Nokia N97 NAM launching June 2nd?

The Nokia Blog's got it on good authority that the Finnish phone maker's giving its North America distributors the heads up to expect the N97 to arrive on June 2nd for $699, although that price might end up lower. We've been hearing an expected June launch for some time, so it's definitely not out of the question. This does, however, serve as both an exciting and somewhat painful reminder that, should a couple other rumors pan out, June's gonna be a busy month for smartphones.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Fidelio @ May 17th 2009 11:58PM]

Fuck decisions, This or the Pre? man I need to stop being a gadget NERD!!!, Its not like this Blackberry Bold, isnt good enough for me.

[Kris @ May 18th 2009 12:03AM]

I own a BlackBerry Bold. I'd love to pick up a GSM version of the Pre, the new iPhone and this phone.

Ugh. If only I had about $2,000 to pick up all these damn phones!

[john @ May 18th 2009 12:17AM]

Advantages of the N97:
-bigger screen (3.5" compared to 3.1")
-higher screen resolution (640x360 compared to 480x320)
-better cam (5MPx with auto focus and dual LED flash compared to 3MPx, no AF, single LED flash)
-more internal memory (32GB compared to 8GB)
-memory extension possible (no memory card slot on the Pre)
-good video recording (compared to no video recording at all)
-more flexible software development possible (Symbian allows pretty much complete access to hardware capabilities, webOS only allows some access and is limited to slow interpreted Javascript)
-proper game support possible (and pretty good with N-Gage)
-Flash support in the browser
-bigger app selection

[Malikye @ May 18th 2009 12:21AM]

for me, it's either the n97 or the Touch Pro2 (aka T-mobile Wing II)

[TareX @ May 18th 2009 12:24AM]

This or the Pre?

I'd naturally say NEITHER (wait for the Tegra Android)... but if you had to choose one: Go for the Pre, OF COURSE. Don't underestimate single-hand operability.... not to mention webOS superiority.

[TareX @ May 18th 2009 12:26AM]

Unless if you're a fan of watching hi-res DVDrips on that N97 widescreen...

[Unbiased @ May 18th 2009 12:51AM]

Fidelio, I hear you, dude. Don't give in though. It's just not worth it. I suspect that a lot of us who read this web site{and others like it} give in to our desire to have the latest and greatest gadgets despite the fact that we're well aware of the damage we're doing to our wallets. I must admit I've been guilty of this many times but my recent engagement has forced me to reconsider the error of my free-spending ways.

I've been purchasing three handsets each year for the last three years at a total cost of approximately $1,500 per year and I've come to the realization that it's just not worth it. I bought an unlocked Nokia N79 in December and, although I'm already bored with it, have decided that I'm going to stick with it until my AT&T contract expires in Sep '10.

[loosely_coupled @ May 18th 2009 3:39AM]

the PRE will obviously have a far superior interface, applications, and web browser. The N97 doesn't even support hardware acceleration!

[Aaron @ May 18th 2009 6:06AM]

@loosely_coupled
Better interface? Probably
Better applications? Not a chance. Real apps will always beat web apps. There's no way that you're going to see on the Pre the kind of rich, 3D applications possible on Symbian.
Better web-browser? They're both WebKit-based, aren't they? Shouldn't be much difference.

The limiting factor of the Pre will always be the 8GB of storage. That simply isn't enough once you fill the phone with apps, music, video and maps.

[B3astofthe3ast @ May 18th 2009 12:00AM]

I would care, but I'm too obsessed with waiting for cupcake right now. T MOBILE SEND IT ALREADY, its driving me inSANE!

[skyblaze @ May 18th 2009 8:48AM]

i felt your pain, beast. then i said "fuck it" and rooted to dev phone 1.5. instant cupcake AND wifi tether. cant really beat that :)

[gareth @ May 18th 2009 12:01AM]

scared of apple nokia ?

[TareX @ May 18th 2009 12:02AM]

Woof.... now that's a lot of cash. But then again it's the best phone Nokia produced.

This June we have many things to look forward to:

- Nokia N97
- Computex '09 (June 2nd-4th) showing the Tegra phones
- E3 showing the new X-box controls, possible PS3mote, and a possible PSP2
- Palm Pre launch
- New iPhone (I predict a massive FAIL here)

[Abhishek @ May 18th 2009 12:29AM]

What about the G2? That's gonna be a nice device.

I think iPhone 4G will be a great addition to the iPhone line-up. Surely not the game-changers the 1st and 2nd gen have been, but a decent upgrade for the 1st-genners and for ppl thinking of porting over now that Apple's got the following figured out:
1) MMS
2) Copy-Paste
3) More processor speed.
4) Upgrade on the camera.

I will be hesitant when I do say this, but a removable battery for the iPhone 4G can virtually eliminate the competition.

[TareX @ May 18th 2009 12:33AM]

If by the G2 you mean the magic, then no... it's a huge chunk of fail. The G1 has better hardware (keyboard) and better software (cupcake+apps that need the keyboard).

If there's an Android Tegra phone with a physical qwerty being announced this June, I'm preordering it.

[tande @ May 18th 2009 1:17AM]

And by iPhone 4G I assume you mean something else completely.

You aren't going to see an iPhone 4G until next year at the earliest and I don't think you'll even see it then.

I have wondered what they are going to call the next iPhone though.

[DirtyVegas @ May 18th 2009 2:40AM]

@ TareX

The iphone has great momentum going for it, doubt if it'll "fail".

@ Abhishek

I don't see how a removable battery will make a significant impact on the rest of the industry. Sure, it's a handy thing to have, but it's not the X factor. I think the best move will be a more transparent app approval process and more openness to apps that are actually useful, whether they compete with Apple's offerings or not. That'll translate to a far bigger win for the customers.

