Bet you didn't see
that coming, did you? The shock of a real, honest-to-goodness N95 with North American 3G bands becoming reality (sorry, T-Mobile, not you!) is still wearing off, and now the company's spouting off about a September release for the darned thing. As we found in our
hands-on, this particular variant of the S60 superphone gets tweaked just a bit from the original -- though not as much as the bigger-screened
N95 8GB -- offering a redesigned, recessed camera lens (sans protective cover), twice the RAM, dimpled music control keys, and re-upped battery capacity. Nokia claims this very special version of the N95 was made in part because it's been "extremely pleased" with response to the European N95 in these parts -- so to everyone with an N95 in your pocket right now, thanks! As we mentioned, grab it starting next month through a variety of online retailers plus Nokia's flagship stores in New York and Chicago for $699.
posted Aug 29th 2007 10:36PM
I have only one thing to say. Thanks, Steve, for waking up the cell phone industry in the US.
not in Canada, though : (
North America gets N95 with 3G... STOP... Soviet Union gets Levis jeans... STOP... UK gets Clockwork Orange... STOP... Ambovar village in Ethiopia gets running water...
Who is the service provider? I pray its sprint. I really want to retire my treo 700p.
It's an unlocked 850/1900 phone for use with AT&T, T-Mobile or any other GSM provider.
Thanks Greyscale. I'm starting to hate my provider (sprint).
Don't listen to me, I might have it all wrong. These new Nokias have me a bit confused. Check with the Nokia site or someone here will be able to answer definitively eventually.
Definitely not Sprint. Only GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile). Sprint is CDMA. I hate my provider, too (Verizon)
The New North American n95 only supports GSM 850 and 1900 bands, the two bands AT&T runs their 3g network on. T-Mobile runs their 3G network on the 1700 spectrum and is not supported on the new US n95 model.
hah. 700 for that? what a joke. with 8gigs of internal flash, then we're talkin 700. but without? what a joke. oh and look, 3g? cool, now i can use all that bandwidth to uh...go to uh...websites that i cant type in? or uh...buy music that i'd normally buy on my computer and re-tag/backup?
this entire nokia release event was a huge disappointment.
Thanks, I was worried people only complained about prices on iPhones. My faith has been renewed in complainers across the web.
It's not too bad thinking thats the cost for the phone without a contract.
I agree with you Kai - Nokia is desperately trying to find some renewed relevance in the wireless market. This looks like a good phone, but that price is ridiculous.
Companies need to get over the fan-boy pricing schemes they use and market products that the masses will buy.
there's been a lotta nokia news lately...
i'm quite pleasantly surprised that there's no idiot crying "ZOMG NOKIA NEWS ALL THE TIME ENGADAGET HOW MUCH YOU GETTING PAID YOU NOKIA FANBOIS!!???!?!?!" *yet*
It's is 8GB.
Now pretend I responded to kai.
K, maybe it isn't. Just go ahead and rank me down.
don't worry about it, i did the exact same thing here
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/island-resort-bans-gadgets-from-beach/#comments
And worth every penny!
Who the hell would buy this version when the new N95 8GB version in Europe is coming out for almost the same amount?
maybe everyone who doesn't live in Europe and wants 3G support...
$699? For a PHONE? Fully SUBSIDIZED? That's got to be the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not very good for business customers.
Of course not. It's unlocked and unbranded.
It's not subsidized.
It's not subsidized.
You can install Mail4Exchange.
Business people need that stuff, right?
haha ...he's clearly quoting steve ballmer from his interview shortly after the iPhone was announced.
And I like it! lol
haha love that interview, probably the most ignorant blabbering I've ever seen. I loved how he quoted prices for only WM phones that don't have touchscreens like the Moto Q, but ignored the touchscreen phones that go for about that price (Samsung ip-830 is $650). He's obviously scared, or completely ignorant. I have a Samsung i-730 WM5 touchscreen phone and it is absolutely the worst electronic device of any kind I've ever owned thanks to WM5 between restarting 5 times a day and the tremendously outdated and clunky interface (it's no different than the PPC I bought in 2001-ish other than the background on the today screen). I can't wait to get out of my contract, 1 year to go! I wonder about how these Symbian phones are, but I have a hard time believing it's $100 better than an iphone.
how is this cooler than an iphone?
It's not made by the Monster Cable of consumer electronics.
It has real buttons.
And you'd be able to install some useful applications and games :)
Is this cooler than the iPhone?
Well, I can tell you this .. come September I'll be standing in line .. .. for an iPod!
It has a ton more features than an iPony. 3G inc HSDPA, 5 megapixel cam (it is actually good enough to not need a separate camera - unlike any other phone currently available), near DVD video recording, GPS reciever + it's symbian so there's shite loads of app's and games for it.
There's also the fact you can get them free on a 12 month contract in europe (mines only £35 per month).
