Q: I was wondering why U.S. carriers have not picked up Nokia's N-series phones. Why wouldn't a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile want such high-end handsets to attract customers?
- Zoheb
A: There are a few answers, Zoheb, but they all boil down to money. More so than in other countries the cell phone market in the United States has long centered on the service rebate. Carriers discount phones to attract customers and their contracts, while customers are trained to expect free or discounted handsets. While this dynamic is beginning to change due to the growing popularity of unlocked phones, service rebates largely rule the day here.
Nokia N96
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)Though the rebates have their upside--customers can get $200 knocked off the price of a nice smartphone--they have their downsides as well. And I'm not talking about service contracts. Rather, the widespread use of service rebates has helped to "dumb down" the cell phone selection in the United States. With notable exceptions, carriers tend to keep their phones below $300 to make them as affordable as possible.
The problem with the N-series phones is that they cost well over $500 (the fancy Nokia N96 is $776 unlocked). So even with a service rebate they're going to remain pretty expensive. Sure, there will be customers like yourself who will be willing to buy one, but that's not enough incentive for a carrier to buy a several thousand of them. Instead, they're going to pick handsets that will sell in the biggest numbers.
T-Mobile G1
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)We also have to remember that the N-series phones are complicated with a lot of different features. U.S. carriers tend to be in the driver's seat when it comes to choosing phones for their lineups. They have a lot of say in how the phone looks and what features it has. Thanks to the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1 this is also beginning to change, but they still like to exert their control. I'd wager than the N-series phones are simply too complicated for U.S. carriers. There are too many parts and features that the carriers can't control. Also, I'm sure that carriers haven't figured out how to monetize all the services on a handset like the N96. That's yet a another deterrent against picking it up.... Read More
Nokia scored a hat-trick today with the announcement of three new Nokia N series models: the Nokia N96 (North American Edition), the Nokia N85, and the Nokia N79. Keeping with the family, the trio of Symbian smartphones offer high-end multimedia features, such as a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and work with Nokia's Ovi Internet services, which include the N-Gage gaming platform, photo sharing, and Nokia Maps. All handsets are expected to ship in Q4 and will be sold as unlocked phones (you know what that means--save your pennies now because they won't be cheap). Now, let's get to know each of these smartphones a little more intimately, shall we?
Nokia N96
(Credit: Nokia)Nokia N96 (North American Edition): Highly anticipated since it was announced at GSMA 2008, the Nokia N96 is finally arriving on U.S. shores and like the Nokia N95, the company is offering a North American version to support our 850/1900 HSDPA bands. The mobile has a whopping 16GB of internal memory, in addition to a microSD expansion slot, which should come in handy for all the photos and videos you might take with the device. The N96 is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera and dual-LED flash and can record video at up to 30 frames per second. There's an integrated music player as well as a stereo FM radio with RDS and 3.5mm headphone jack.
While the N96 keeps the dual-slider design of its predecessor but there are some slight tweaks to give it a sleeker look and feel. And let's not forget the kickstand on the back. Other highlights of the smartphone include integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and A-GPS. The Nokia N96 will cost between $750 to $800. Ouch.
Nokia N85: Similar to the Nokia N81 in looks, the N85 offers a slider design but comes with a 2.6-inch OLED display instead of a QVGA screen. It's great for viewing videos, and the handset is also optimized for gaming and comes preloaded with 10 N-Gage games and one free game activation voucher. Some other highlights include the ability to geotag photos, using the combination of integrated GPS and the 5-megapixel camera; three months of complimentary turn-by-turn guidance (available on the N96 and N79 as well); Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 2.0; and 3G. The Nokia N85 will have a price tag of around $600 to $650.
Nokia N79: Last but not least, there's the N79. This model offers an interesting design twist as it comes packaged with a total of three interchangeable Xpress-on smart covers: red, white, and espresso brown. On the back of these covers, there is a sensor that will automatically change the wallpaper theme on your home screen once you attach the plate. Sure, a little gimmicky but still cool. The N79 also has an orientation sensor that will automatically change the display from portrait to landscape mode. The multimedia features are similar to the Nokia N85 and N96, but the N79 is a tri-band (GSM 850/1800/1900; HSDPA 900/2100) phone and comes with about 50MB of internal memory. The Nokia N79 will go for around $500 to $550.
