19th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I used Shipito to get the N900 shipped to me and I LOVE IT
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November 20th, 2009 at 6:45 am
So for all the people bashing The iPhone app store. Here is some great news from Nokia and how they are trying to sabotage The N900 and Maemo 5….
I’ve just been discussing with Ovi regarding N900 Apps, here are a few excerpts you may be interested in.
My emphasis in bold.
We will also need you to apply for premium publisher because regular publisher can only submit java, symbian, widget, flash application. For premium publisher application, you need to provide prove for the declaration page of General Liability Insurance of your company.
We’ve created two account types for media content distribution on Ovi Store:
Media Genre Account is intended for 1st party publishers who own their content and all its inherent rights for distribution, or have acquired exclusive license to distribute content. This category describes a publisher with genre, segment or niche content. Media Genre Accounts have a limit of 20 content items (paid and/or free) discoverable in Ovi Store at any given time.
Media Geo Account is intended for 3rd Party publishers who have geographic rights to content which may or may not be exclusive, and is more generic by nature, such as popular ringtones. Content in this type of account is limited by geographic region. The Ovi Store content team will select a limited number of Media Geo Accounts in each geographic region to ensure content discoverability.
The goal of creating these accounts is to enable us to provide optimum placement of your content in Ovi Store, while ensuring maximum relevance for consumers.
In addition to selecting the account type for your content, you must agree to adhere to the guidelines below in order to be considered for inclusion in the media content plan:
Your company has sufficient general liability insurance to cover a minimum of $1 M USD in claims.
You agree to pay all appropriate & relevant performing rights societies’ royalties as may be required by law or business custom from the sale of the content on Ovi Store.
You must agree to adhere to content amount limitations and/or geographic limitations.
Unfortunately, only the approved premium publisher can publish for N900 at this moment and the approval for premium publisher will take a long time based on the fact that the queue for application is quite huge now. We welcome you to apply for the normal publisher status once you have all the information we want to distribute applications other than N900.
So it turns out that even though I went out and spent $400 incorporating (iolite technologies corporation llc, hooray), I now need a million dollars of general liability insurance before I can even think about publishing for the N900.
This applies to all N900 app developers. I can’t imagine that a million dollars of general liability insurance is cheap.
Not even joking. wtf.
__________________
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Fargus Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
This has been discussed to death in talk.maemo.org already.
$1Million liability insurance has been seen to be quite cheap, please check the relevant thread. You are still free to release via the Maemo site which costs you absolutely nothing. finally as the OS isn’t locked down to a particular source you can just send the .installs via a web link or email.
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angry Reply:
November 28th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Yeah I have been Reading Maemo.org posts. Point being, Denied iPhone developers could easily publish their apps some where else also. I get the closed system argument. I wanted an N900 more than most people you know. What I see and I have been dealing with is the worst customer service in the industry. Nokia. Maemo community seems great, people who really care and are interested in a great system. Problem is nokia has not learned one thing from Apples mistakes, Making it hard for people to publish apps. MMS, battery life! etc. Or one thing from their previous devices. How about a flagship device that works, you read maemo.org now. Portrait mode, crappy messaging, email search, exchange. A media player that works, and supports more play back options. What use is 32gb to 48gb of storage, for music? movies? with crappy media player and play back compatibility . How about that sweet video camera, no problems there. And lets not forget, looks like theres a possible major hardware issue. Hmmmmm. I have a N900 on the way, Would be happy to sell or trade it…. Its a doomed product from a doomed company.
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November 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 am
Wheres my phone Nokia??? I was told I’d receive it last week by the (UK) sales team. Getting incredibly frustrated now. If I buy another brand because of your lack of customer service, I won’t give Nokia another chance and I guess many others are feeling this too.
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Paul Reply:
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
advised today that they are now being shipped from Holland today as opposed to the previous week(!??!) so should have it by the end of this week – good job I’m not holding my breath….
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November 24th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I’m exceedingly close to giving up on the N900, all these unexplained delays since September have done a lot of damage to Nokia’s shakey reputation. If this had been available in October as originally announced, things would have been different. I knew that the N900 was not going to be an iPhone killer but I did think it would come close.
