Nokia N8 available for pre-order, end of September release

By on Sep 8, 2010 at 10:53 AM
General September 8, 2010

Nokia has made their unreleased, flagship N8 handset available for pre-order in the U.S. via shop.nokia.com. The device, which will retail for $549, has a listed availability date of the “End of September.” The date seems to confirm the “late September” timeframe that was reported by Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti this past Monday. More details are sure to emerge as Nokia’s worldwide conference — Nokia World — is set to kick off next week in London on September 14th.

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  • PAPINYC

    I FIND THE T-MOBILE “KIDS ARE FREE” MORE INTERESTING; and, I haven’t got any rug-rats running around…….

  • Brandon

    I’m not sure which is more funny. That they’re actually releasing this device, or that they’re having a pre-order for it.

    Nokia, we forgive you. When this fails (and it will fail), you can still come back to Android.

    • Topher86

      Because everyone wants Android??

      Products are so similar these days when it comes to spec offerings that the OS really doesn’t make or break a device. Apps do play some part, and Nokia is seriously behind in that aspect, but I can’t see where N8 is going to fail. Consumers will pick it up if there is good marketing, Nokia is already a well known brand [duh], and those bright colors are very marketable.

      Why is the iPhone so popular? Because it’s the iPhone, it’s riding that branding.

      Why is Android so popular? Because it’s offered on numerous handsets, and it’s also riding the branding.

      Why is BlackBerry so popular, even though their OS is at least a year behind the top two? Because it is a BlackBerry, ppl will buy them just because.

      See the trend?

      • Brandon

        Brands much larger than Nokia have failed due to an inability to stay current. See: Oldsmobile.

        When I think Nokia, I think of the phone I had in 1998. It had great build quality, but I still think 1998. I’m sure others have a better impression of the Nokia brand, but they need to establish themselves as current and up to date. I don’t think the N8 is going to do this.

        Even if the N8 is a decent success, Nokia doesn’t have the resources or clout to mount a defense against Android (and all their handset manufacturers) AND Apple at the same time. Let’s also not forget Blackberry still has major corporate market share, and I guarantee you if anyone is leaving the corporate Blackberry fold, itehy’re not doign so because they really want to use a Nokia device.

      • Phongables

        question…..you gay?

      • Galen20K

        Your comment is offensive Phongables. Let me ask you, are you ignorant?

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        Now Nokia is the fifth most recognized brand on the planet. Oldsmobile wasn’t even a global brand. smh…

        You’re obviously an American, and you likely haven’t had much experience with Nokia smartphones, which I’ll blame on our controlling US carriers. Nokia is the king of phones, king of smartphones, king of build quality and manufacturing, and nothing can change that overnight.

        Since you’re from the US, you have no idea what’s current anyway without watching the global industry. All of the hype coming with iOS and Android is about features and capabilities I’ve enjoyed on my Nokia smartphones since 2005. Not a single feature from an Apple or Android device was new to most Nokia smartphone users.

        Nokia is not only current, they’re the originator of the smartphone, and miles ahead of the game. See the N900 and N9 for reference. The N8, even! Who else has HDMI output, Dolby Digital Surround output, GPU offloaded graphics architecture, USB peripheral support, stand alone camera functionality and quality, all aluminum build process, BT Obex PUSH, etc.?

    • Jarrett

      I agree. Nokia had their lunch stolen by Apple and then Android came along and took Nokia’s milk carton while kicking them in balls. At least have the nerve to partner with the nut kicker in an effort to get your lunch back.

      • Kar

        If N8 or future Nokia’ smarkphone comes with Android with Ovi map, I’ll buy Nokia as long as they don’t deep skin the OS. If it weren’t for the Nexus One with Android apps, I would have gotten the Nokia N900. I still want that phone but after seeing their crap app store from my brother’ phone, I decided to get Android. I would have gotten Apple if it weren’t for the Android’ widget and 7 HOME SCREEN.

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        You let the Ovi Store lead your purchase choice? You realize that unlike Apple and Android, apps don’t have to be installed via the Ovi Store, and most aren’t even there? Many more can be found just by searching “Symbian apps” in Google.

        The N900 doesn’t even need the Ovi Store. It’s Linux. Ever heard of APT? The App Manager has a plethora of software not in the Ovi Store, and is better and free. Ovi isn’t the only store for the N900 or any other Nokia device. How do you think non Nokia devices get apps? They don’t have Ovi Store…

    • Ace Of Space

      Maybe this can join The My Touch’s, Cliqs and Beholds in the comedy hall of fame.

      And maybe for a few extra yucks, the Android Garmin Phones!