I wouldn't say the camera is that good. But it does support loads of apps, including some with Skype and other VOIP support. It also has build-in GPS, and all maps are free. Its not as good as a dedicated unit though. I have it and I love it :)
Any news on a official provider yet?
I can't imagine T-Mobile or AT&T haven't picked this up.....I would pay a good $299 after 2 year contract.
As has been discussed, it's an unlocked phone for use with any GSM provider. It will be sold direct from Nokia and other retailers.
"Steve Ballmer
$699? For a PHONE? Fully SUBSIDIZED? That's got to be the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not very good for business customers."
actually the 8925 will cost 800 when it is released in october but it will have the full keyboard and 3.5G
800 USD at release unlocked as the HTC Tytn II. The AT&T model (8925) will be substantially less expensive depending on contract.
Wow! $700 for a piece of crap phone?! How come now that it doesn't have an Apple logo on it, people aren't freaking out over the price?! Bunch of two-bit hypocrites. People just wanna bash on Apple because everybody has to hate something blindly... so might as well be the popular one...
I'm not an Apple fanboy, but if you wanna freakout over the price of phones, just as many people or More should be freaking out over the price of this less functional phone!
You can't compare a non-subsidized unlocked phone direct from the manufacturer to one that requires a bend-me-over-2-year-non-stop-rape contract. If Apple sold iPhones direct they would be $1200.
And they still wouldn't be 3G or be able to MMS and would still make you look like a trendy whore with more money than sense.
But what makes everyone think that it was Apple that demanded a two-year contract. Might it not have been AT&T that forced that decision. I don't think it really matters since there will still be a lot of iPhones sold regardless of outright price and two-year contract.
Undoubtedly there would be buyers who would be willing to purchase a $1200 unlocked iPhone IF, I say if, it came with the basic functions of other smartphones (IMS, video recording, push e-mail, etc.). Eventually it will have these features but I mean right now.
Constable...
Every carrier on the planet wants the iPhone. Apple chose to go with AT&T, arguably the worst carrier in North America. Apple was in control and could have demanded any terms they wanted but they decided to go with the devil and let them do their normal 2-year bullshit deal.
Oh, so you know the exact cost for an unlocked iPhone? Do you work in the Apple Sales department? You know you shouldn't bad mouth your own company... not good for business... as for the "bend-me-over-2-year-non-stop-rape"... technicaly it would be over after 2 years... and I fail to see how it's considered "rape"... at a base plan it only costs an extra $20 a month for Internet and 200 SMS, then you have a $60 voice plan... So tell me how is $80 a month considered "rape" when it IS the cheapest "smartphone" (although the iPhone isn't a full smartphone, it does do everything better) plan.
And who the frak changes their cellular provider every year? Statistics PROVE that the majority stay with their carrier for quite some time. Plus, I doubt that when the Nokia phone gets here it will prolly be sold with a two year contract, maybe a one year if you are lucky... But I'm just guessing on the last part.
I don't think you get the point. Apple got paid by AT&T to lock the phone. With this no one needs to extend/sign a new contract. Also, the N95 is much more of a phone than your crappy 2.5G iphone which is much less of a phone and more of a multimedia player.
"Statistics PROVE that the majority stay with their carrier for quite some time. Plus, I doubt that when the Nokia phone gets here it will prolly be sold with a two year contract, maybe a one year if you are lucky... But I'm just guessing on the last part."
--Sorry churn among your beloved AT&T is among the highest in the country. Compare it to Verizon, you'll be amazed
ty...
The only thing the iPhone does better than other phones is Coverflow.
If you don't understand why cell contracts are bad for consumers there's nothing I can say that will enlighten you.
Just be happy with your crippled fashion phone and 2-year contract that you can reup in 6 months when Apple drops the new and improved MMS-capable iPhone. That way you won't have to worry about losing your phone for a week when you have to ship it to Apple for the $60 (or whatever it is) battery replacement.
Perhaps you noticed that an unlocked iPhone got sold recently.... for two more iPhones and a car? Perhaps then you should reflect that this phone is pre-unlocked without any legal quagmires associated with it.
@greyscale, et al:
Are there other GSM carriers besides AT&T that support 3G on 850/1900 MHz right now? To my knowledge there aren't, except for perhaps a few regional MVNOs that probably lease bandwidth from AT&T anyway. So to take advantage of your unlocked wunder-Nokia's American 3G support, you'd have to pay the devil every month (directly or indirectly) just like iPhoners, correct?
True, you could cancel your service and leave at any time, but for what alternative? EDGE on T-Mobile?
And also, the N95 is, like, FAT and ugly and wouldn't fit in any of the pockets on my skinny jeans... Yes, style is more important than substance for some people, and you're free to bring that up as much as you want. I'd ask you, though, to try not to sound so judgemental about it.
