Nokia N810 WiMAX reaches 'end of life'

Well, that certainly was a quick little experiment, wasn't it? Just months after quietly becoming available, Nokia has just as quietly slapped an "end of life" label on the N810 WiMAX Edition, officially ending Nokia's consumer-level support for the wireless standard -- for the time being, anyhow. Though we've been able to confirm that the discontinuation is official, no word was given as to why it fell off the market so quickly -- Nokia insists that it was a "natural" end of life -- but if we had to take a stab at it, we'd guess the Baltimore-only availability had something to do with it.

[Via MobileBurn]

[greyscale @ Jan 7th 2009 5:50PM]

Lols, Baltimore.

[Matthewmongan @ Jan 7th 2009 6:38PM]

Indeed Baltimore requires many lols. Having worked my way through undergrad as a repo man in the east side of Baltimore I can vouch for it's lol merit. perhaps a better product would be a "Nokia Crack'n Hoe Tablet (wimax edition)" with google maps preloaded with all the fun destinations like North Kenwood and Cecil Ave. Don't get me wrong Im down with B-more but it's population density really doesn't render a suitable launch market for such a specialized device/service. However, Im sure the average Dundalk resident would find this useful to determine how bad its going to smell outside without turning on the computer or tv to look up wind direction and weather. Maybe a "Crack'n Hoe Tablet (Crap Smell Edition)" for Dundalk.

[L @ Jan 7th 2009 5:51PM]

Given how Intel announced pretty bad financial data today (and thus might quit handing over money to Clearwire) and Sprint is in trouble since basically forever...I think WiMAX might well end up DOA.

[Dat @ Jan 7th 2009 6:13PM]

I was at the Portland Launch of WiMAX by clear . I played with an ATOM Based WiMAX Enabled OQO.

http://flickr.com/photos/dontbecreepy/sets/72157612254856402/

I think you need to give WiMAX a year to see what happens next....

[L @ Jan 7th 2009 6:32PM]

Might be - but with basically all other carriers all over the world moving towards LTE in about 2 years time, I just can't see WiMAX taking off now. Their window of opportunity is closing pretty fast imho.

Also, this years' CES seems pretty quite about WiMAX till now. Not that I want to sound pessimistic, but that's not a great sign either.

[ILoveApple @ Jan 7th 2009 5:52PM]

Shouldn't that say 'please dispose of N810 WiMAX editions properly'? Besides, hasn't it been a year since this was announced? It wasn't killed *that* quickly...

[namtastic @ Jan 8th 2009 5:05PM]

I'm curious, did you buy one? Because if you don't think a year is quick, I question if you actually dropped ~$450 for one of them.

[Odewale T. Odesanmi @ Jan 7th 2009 5:55PM]

poor n810

[L @ Jan 7th 2009 5:57PM]

Oh the N810 is still very much alive and kickin', it's just its WiMAX-equipped cousin...

[ILoveApple @ Jan 7th 2009 5:56PM]

Preach my brother! Preach!

[roomtek @ Jan 7th 2009 5:58PM]

i knew it!

[Arke @ Jan 7th 2009 6:01PM]

So did I.

[Skemo @ Jan 7th 2009 6:01PM]

I'm sorry but that is just an absolutely horrible photochop

[Patriks7 @ Jan 7th 2009 6:01PM]

I really hope that was sarcasm right there, because Nokia phones are really great.. Just some of them not in the market for 14 year old girls like iEye and the like..

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 7th 2009 6:03PM]

It's cool guys, these are all being used as VoIP burners for the Barksdale crew.

[Paul @ Jan 7th 2009 6:03PM]

Get ready for the next edition of the tablet. I don't think Wi-Max is the focus here.

[SkratchBoard.com @ Jan 7th 2009 6:10PM]

It's not unexpected that this would happen. I hope Nokia is continuing to innovate on the MID space though.

[L @ Jan 7th 2009 6:15PM]

I guess the next tablet will be quite a bit more advanced. OMAP3 based, hardware-accelerated new GUI, built-in HSPA...probably still a few months off, though.

[shugg @ Jan 7th 2009 6:11PM]

lets see n8-- nokia tablet comes with 2 gb mem,$420 or ipod touch 8gb mem best browser accelerometer 1000 apps n counting.etc $229.,hmmh i wonder which one will survive .nokia tablet is a reflection of how bad their cell phone division is doing as far as high end innovation. its tanking.,which one would u buy?

[L @ Jan 7th 2009 6:14PM]

My gosh, finish school and then come back.

[Rick @ Jan 7th 2009 6:19PM]

Nah, finish school and don't come back.

[KilgoreTrout @ Jan 7th 2009 6:26PM]

And even if you don't finish school don't come back anyway

[Sarig @ Jan 7th 2009 6:35PM]

They're not even competiting products...

One is a media player with some internet functionality, the other is an internet tablet with some media functionality.

[matt @ Jan 7th 2009 6:35PM]

Best Browser? haha. Deluded. Run along now, the *special* bus will be here soon.

[LTM @ Jan 8th 2009 1:24AM]

@shugg

The touch isn't even in same ballpark as the N810 when it comes to usability. It's a toy with music. The N810 has real word practicality and with the open source community backing it, you aren't a slave to paying Apple for everything and anything....Some ways the Nokia kicks ass over the touch. The N810 is expandable with micro sd ( with adapter card ) and mini sd memory, the battery is removable giving 10 days on standby and 7 hours of use, I'm running a slingbox type application on it using Hava as the iphone / touch still waits for it. I can connect an external hard drive and flash drive to it expanding the connectivity. Running full GPS software on it with voice directions. running abiword full word processing software, can copy and paste ( LOL!! ), can run flash, both physical and virtual keyboard, dual external speakers. The only thing the touch has over the Nokia is size, but as far as real world uses the touch is an ipod classic with a screen and an accelerometer that is more of a gimmick than anything else. You don't know what you're talking about, so don't even bother.