Nokia N96
(Credit: Nokia)It made it's debut at the GSMA World Congress earlier this year and now the Nokia N96 has passed through the gates of the Federal Communications Commission. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.
LG CP150
LG VX8360
Motorola
Motorola EM28
Motorola i365
Motorola VU204
Nokia N96
Pantech C740
Samsung SCH-R450
Samsung SCH-R550
Samsung SCH-R600
Samsung SGH-L807E
Samsung SGH-U800E
Samsung SPH-W6300
UTStarcom CDM-7076
UTStarcom GTX75
Samsung Omnia
(Credit: Samsung)iPhone, schmiPhone. Now wait, don't go calling me an iPhone hater because I'm not. I'm just saying that there are a lot of other hot smartphones out there that deserve as much attention as Apple's starlet, and I've rounded up five of the hottest models.
Whether you're into the BlackBerry Bold or the Samsung Omnia, this group represents some of the most popular and highly anticipated smartphones this year.
I get a lot of reader e-mail wondering about their availability date, pricing, and so on, so I thought I'd try to kill five birds with one stone and answer your questions in one place. Unfortunately, I don't have as much information as you might want. The manufacturers aren't saying much other than what's already out there, but here's what I do know and I've provided my educated guess on when or if we might see these hot numbers here in the States. It's all here at Down the line: Smartphones.
The Nokia N96 makes calls
(Credit: Nokia)It's no surprise that at GSMA we're seeing a lot of cool things. Since the show is geared toward the worldwide market (Europe in particular), the phones on display are a lot more exciting than the usual sort we see at home. But on the other hand, there's no guarantee that any of the devices will come to North America. Drool as we may, we're also green with envy.
Take, for example, the Nokia N96. As a slicker, stronger update to the already powerful Nokia N95, the N96 has just about every feature you could want in a cell phone. Besides making calls (hopefully it does that well), the N96 offers a 5-megapixel camera with a list of offerings that rival a standalone shooter. You'll find a Carl Zeiss lens, a flash, and a VGA camcorder that plays and records clips at 30 frames per second. On the whole it's more powerful than the 5-megapixel Nokia 6220, which the company also announced in Barcelona. The N96 has an impressive 16GB of internal storage. It also has a microSD slot that can accommodate cards up to 2GB. Nokia promises that you'll be able to watch 40 hours of video using the internal storage alone. Of course, you'll need to charge the battery during your video marathon; video playback is capped at 4 hours of viewing time because of battery life.
And it plays video
(Credit: Nokia)Other features include a digital music player, a 3.5mm headset jack, an FM radio, support for podcasts and Internet radio, e-mail, text and multimedia messaging, USB 2.0, stereo Bluetooth, and a GPS receiver with maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. The N96's design is similar to the N95, but also different. While it retains its predecessor's designated music controls and slider design, its black and silver scheme, and cleaner lines give it an overall sleeker look. That is an accomplishment considering that at 4.05 inches tall by 2.16 inches wide by 0.71 inches thick, and weighing 4.41 ounces, the N96 is actually a bit bigger than the N95. The N96 is quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), and it supports both the 900 and 2100 3G bands. The N96 is set to be released in the third quarter of this year, and will require a serious amount of cash. Without carrier subsidies, buyers can expect to pay 550 euros (about $780).
On Sale Now: $442.94 - $541.94
View the latest prices for Nokia N96 (unlocked)
Nokia N96
(Credit: Nokia)It's the first day of the GSMA World Congress and the big players are already battling it out to steal the show. Nokia was one of the first companies out of the gate when it announced four new devices at a 10am press conference on Monday morning (that's just 1am for you West Coast folks). We've wrapped all the announcements up into a Nokia GSMA slide show.
Of the new phones, two are additions to the company's N-series line. The Nokia N96 is an update to the Nokia N95 and the Nokia N78 offers a raft of music features. The Nokia 6220 Classic doesn't look like much at first but it's 5-megapixel camera just about rivals that of a standalone shooter. For GPS fans, Nokia offers the 6210 Navigator. Packed with GPS goodies the 6210 will guide you to your destination whether in your are in the car or on foot. And if you get really lost, you can always call for directions. To see these new handsets in all their glory, check out out Nokia GSMA slide show.
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