But that was last August, now I wonder if it will come out before people start thinking Christmas shopping is a priority. I’m also wondering if the HTC Dragon, Xperia, X10 or Droid would be a better deal.
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November 25th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Who are they shipping to?!? It’s been two weeks and no vendor I know even has one yet…………..
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November 27th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Where do I buy Nokia N900, in India, Kolkata
This is looking gorgeous and exising
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December 2nd, 2009 at 9:54 am
When in India? I would certainly buy
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December 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
will nokia n900 be available in India. Please we also want internet mobiles ,if yes please confirm it. I am very eager to buy one.
Thanx
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December 3rd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
what is the price for european market does anyone knows?? And is it supported for every network???
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December 4th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
nokia please bring it to india???
when is this phone being released in the indian stores??? any idea gusy???
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December 14th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I have been in th emarket for a new phone and have done extensive research and found myelf with the N900 as my first choice overall. I am very interested in purchasing the Nokia N900. All I would like to know is whether or not it will work on a 3G Network in Canada. If it will not, is this a fixable problem through software updates? Please get back to me so i can make my decision.
Thanks,
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pandora Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 5:25 am
I have a N900 and its great if you like linux programming. Otherwise, there are too many problems with using it. The basic features are simply the minimal features required to function. None of the standard features you would expect are available, and all of the promise is in ’software to be developed’. Nothing uses the GPS, nothing uses the camera, and you have to be a linux person to get features. Great promise, zero utility right now in this first generation OS, reminds me of the ipaq from 10 years ago in 2000, except with less features.
Bottom line, until the vapor-ware appears, avoid the N900 like the plague, its just not usable.
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December 19th, 2009 at 3:38 am
N900 IS A GOOD GADGET. BUT I ADVICE THAT WAIT FOR SOME IMPROVEMENT OF THIS MOBILE THERE IS SOMETHING WHICH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, LIKE BATTERY LIFE IS VERY POOR AND MORE OTHER THINGS ARE, NOT ACCEPTABLE. SHABI
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December 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
PLS LAUNCH IN MALAYSIA…PLS…….
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December 31st, 2009 at 3:47 am
Beware! VAPORWARE!!!!
I have been flabbergasted by Nokia’s incompetence at running this campaign.
First of all they need a new IT manager. The website is a horror – broken links, loops, nonexistent items… I even outlined all this to them in detail, nary a word in reply.
It is obviously run by marketers, not engineers. First all the delays, then pre-ordering and then the personally addressed email declaring in stock. So I plunked $1000 USD for the machine, an extra battery and headphones.
That was 12 December OVER TWO WEEKS ago. Since then, nary a word. “In progress”. They don’t return emails, and don’t answer the phone. The Contact Us link goes in a loop. Shame. Shame. Shame to sully the name of such a once magnificent company. Shame.
So I’ll cancel my order (if I can get someone to answer the phone – there is no way to cancel on line.) and only buy it when I can physically see it and hold it in my hand.
I recommend you do the same. Shame.
Best regards. Andy
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January 1st, 2010 at 7:01 pm
when the N900 is going to available in India ?????????
can nokia also does the same features available check on its website as apple does have …..
That is actually too good experience have a look of apple phone website…..
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January 1st, 2010 at 7:15 pm
can you send me detailed comparision between N900 and Apple 3GS……
Comparision should be very detailed as Apple 3GS i have seen but N900 is new so very less intraction and I am going to purchase new mobile set before 25th of Jan.
As i ahve allready mentioned my email ID….
Hope i will get the this comparision very soon so that i will able to finalize the set very soon….
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January 7th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
this is bloody ridiculous
i was even ready to compromise on the fact that I wont be able to browse on 3G with AT&T. Now I hear i can’t browse the web at all on AT&T !! What the heck nokia…
U guys are pathetic…
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January 30th, 2010 at 10:23 am
hi dear i try many time to install for my N900 ” conversation inbox desktop widget” but it field and tell me s”some application packages required for the installation are missing”"
so pls help me how i can resole this problem
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