James Delahunty
21 Jun 2011 8:25
Nokia unveiled its first (and last) MeeGo handset today, the Nokia N9.
The first promotional videos from Nokia displaying the new handset were pretty uninformative, and left a lot of readers of Nokia sources asking for more details about the device. Nokia Marketing Manager Jussi Mäkinen filled the gap for a UI tour, and the most complete version of the handset specs were posted online the company.
Nokia N9 MeeGo User Interface Demonstration by Jussi Mäkinen
Analyst Response
Truth be told, Nokia could never have expected to win over analysts by unveiling a MeeGo device so close to the expected arrival of Nokia Windows Phone 7 handsets. Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO, even re-iterated on Tuesday that Windows Phone 7 is Nokia's primary smartphone strategy, with an eye to launching the first device later this year and going to volume shipment in early 2012.
Analysts see this strategy as condemning the N9 to being a niche product, and every handset Nokia unveils before WP7 handsets (the company will release smartphones using its own Symbian OS in the meantime) simply as a stopgap.
"The N9 comes too close to the expected launch of Nokia's Windows Phone device to have any impact on its current smartphone woes," said Ben Wood or CSS Insight, a London-based mobile consultancy firm. "The strength of rival ecosystems leaves little room for MeeGo powered devices. It's difficult to see the N9 being anything more than a niche device ... the N9 will be a tough sell."
The reaction is expected, and it won't do any favors for Nokia's marketing position or Stephen Elop, who hasn't had the greatest of started in his new job. In a leaked memo, Elop likened the company's market position to a man standing on a burning oil rig. Maddening as the comments may be to Nokia employees and shareholders, it is fact that Nokia is taking a beating in the market for smartphones, and is losing ground in the low end of the market to Micromax and China's ZTE.