It looks like the Nokia N97, Nokia's best attempt yet at an actual iPhone competitor, will be coming to the Middle East sooner, rather than later.
I just got an invite to a demo of the N97 in Dubai next week, with some of Nokia's top Middle East management people. They're keeping pretty tight-lipped about a launch date, but the fact that they are even offering a pre-release trial to a newspaper in the region suggests they are approaching launch date.
It is a lovely looking handset, with a beautiful high-resolution screen.
All put together very nicely, feels good in the hand etc. They are taking media
and internet stuff seriously, with some cool web-integration features
and a 32 gigabyte hard drive that makes the iPhone seem like a floppy
disk.
The interface, at least the preview version available back in December
at Nokia World, seemed nice, although key parts like the virtual
keyboard - which is a huge part of why the iPhone is so awesome - was still not working.
This is an expensive little puppy though - we're talking a European
retail price in the €550 range (Dh2700), plus the predictable,
completely unjustified "UAE Premium" that our darling electronics
retailers seem to add on to everything that passes through their
stores. I'd guess a local price that won't get you much change out of
Dh3200.
Target market? People who are willing to pay a premium price for a nice internet browsing, emailing,
music playing phone, but for some reason, don't have an iPhone. If
anyone knows one of these people - or if you consider yourself to be
one - I'd love to understand and study this insanity, so do explain your bizarre logic in
the comments.
We'll keep you posted when we hear anything more. In the meantime, if you sit through the first minute or so of marketing speak, you get a pretty good look at the N97 in this promo video:
Will be interesting to see what the N97 is like. Nokia makes some solid phones but solid isn't exciting. Even with a touch interface the 5800 doesn't even come close to iPhone, for example
"I'd love to understand and study this insanity, so do explain your bizarre logic in the comments."
Uh wow... where to start?
1. How about the speakers on the n95 are ten times better then the iphone and I doubt the n97 will be any less impressive. I can listen to audiobooks in the car or talk to people while it sets on my desk or dashboard.
2. Then there is the camera which can take 5MP pictures, which saves me the trouble of having to buy and carry around another device. Thats way better then the iphones crappy 2MP camera.
3. There is also the ability to take dvd like quality videos for as long as your battery and memory last (iphone can't even take ANY videos).
4. The Nokia has 32GB built in and micro SD which means your only limited by how big the cards get. Again, way better then the iPhone.
5. It's got infrared, wifi, bluetooth and standard 3.5 jack for any type of headset along with a micro USB connection. How is the iphone doing with those last two? Oh, they still don't have that do they?
6. How about that full QWERTY keyboard? That's way faster then pecking at a half size one on a screen with no tactile feedback.
7. I can also do this neat magic trick to impress iphone users. It's called effortlessly taking out my battery and SIM card!
8. I can also put full length MP4 movies on the nokia and listen to all my mp3s, or even make them my ring tones without having to pay for them. Don't forget TV out for playing videos back.
9. I can also get it unlocked and use it with any carrier in the United States instead of being locked into AT&T.
10. And finally, my phone wont turn into an expensive brick just because I want to modify the phone and its software I paid for!
This device should sell wonderfully. Look at consumer trends, everyone is buying netbooks which is essentially what this device is. Except its more functional, versatile, and compact.
I'm one of those people!
iPhones came out after I signed into my latest 18-month contract which ends 2nd May '09. Having contrasted the iPhone with the N97, I find that I much prefer the latter. I think the iPhone is an amazing piece of design, but it's so commonplace that it's sort of lost its wow factor. Nobody's ever surprised or impressed by an iPhone nowadays. Then there's the whole specs aspect. 5 megapixel camera Vs 2 megapixel camera, QWERTY Vs non-QWERTY, Video Capture Vs Non-Video Capture, A-GPS with Digital Compass Vs A-GPS without, 360x640 resolution Vs 320x480 resolution, 48Gig Vs 16Gig etc etc. Seems that the N97 has it all. Also, I think that Apple's App store is such a success simply because people love Apps. That's not unique to iPhone users. Although the Ovi Store is only just emerging it will service a massive number of Nokia customers with an array of different handsets, compare that with the App Store whose customer base targets a relatively small customer base and you may get a taste as to how big, successful, and varied Ovi could become.