      Those were really a hootnanny!

    • Miggy

      You are probably right.

      It’ll be a big fail like the 5800 was.

      I guess it’s hard to sell more than 10 million of one model in less than 2 years.

      The Behold II might come close though heh?

    • Miggy

      Android would not do a damn thing for Nokia if they still sold their phones unsubsidized in the U.S

      Nokis biggest failure is that they do not play the game the US Carriers want them to. They won’t allow the carriers to dictate what features and capabilities are going to be included and which ones won’t.

      Do you think any U.S GSM Carrier is going to subsidize a Pentaband Phone? A phone a person can buy subsidized cheap, skip out on the ETF and then use with another carrier?

      Never going to happen.

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        Why should Nokia reduce their devices to crap while Apple and Android devices don’t have to? Nokia was blocked for including “an app store” back in 2005, yet Android and iOS do the same thing. They blocked Nokia for having front facing cameras, then watch as Apple and Android devices do it 5 years later. They blocked them for P2P apps, when you see Android running torrent apps now. They claimed Nokia devices cost too much, then heavily subsidize the iPhone’s $699 price tag.

        Carriers are just hypocrites, and control freaks. It only hurts us as consumers.

  • ROCKIN A DX!

    *Yawwwwwwwn*

  • dee

    zzzzzzzzz

    symbian

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • Jim

    “Introducing, the Nokia Meh. Available now…”

  • canistel

    … and yet you twits feel the need to comment about how little you care, in every single article that mentions it …

  • GN

    well…being the BB user for over two years now, its sad to say….at this point, I would take that…ummmm…I dont even want to say it….the S word, over the os5 or the os6 from what ive seen and read….take that for what its worth…carry on plz

  • Steve Berman

    Who cares about Nokia? “Oh but they sell the most handsets in the world blah blah blah….”

    Got news for you just because the majority of the world is 3rd world status and is just now discovering flip phones it doesn’t mean any of us with money or more importantly a choice care.

    NOKIA and Symbian are f-ing dead. Good riddance!!!!

  • Dara

    All these people who have never used Symbian must be right about the version of Symbian that hasn’t been released yet.

    The same way that they’re right about Qt not being a competitive platform when they’ve never even heard of Qt.

    Just keep watching your commercials.

    This is a steal for anyone who wants the feature set of this phone.

    The highest quality imaging combined with the most open, and third party neutral, approach to connectivity. A fully standalone GPS navigation solution with maps that are better than anyone else can provide.

    And the possibility of not having to distinguish mobile/desktop/cloud/server/toaster environments from one another because the whole thing is going to be built on a programming platform called Qt that allows you to develop simultaneously for Windows, Mac, Linux, Symbian, Meego, and eventually Android and maybe even iOS devices.

    • Jim

      But Symbian is a glorified feature phone OS. Symbian is not Meego.

      And Qt is going to do nothing for app development on Nokia phones. It’s been available for a couple years and the Ovi Store is still as barren as the Sahara.

      Developers just don’t care about the brand. Sorry, but that’s the hard truth. To turn it around, the company needs Meego and a GIANT marketing campaign.

      • Dara

        1. You’re clueless about what Symbian is. See my first sentence above.

        2. The Qt SDK for mobiles was released this year. Qt has been around for years and all they have to show for it are Skype, VLC, Google Earth, KDE, and VirtualBox.

        3. The Ovi store is sad but functional. Google search is the best app portal for Symbian, the same way that it is for Windows and Mac.

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        Since you know so much about OSes, what are the differences between Symbian and MeeGo? I doubt you know, so I’ll tell you.

        The ONLY difference is the components from MeeGo are publicly developed open source pieces common to the modern Linux stack. The components from Symbian are also publicly developed and open source, but were designed with constrained resource environments in mind.

        Both support almost all of the same runtime toolkits, save Java for MeeGo. MeeGo has an extended runtime support more common with desktop systems, however, which makes it more powerful than anything on the market.

        As you can see, runtime support is the defining factor in any OS in terms of advancement, power, and capability. And if you look closely, you’ll see that this is how the OSes rank in terms of runtime support:

        1. MeeGo
        2. WebOS
        3. Symbian
        4. WP7
        5a. Android
        5b. iOS
        5c. BB OS6

        I combined the last three because they require using closed proprietary tools to develop, and just a small number of tools. None support cross platform toolkits, and make development expensive in terms of reach.

        If you look closely, you’ll notice the top three are also the ones with early Flash support, are all open or use open components, and enable the best quality and complexity in its applications. They’re all real time multitasking OSes, and not the toy app engines, but real pocketable computers that can simply do more because of their architecture.

