Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

youtube.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 83 posts

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#21

Post by Setsuna »

jacquesm wrote: post #4

Nokia lost the way a couple of years ago. From rock solid software and physically neigh indestructible phones that you could operate in the dark with one hand we've gone to phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use and that require the memorisation of insane menu structures to…

>phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use.

Sounds more like an exaggeration

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#23

Post by hackermom »

rbanffy wrote: post #18

People forget Nokia doesn't sell phones to their users. They sell phones to telcos. Telcos really don't care whether your phone takes 5 minutes to start or crashes frequently, as long as you pay your monthly bills and buy another subsidized phone down the line extending your contract before you move to a competitor. Telcos profit from crappy phones. And that's why it's important to support a market for unlocked phone…

That might be the case in the US, but the world is so much larger. In Scandinavia (and elsewhere, surely), every manufacturer also sell their phones "bare" (not coupled with a GSM subscription) directly to customers via a million different outlets.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#24

Post by jacquesm »

Setsuna wrote: post #21
jacquesm wrote: post #4

Nokia lost the way a couple of years ago. From rock solid software and physically neigh indestructible phones that you could operate in the dark with one hand we've gone to phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use and that require the memorisation of insane menu structures to…

> phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use. Sounds more like an exaggeration

Actually, it isn't. I have sworn my current one is my last nokia. It takes literally forever to start up, and after it seems that it has started up it is frequently still impossible to make calls or look at the call history or the sms messages section.

It crashes with some regularity (which is really annoying, because it takes a long time to start up again), it drops calls in the middle of a conversation about two or three times per week.

I've had to re-assemble the phone after just carrying it around in my pocket, not without danger because the battery easily pops out and might get shorted out by my keys. I've been a very loyal nokia customer for more than a decade with one (very short lived) excursion to Samsung, but this really is my last one.

I've just about given up on them.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#25

Post by rbanffy »

hackermom wrote: post #23
rbanffy wrote: post #18

People forget Nokia doesn't sell phones to their users. They sell phones to telcos. Telcos really don't care whether your phone takes 5 minutes to start or crashes frequently, as long as you pay your monthly bills and buy another subsidized phone down the line extending your contract before you move to a competitor. Telcos profit from crappy phones. And that's why it's important to support a market for unlocked phone…

That might be the case in the US, but the world is so much larger. In Scandinavia (and elsewhere, surely), every manufacturer also sell their phones "bare" (not coupled with a GSM subscription) directly to customers via a million different outlets.

It's the same here in Brazil - they are even required to unlock your phone on purchase, if you so demand. Subsidies are tied to contracts, so, if you rescind the contract you pay part of the discount you got.

The problem is that the US is a huge market and that distorts the forces that generate products.

And, sure, Nokia seems lost. They should give up software and differentiate on hardware. I am sure the N97 would be a fine Android phone.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#26

Post by nailer »

DavidMcLaughlin wrote: post #3

What's with the Nokia doesn't get it part? The market repositioning from smart-phone to mid-range consumer phone and delayed launch of the N8 would seem to suggest that Nokia definitely does get that the N97 was a disaster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N8 Disclaimer: I work for Nokia.

Look at the picture attached to the article you just posted. At the bottom of the screen 'Options, exit'. Just where the soft menu keys would have been. And the same size. And the same amount of buttons.

This is a touch phone. Why do you place on screen items like they're going to be activated by soft buttons?

Disaster #2 on the way.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#27

Post by nailer »

Setsuna wrote: post #21
jacquesm wrote: post #4

Nokia lost the way a couple of years ago. From rock solid software and physically neigh indestructible phones that you could operate in the dark with one hand we've gone to phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use and that require the memorisation of insane menu structures to…

> phones that take 5 minutes to switch on, frequently crash and drop calls and explode in to a variety of parts (cover plates, batteries, main boards, buttons and so on) with normal use. Sounds more like an exaggeration

The 'explode' verb is a little strong, but many Nokias disassemble themselves after being dropped.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#28

Post by ThomPete »

jfager wrote: post #20
ThomPete wrote: post #7

What Nokia doesn't get is that they can't market their way out of inferior products, not anymore. They have gotten themselves blind on the quantity of phones that they sell and think that the quantity is a proof that they are doing something right. That they just need to claim to have smart phones and the market will obey. It's really quite sad, as this company if any have the ability to be at the forefront. But such…

It sounds like you haven't actually read or understood The Innovator's Dilemma. TID isn't about companies growing too large and making obviously idiotic mistakes - it's hardly worth a book to point out that that might not be the best way to do things. The point of TID is that in certain situations a company can make all the right decisions and still end up losing in the long run to worse products. An industry that's…

I have read it and am fairly confident I understand it.

My point was basically that the lower end markets here is the smartphone market.

I agree though it might be a stretch as I am turning the metrics upside down. But I don't think it changes the fundamental point.

That Nokia is turning themselves out of business by making the "right" decisions.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#29

Post by heresy »

Nokia doesn't get that they have competition at the high end.

Selling phones that are so obviously sub-par compared to iPhone and Android, and still expecting people to fork over iPhone/Android money, is laughable.

Developers aren't going to move to writing Symbian apps, there's just too much alternative, and it's not where the reward is.

The goalposts have shifted.

Re: Nokia doesn't get it - The Truth about N97 [video]

#30

Post by mfukar »

hbd wrote: post #5
JeanPierre wrote: post #2

People were laughing at Nokia when they said they wanted to start making mobile phones. At that time, they only made tyres, galoshes and toilet paper. Now, if Nokia keeps this quality and price on their mobile phones (if this really is what you get), I myself would recommend them to either fire their hackers or go back to the rubber production. Hopefully though, they see that this is not going to work and that they h…

At that time, they only made tyres, galoshes and toilet paper. Eh? I don't think that's true. Nokia, just like Ericsson, made telephone switches and was involved in NMT, back in the 80s, when they started to make phones.

In fact, Nokia has been active in electronics since 1960.
Post reply on HN