Well, there are legions of Nokia fans across the globe, and especially in the Middle East. And from the prices I've seen that Etisalat in the UAE and Mobily in Saudi Arabia are charging for the iPhone, the expected price of the N97 is going to be very similar to that of the iPhone.
nokia is sending the made in finland device to the usa and sending trashy made in china devices to the middle east. nokia needs to know that if they dont stard sending the middle east some made in finland devices this phone wont sell at all in middle east and africa people here just refure to be looked at as a cheap 3rd world country we refuse to pay 3000 or 4000 price for a trashy made in china phone.
yes! they are sending N97 here in Middle East that is made in china so people don't buy N97 here in Middle east specially in Saudi bec. the N97 is made in China and not in Finland...
A journey into technology in the Middle East. If it beeps, buzzes, shines or glows, you'll read about it here on Beep Beep. Read more
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Will be interesting to see what the N97 is like. Nokia makes some solid phones but solid isn't exciting. Even with a touch interface the 5800 doesn't even come close to iPhone, for example
"I'd love to understand and study this insanity, so do explain your bizarre logic in the comments."
Uh wow... where to start?
1. How about the speakers on the n95 are ten times better then the iphone and I doubt the n97 will be any less impressive. I can listen to audiobooks in the car or talk to people while it sets on my desk or dashboard.
2. Then there is the camera which can take 5MP pictures, which saves me the trouble of having to buy and carry around another device. Thats way better then the iphones crappy 2MP camera.
3. There is also the ability to take dvd like quality videos for as long as your battery and memory last (iphone can't even take ANY videos).
4. The Nokia has 32GB built in and micro SD which means your only limited by how big the cards get. Again, way better then the iPhone.
5. It's got infrared, wifi, bluetooth and standard 3.5 jack for any type of headset along with a micro USB connection. How is the iphone doing with those last two? Oh, they still don't have that do they?
6. How about that full QWERTY keyboard? That's way faster then pecking at a half size one on a screen with no tactile feedback.
7. I can also do this neat magic trick to impress iphone users. It's called effortlessly taking out my battery and SIM card!
8. I can also put full length MP4 movies on the nokia and listen to all my mp3s, or even make them my ring tones without having to pay for them. Don't forget TV out for playing videos back.
9. I can also get it unlocked and use it with any carrier in the United States instead of being locked into AT&T.
10. And finally, my phone wont turn into an expensive brick just because I want to modify the phone and its software I paid for!
This device should sell wonderfully. Look at consumer trends, everyone is buying netbooks which is essentially what this device is. Except its more functional, versatile, and compact.
I'm one of those people!
iPhones came out after I signed into my latest 18-month contract which ends 2nd May '09. Having contrasted the iPhone with the N97, I find that I much prefer the latter. I think the iPhone is an amazing piece of design, but it's so commonplace that it's sort of lost its wow factor. Nobody's ever surprised or impressed by an iPhone nowadays. Then there's the whole specs aspect. 5 megapixel camera Vs 2 megapixel camera, QWERTY Vs non-QWERTY, Video Capture Vs Non-Video Capture, A-GPS with Digital Compass Vs A-GPS without, 360x640 resolution Vs 320x480 resolution, 48Gig Vs 16Gig etc etc. Seems that the N97 has it all. Also, I think that Apple's App store is such a success simply because people love Apps. That's not unique to iPhone users. Although the Ovi Store is only just emerging it will service a massive number of Nokia customers with an array of different handsets, compare that with the App Store whose customer base targets a relatively small customer base and you may get a taste as to how big, successful, and varied Ovi could become.
Well, there are legions of Nokia fans across the globe, and especially in the Middle East. And from the prices I've seen that Etisalat in the UAE and Mobily in Saudi Arabia are charging for the iPhone, the expected price of the N97 is going to be very similar to that of the iPhone.
nokia is sending the made in finland device to the usa and sending trashy made in china devices to the middle east. nokia needs to know that if they dont stard sending the middle east some made in finland devices this phone wont sell at all in middle east and africa people here just refure to be looked at as a cheap 3rd world country we refuse to pay 3000 or 4000 price for a trashy made in china phone.
can anyone tell me how to put films onto the nokia n97 please? thanks.
I am waiting to get my hand on Nokia Aeon ( http://www.domesticutilities.com/aeon.htm ). I beleive this phone will be the best upcoming nokia phone in future
yes! they are sending N97 here in Middle East that is made in china so people don't buy N97 here in Middle east specially in Saudi bec. the N97 is made in China and not in Finland...
I do not want to be hugged by a Chinese N97 at all! Middle East should stop import them.