[nerdtalker @ Jan 7th 2009 6:16PM]

Sip, my friend, sip that drink.

Worry not its color or consistency, simply sip. There there, don't you feel good. :D

[MattyG @ Jan 7th 2009 6:29PM]

WTF? it didn't even make it to the UK LOL

[matt @ Jan 7th 2009 6:32PM]

What would be the point when we don't have any wimax? It would just be a fatter and heaver normal n810.

[FILA @ Jan 7th 2009 6:56PM]

don't crack on Baltimore, being where I'm from and love it.

nigga "I'M SO BALTIMORE", you wouldn't know about that "CAUSE I'M THE SHIT, UP IN THIS BITCH"



but anyways WiMax will come around, thats probably what everyone said about 3G, but look where its at now, big improvement, and didn't T-Mobile at one point say they were gonna invest in 4G also? I thought they said they were gonna skip 3G but clearly that didnt happen. so i dont know.

[Nadool @ Jan 7th 2009 7:29PM]

T-Mobile has a 3G network? Oh wait you're right...here it is. Oh it's so cute look how tiny it is! Awwww

[nxp3 @ Jan 7th 2009 8:14PM]

I skipped the n180, hopefully it gets dirt cheap then I might consider getting it. I mean it still has wifi and a keyboard. I had the n700 and the n800. I pretty much felt nokia was using us as beta testers considering they came out with a new one every year. And now the n810 wimax reached end of life. I think they pissed off a lot of early adopters.

If I can get the n810 wimax for cheap I will get it...slightly faster, keyboard, and a gps built in. It's decent for web browsing and media.

[sr @ Jan 7th 2009 8:50PM]

I have a feeling the real reason is the launch of Maemo 5 and the super OMAP3430 tablet pretty soon. It should be out in a few months considerign Archos already similar hardware out. Nokia in general has been changing direction in a way that they are less willing to take risks in certain technologies while adopting a more "back to our roots" stance. They basically killed 3D their 3D acceleration on cell phone plans, even though they were the first in the world to put it on a phone. Same way here the first tablet with WiMax and they just pulled out of that market altogether.

[sr @ Jan 7th 2009 8:47PM]

Wow, that sucks. Just after the first carrier starting using WiMax. I mean they could have waited a year for it hit other cities and I thought by time a handful of other cities got it too, Chicago being one of them.

[a @ Jan 7th 2009 8:57PM]

damn im still saving up for it and it's already off the market. that thing's so much better than the ipod touch.

[mfortner @ Jan 7th 2009 9:18PM]

That means look for price slashes right?

[mfortner @ Jan 7th 2009 9:10PM]

I would not really condone a direct comparison, but since so many of you insist:
At $500 my iPhone cost a great deal more than my $200 N800 (not the N810).
It and the N810 are flash enabled unlike my iPhone. Can use a VPN client unlike my iPhone.
My N800 has removable memory with two SD card slots which I use 16g cards in both.
I can boot from the SD cards as well.
The Nokia has a mini USB port that I can connect with a drive and keyboard.
The screen is larger with a higher resolution than my iPhone.
I can use several apps at once.
I can connect online via bluetooth through my other cell phone and use bluetooth for data transfer with my MacBook Pro.
Using SSH I can transfer files over my network at high speeds.
With my BT receiver I have GPS turn by turn for free.
Its truly open source.
The Nokia supports far more audio and video codecs than my iPhone.
I use VOIP and video conferencing on the Nokia.
Cut, copy and paste is a snap on the Nokia.

I could go on and on, but I think it pointless because they don't compare. The Nokia tablets are far superior mobile computing/surfing hardware.

I love my iPhone too. The touchscreen interface is worlds above any thing out there...especially the pinch zoom, etc.. Its actually pocketable. It is more attractive. There are more apps, but so may of them are just stupid or redundant. Obviously its a phone whereas the Nokia tablets are not. It is an amazing device. I've been looking at other phones looking for a reason not to add another one to the family, but I'm not seeing one.

Comparing the iPhone to an N96 or upcoming N97 makes more sense.

[thedesolate1 @ Jan 8th 2009 2:40AM]

Im sorry nerdtalker but the iphone doesnt even have an sip stack....

[Félix @ Jan 8th 2009 4:53AM]

Dear Santa,
For christmas, I'd like a Nokia N820, running Android/Limo, with Wimax/3G, 16/32Gb of memory.
I would also like all the corrupted french politicians who have been slowing the process of Wimax implementation in France for years (while they already have sold the licence to Free 2 years ago..), so SFR, orange and Bouygues can make millions selling 3G for $50 a month (not even unlimited data -__-), to rot in Hell for ever.
May Free get the 4th GSM national licence, build a GSM/Wimax network and Kick their ass back where they belong.
With all my hate for them.

[Imran @ Jan 8th 2009 2:03PM]

Means a new tablet is on it's way.... ;)

[namtastic @ Jan 8th 2009 5:10PM]

Naw, more likely just means no one was buying it. This is Nokia cutting costs when they know the current economy is going to kill any hope of rapid WiMAX growth. Remember, this model was ONLY sold in the U.S.

[remoran @ Jan 25th 2009 12:46PM]

The N800 rocks and it's because of the stylus. Fingers are great for dialing and one or two word emails but for detailed work, a stylus is essential, something I would love to see in a smart phone. When Nokia comes out with a really fast tablet, apple will counter because this form factor really works.Mforter's post is right on regarding the N800 and the iphone. Really good commentary there.