[[[[Every carrier on the planet wants the iPhone. Apple chose to go with AT&T, arguably the worst carrier in North America. Apple was in control and could have demanded any terms they wanted but they decided to go with the devil and let them do their normal 2-year bullshit deal.]]]]
Wrong greyscale. Apple offered the I-phone to verizon first and they turned it down. I agree though, that 2 year deal is a crock of goat shit.
Speaking of 3G and T-Mobile, does anyone know when T-Mobile is finally planning on getting their 3G act together? It seems like the rest of the world will be building-out 5G before the States finally gets some reasonable 3G.
There should be rolling out 3G by the end of this year
@jdmbo1:
Key words--IN EUROPE. The 8GB N95 doesn't have the US 3g bands or an expandable memory slot. (Admittedly, Nokia could have combined the two models, but then you'd have had a perfect phone for some people, and we all know that wouldn't lead to clamoring for the next great phone)
In terms of relative "coolness" to the iphone, that's subjective. Personally, i'd rather have hsdpa (then i could actually watch youtube on the go and not have to worry about it only being usable in hotspot range), gps, tv-out, dedicated media controls, and the customizability of S60 than a touchscreen phone with a pretty UI--sexy though it may be.
it's too rich for my blood, I'll stick with my Ocean until I grow up ;)
Wish a carrier would pick up this phone and subsidize the cost a bit (as discussed). $700 is a lot for your average starving college student. As cool as the phone would be, that much money would be better spent on an Ageia PhysX processor....oh, wait...
To everyone who buys the new North American N95: Please send one dollar to me to subsidize the costs of my Euro N95 because if it weren't for the fact that I (& numerous others) bought one months ago you'd not be able to benefit from our example.
To Nokia: Forget the N95. Bring on the N82, please. It looks like a jewel of a phone.
I should get a dollar too then. But I'll just pay myself the dollar.
First off greyscale, AT&T has the best and most coverage in the US. Yes they don't have 3g but Edge will be faster and even peoples stupid beloved 3g will suck soon. It's called technologic progress. And secondly, if a person owns an iPhone they are now considered trend whores with "more money than sense"?
I think you are just another one of those ignorant and arrogant blind haters that has to hate something in order to make themselves feel better. People don't buy an iPhone to be trendy. They buy it because it works and it works well, better than ANY smartphone in fact. Plus people know they can trust Apple. They make good solid products.
Again i'm not an Apple fanboy. I just hate stupid people that feel the need to think that their opinion is the only one.
Why don't you stop forcing your opinion. I have no want for a phone that is a crappy phone, good media device
Wow. Just...wow.
Wow Tyronic, now you AND greyscale are BOTH idiots...
I don't think I have to explain the Tyronic side of it but I can explain greyscale's stupidity.
Just list all of the GSM carriers in the US that have 3G.
Okay problem solved. I don't even have to go into other details like simultaneous voice and data over 3G, or how AT&T speeds are faster, or how AT&T has the best phones in the US market, rollover, Video Share, just tell me when to stop....
Martin...
That's some sort of satirical internet performance art, yes? I have to be honest, it went right over my head at first.
@greyscale
That's probably why you signed up with Sprint, cause the reality is that your lack of knowledge about cell phones (and apparently things in general aka don't watch The Colbert Report) went right over your head and you just thought "I'll go with the cheap ones"
Don't feel bad though, that's what most Americans opt for, the "cheap ones"
I probably should have picked a different word then "explain" in retrospect but in case at this point if there is any doubt as to my intentions, they were IN FACT to make fun of you for using CMDA and then complaining about it.
Jared: This is not a crappy phone. Its my 7th cell phone and the best so far. The media features are a nice bonus though.
Hmmm... Some interesting comments...So here's a question, If this new Nokia phone is so totally awesome, and the iPhone is such crap. Why is it that Nokia is trying just as hard as they can to make an iPhone knock off? I mean we're not just talking about, "Oh hey that has some of the features of an iPhone!" or, "Wow, that's so iPhone!" It's an iPhone WITH A NOKIA LOGO ON IT!!!
"Why is it that Nokia is trying just as hard as they can to make an iPhone knock off?"
Because lemmings will continue to buy clones of Apple designed products until it stops being "cool". Nokia is just trying to make a buck.
There's nothing more to it.
Iphone clone...are you still talking about the n95? As i recall the n95 was released, even announced prior to the iphone. Also for those who can actually read, besides a touch screen and resolution, what features do the iphone have that are better than the n95? The iphone has wifi? voip? better camera? better video capability? Before posting such ignorant comments, you might want to read a lil bit prior to posting. Just my opinion tho.
wtf i work at compusa(FL) and we had that POS phone for almost a month now, ive sold 2 of them
Wow, your compusa is still open
yeah i know LOL!