        Qt for MOBILES has NOT been around for a couple years. Its been in BETA, and was just finalized a couple months ago. Ovi Store just started accepting Qt apps for approval last month! So stop spreading your know-not-what-you-saids and read first.

        Symbian and MeeGo share the Qt ecosystem, and regardless which is which, they’ll run most of the same apps. Symbian is the original and most capable smartphone OS. MeeGo is a pocketable computing platform. BOTH are miles ahead of Android and iOS, regardless how you feel, from a developer and technology standpoint.

        Instead of counting apps in stores, which Symbian doesn’t even require, how about counting the functions those apps perform, and telling me which can’t be done on a Symbian device vs. iOS and Android? Symbian has a Flash enabled browser, just like Maemo/MeeGo by design. They allow alot of features to be handled in the browser, negating a need for many apps on other platforms. Find a function Symbian devices can’t perform, then talk to me. I can find many iOS and Android can’t.

        Class dismissed. See you tomorrow for a pop quiz.

    • MicroNix

      It doesn’t look half bad. Still wouldn’t buy it but that’s just opinion. While I’m in the Android court, I still can’t for the life of me understand why no one has made an Android phone with a killer camera and software on it yet. I don’t care about the megapixels, just give me a killer quality picture and some easy, decent shot options. After all, the dang thing is practically a PC…. how hard can it be?? I’ll pay an extra $50 for it. Make it $249 and advertise the crap out of the quality camera and camcorder eliminating the need for a dedicated camera (in most situations).

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        Android devices are far from PCs. That’d be more Symbian and MeeGo. PCs have full multitasking and API access to background apps, support Flash and Silverlight, and allow developers to use the skills and tools they already are familiar with to develop apps.

        Android just doesn’t have the muscle to run the software for processing and creating good photos. Look at the most advanced cameraphones of our time.

        Nokia N8, SE Satio, Samsung INNOV8, SE Vivaz, Nokia N86, Nokia N93, Samsung i8910 HD, etc…

        They all have one thing in common: Symbian. For a reason. Know the facts, and realize your Android “computer” ain’t what you think it is. Symbian allows you to get more from the hardware, and MeeGo is the next generation of that idea.

  • blkrabb1t

    needs more MeeGo!

  • Ace Of Space

    So many experts here.

    Where can I possibly find the time to soak it all in.

  • Johnny Tremaine

    Well, if anything these comments (on here, Engadget and Giz) shows that the ‘Nokia/Ovi/Symbian’ brand is dead, dead, dead in the U.S., at least. Sure, there’s the rest of the world…

    • boogalooboy

      Well Nokia hasn’t done badly for itself without the US market, so having US-centric sites blow their usual negative BS wont matter much.

    • Miggy

      I think what Nokia really needs to do to get back i the game in the U.S is to start selling their phones on Amazon for $1.99

      And if they really want to go for it in the U.S, they’ll get in the mix for T-Mo’s Until The Apocalypse Buy 1 Get 33 Free Promo.

      • MicroNix

        No, what they need is to get them in front of people. Have you ever seen a high end Nokia phone for sale at Best Buy? No, all consumers see is what Nokia is popular for in the US….cheap crappy phones. Most of the general population doesn’t even know that Nokia makes a high end phone.

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      I’m surprised how everyone has an opinion on devices unavailable to buy in their countries! Most of these folks have NEVER seen, touched, owned, or used a Nokia Symbian device. So their just wind bags.

      The US has about 4 Symbian devices. The Nokia Nuron 5230, about the cheapest smartphone you can buy on the planet, the at&t E71x, a neutered E71 with all of the features removed by the carrier, the SE Vivaz, one of the best cameraphones ever made, with only the second device to feature continuous realtime video autofocus after the Nokia N93 of 2006, and the Nokia E73 Mode, a TMobile branded E71 update.

      Not a single premium Nokia model, and the SE model just arrived. Before these, there was only the N75, a total fiasco carriers forced Nokia to make when it was a crappy idea to begin with.

      So unless you’re experienced, have a seat and learn first. Makes you look stupid. Just like us arguing about Rolls Royces and Bugatti Veyrons when we’ve never even driven one.

    • Salem

      Yes, its mostly the US consumers who’re so negative about Nokia/Symbian. Possibly soz it’s not American (if you think about it, Apple=American, Android/Google=American, Blackberry=American).

      Yes, Nokia ARE the creators of smartphones. Long before iPhone, Android etc there was Nokia and Symbian.And as was mentioned further up, Nokia/Symbian can do everything an iPhone/Android can, and could do long before either Apple or Google even thought up th idea of producing mobile phone OSs.

      Yes, Nokia may have fallen behind in the last couple of years, but don’t write them off by looking at OLD versions of Symbian.

  • wallyson

    I would like to see a trusted, non-biased review on this phone when it comes out. Killer hardware except for the processor. Just wondering if that even matters though with the software on it??

    • Jouten

      I doubt that there will be an actual ‘American’ unbiased review anywhere. Americans already ridicule the Symbian OS and are too blinded by Android and iOS to be open enough to judge it on its own merits.

      What they don’t seem to understand is that Symbian is a very full featured and very capable multi-tasking OS that does NOT require insane amounts of hardware specs that iOS and Android REQUIRE in order to run at a buttery smooth rate. I know, it’s a run on sentence but it contains what I needed to say.

      I personally plan on getting this phone and maybe even the E7. I’m not a complete fanboy. I will even be getting an unlocked telstra HTC Desire as well.

      But I do know that the Nokia devices will truly shine and by far, out perform the other two mobile OS’es.

      • Johnny Tremaine

        It’s the ‘app-gap’, as it’s called. As of now, on an iOS you can get great games like Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, stream Pandora music or movies via Netflix streaming or read Kindle or Barnes and Noble e-books.

        There aren’t equivalent Symbian/Nokia apps. No where near.

      • Jouten

        Good counter point Johnny!

        That is true, there are definitely advantages to being the most popular OS on the market. That is indisputable. But it is a truly open source OS so equivalent apps could be created if anyone were up to the task.

        But for my intended use, I find it very suitable. I have to admit, I am not really too big on convergence devices either. That is why I have an iPod Touch and also an Android phone (currently HTC Hero GSM, but soon HTC Desire). At least that way, I have an idea of the different systems out there and not be blinded or committed strictly to one OS.

        Thanks for the feedback Johnny, very nice point.

      • JK

        I have Spiderman on my X6. As well as a Batman Game and just for laughs, a OUIJA Board

        And for streaming music I have Absolute Classic Rock from Absolute Radio which is all I need cause ya know, I like classic rock

        You have no clue whats available on Symbian and whats not. I’m not limited to whats on the OVI Store, there are tons and tons and tons of apps from reputable developers and sites all over the net and I literally mean all over the net that I can get and use whenever I want.

        I’m not bound by what any “official” markets want to offer me.

      • Dara

        Because you just listed a bunch of US only services for a platform that is mainly based outside of the 8% of the mobile market that the US represents.

        92% of the global mobile market can not access those services regardless of their platform.

        Mobile games? You’ve got a point. There are certainly a lot more no-skill herp derp push the shiny circle games for iOS than any other platform.

        I wonder though… can you hook up a BT keyboard and mouse, connect your phone to a TV, and play Quake 3 online on your iPhone?

        If not… why not?

      • Johnny Tremaine

        Ha! I see what you did there. Quake 3 was available on a N900 running Maemo, but the Nokia Marketing Team here is defending Symbian.

        And of course I’m mentioning US services. The whole point of the thread is that the N8 is available at Nokia USA.

        My counter-point is that Symbian has little to offer any U.S. based buyers, though I acknowledge that it’s *good enough* for people in, say, parts of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, etc.

      • JK

        I’m in the US and can get just about any type app or feature I want for my phone.

        I know that it sucks because I don’t have to get them from just one source, but I guess freedom isn’t what it’s cracked up to be for some people..

      • Dara

        @Johnny

        It was ALSO available on N900, but my Symbian N95-3 did it first.

      • JK

        I have to say though as a Nokia User, I am bummed about not being able to get one of the best selling iTunes apps of all time, iFart.

        I feel really let down by Nokia.

      • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

        There are other games, music streaming services, and content. You mention US based services that aren’t global for the most part. Why would you expect those apps on devices that carriers block from the market? If you owned one, you’d know Symbian has games, a better music streaming service like Last.fm and Spotify, can stream more online video content via the browser than any other OS, and has other non branded ebook readers. Most of the apps iOS and Android need are because they lack Flash support on most devices.

      • Dara

        @chris

        I think Android has Symbian beat for watching streaming content through the browser as of Froyo, which brought full Flash to the platform.

        Unless you’re counting Skyfire, which hurts my brain every time I have to use it to stream something.

      • wallyson

        Who said it had to be an American review? I don’t give a flunk who writes it, what language or what country they are in when they do. Despite what you watch on TV about the USA we aren’t all the same.

      • Salem

        Yep, preordered by N8 from Nokia Direct UK to replace my aging/dying Nokia E51 Symbian OS 9.1 (S60 3.1) device.

  • JAYZ

    Does iOS 4.1 work on this?

  • Smoking Gun

    What kills this phone for me is the price. Maybe after a few months when it’s on Amazon and sheds some $$ I may take a look at it.

    An unlocked Pentaband capable of picking up both T-Mo or AT&T U.S 3g with WiFi, a knockout camera and usb on the go. Hell yeah, it’s worth at least a look if the price goes down.

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      Nokia notoriously pads the price for preorders from its store. But Amazon will be cheaper, and by alot. When its shipping, it’ll continue to drop for the next two months, and likely settle in the $425 – 475 range, right on time for the N9 to take that $550 – 699 range.

  • http://hyperom.com/ Max

    Unless N8 will be picked up as a subsidized handset by either ATT or T-Mobile with $99 end user price it’s doomed to low sales to a small group of enthusiasts. Up until it eventually gets discounted to about $200 unlocked. I don’t think there’s any substantial market for $550 phone in US. Especially when pitted against a gamut of smart/dumb/i-phones for a hundred bucks with contract (that you kinda need anyways, save for T-Mobile’s contract-less $10 more a month rates)

    • Smoking Gun

      No question about what you wrote. Not being subsidized in the U.S will kill it before it’s even born.

      It’s the way the business is run in the states. It just is.

      • MicroNix

        Yes, with phones becoming obsolete so fast, are you going to pay $549 for this phone or $199 every 2 years for the “latest and greatest”? Maybe people hold on to their phones longer in other countries but I can’t see why you would pay $549 for one phone when that amount almost gets you 3 new phones over a 6 year period. Nokia needs to get with it if they want to be a player in the US.

      • ThisGuy

        you have to factor in that since it is an unlock phone, you dont need the $30 data plan to use it. You can use a $15 unlimited data plan from AT&T or T-Mobile, so basically you would save $15/month compared to buying an Android phone or iPhone (that requires the $30 monthly data plan). 2 year contract (24 months) x $15 = $360 of savings over 2 years. $550 – 360 = $190. So you would actually end up paying less for the N8, compared to iPhone or Android.

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      There are plent phones that cost over $500 being sold in the US, in fact MOST of the hero devices you guys love! Its up to consumers to demand more devices, and not assume we don’t get them because they’re no good. This is totally false. If it weren’t, how is Nokia leading ALL markets but this one?

  • MMAfighter559

    Even if this was on att I don’t see why anyone would want it over a captivate or iphone

    • Smoking Gun

      Maybe some would and maybe some wouldn’t. Nobody can say for sure since it’s not actually happening.

    • JC

      People who want a fully featured smartphone with a 12MP camera, 720p video, and insane media playback functionality and realize that the iPhone, and especially an iPhone tied to AT&T’s crap service, are not the end all be all of smartphones.

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      How about price, better camera, better build quality, better call quality, better signal, HDMI output with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, real time multitasking, integrated social networking client, integrated sharing with plugins for add ons, longer battery life, global 3G support, more efficient OS, more power, best in class GPU for better games development, etc…

  • Rafael Roque

    I’ve had an N97 with Symbian^1 since last year, and only recently has Android and iOS matched the functionality of my phone. The Symbian Foundation was setup to continue to evolve and improve the established Symbian OS. Once the N8 and the rest of Symbian^3 devices come out; it will be catch up for Android and iOS all over again…

    As for Meego, I believe it’s missunderstood by everyone; I think it is being developed to complement Symbian Smartphones (not replace them). That is why Nokia is investing heavily on QT framework; to bridge mobile devices and computers. Imagine if you will a Netbook, Tablet, MID or even Desktop/Laptop running Meego instead of Windows or Mac OS X? Now that would be a breath of fresh air =).

  • ljp

    Did I miss something or did they completely avoid mentioning what processor is in this device?

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      It runs an ARM 11 at about 667 MHz, if I remember right. Sounds slow, but remember, Symbian isn’t like iOS and Android. All graphic duties are handled by the GPU exclusively, and this has the best GPU in the game by a mile, made by Broadcom. So the 667 MHz is just for apps, and not the UI or graphics like the main processor in iOS and Android.

  • jimf

    If this ran Android, I would be seriously interested.

    • http://www.symbian-freak.com christexaport

      And I’D probably vomit and be totally pissed off. Won’t trade cute UI for real power. That’s like trading a Ferarri for a Ford Probe because the paint job is better.

  • Tom

    dont forget, that N8 also offers free Ovi maps GPS, that can be used 100% offline without the need for a cell signal..

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