Having said all that, the N97 is a stellar phone and I can't wait for it. If it sells for $450 and can work with AT&T it'll be a freakin' sweet thing to buy.

And then there's the pre. Whoo, this is a good tech season just as it is a great geek movie season.

[loosely_coupled @ May 18th 2009 3:41AM]

The removable battery is hardly an issue judging by the sales... Considering they have sold 10 million or so in the US They could easily take out the competition if produced a CDMA version for Verizon and Sprint.

[rita hainsworth @ May 18th 2009 4:59AM]

Why Fail?...Im getting the new iphone in June and I have to say
everyone I know with an iphone said they are buying the new one.
I also have the Nokia preordered..thanks engadget. Now I just need
a slick android and im set....

[JZ @ May 18th 2009 6:08AM]

Amazing how people manage to turn a product launch into iPhone... C´mon the iPhone sold a mere 10 a 15 million compared to RIM and not to forget Nokia with 1,4 billion anual sales its close to nothing. Even in the smartphone market (interesting that a dumbphone makes it in there) it isn´t even number 1. Yes Apple followed and pushed something new though the upgrades are nothing compared to what the iPhone brought in at release. Basic upgrades like 3G or a 2MP camera simply doesn´t do it. Look at the competition even Nokia releases now a mobile which hardware wise beats it at every front only at the software you could say Apple has the upperhand, that is if you are pleased with being limited.

I do agrea with the parent, Apple is bound to fail in the mobile market. There is no market as fast as the mobile market. Every mobile producer releases several lines a year with several top models. Something Apple isn´t used to with their own hardware which gets only 1 minor update per year.

[Sparkie @ May 18th 2009 7:14AM]

@tande: I too am curious what apple will name the next iPhone. They kind of jumped the gun naming it the 3G.

[Canadian Bacon @ May 18th 2009 9:45AM]

Wow rita, you're planning on buying the new iPhone even though you know absolutely nothing concrete about it.

It's like you're Apple's perfect customer.

[TheSuburbanWhiteBoy @ May 18th 2009 12:02AM]

Does this have AT&Ts or T-Mobile's 3G bands?

[Greg @ May 18th 2009 12:08AM]

It'll have AT&T for sure, I haven't heard a thing about T-Mo's AWS frequencies, which is unfortunate

[DR House @ May 19th 2009 1:16AM]

What Does NAM means?

[t-o89 @ May 18th 2009 12:07AM]

OMG thats totally my birthday!! :o lol

[holycow @ May 18th 2009 12:09AM]

Why can't they sell it unsubsidized in Canada!? Please Nokia, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

[sacapuntas @ May 18th 2009 12:35AM]

I'm sorry but the law explicitly states: "there shall be no cool, or otherwise desirable, smartphones sold in Canada under penalty of death"

Gosh, learn the law.....

[Alex @ May 18th 2009 12:37AM]

Wish the price wasn't so steep... =(

Oh well, the Pre will do! =)

[digitallysick @ May 18th 2009 12:44AM]

$400 and we have a deal

[Al @ May 18th 2009 12:54AM]

Mine was $450 before taxes.

[egloskerry @ May 18th 2009 12:46AM]

I'm happy with my E71x.

[va jj @ May 18th 2009 1:09AM]

looks like the stylus is well hidden.

[tande @ May 18th 2009 1:21AM]

Its on a string separately like the pick for the 5800 was.

[Mark Anderson @ May 18th 2009 2:40AM]

Sine it has a full QWERTY a stylus is redundant.

[ar @ May 18th 2009 1:27AM]

If i had the money i would get it but it is just too expensive i woukd pay 400 for it no more than that

[Solos @ May 18th 2009 1:41AM]

Tarex, Tegra phones won't be available soon - probably around Christmas or late autumn. Thinking like this You mat wait forever to buy new phone, I think. I waited for sth like Samsung Omnia HD but with Android, and there are no signs on the sky saying it will appear anytime soon. I'd like Android phone which has nice design (in my opinion of course) and AMOLED screen. G1 is ugly, Magic has too small screen for a phone without hardware qwerty. Besides, Android seems to work now only with one resolution - 320x480. I could wait longer, but I decided to go with Omnia HD now and Android as my next phone in about 1,5-2 years.

[RigvedMad @ May 18th 2009 1:55AM]

i surely cant afford it, $699, ohh my gosh...

[Zach Donley @ May 18th 2009 2:59AM]

N97
N97
N97!

YES! seriously i mean, how can you choose the pre over this? sure its a new os and new experience but, its palm....

nokia has always come out with products that are superior in functionality, design, and quality..

easy choice for me =]

[spiky32kobe @ May 18th 2009 2:45AM]

This is great! This means i might get it in about 3-4 weeks :) Hopefully nokia didnt cancel my order =:( for some odd reason, they returned all the money back to my bank account but my order still stands... any1 have any idea???

[Malkmus @ May 18th 2009 1:42PM]

Yeah, you're fine. They run a preauthorization when you first make your order (which is just temporary), then they'll charge you again (for reals) once it ships.

[dreamscape86 @ May 18th 2009 4:08AM]

Man, back when I was in NAM we didn't have Nokias...

[Lundmark @ May 18th 2009 5:07AM]

That is way too expensive for a phone with as poor interface as this. Why don't just get the real iPhone or nokia's latest communicator? This phone has nothing on those.

[Renegade Fanboy @ May 18th 2009 11:50AM]

I think, this is kinda replaces the Nokia "communicator". (Two most successful Nokia phones in one: N95, over 18 million sold in 2 years and E71 over 9 million sold in 9 months)

[Me4u2 @ May 18th 2009 5:26AM]

Finally.... my baby is just 2 weeks and 1 day away from getting smooched....

Advantages of Nokia N97 over Palm pre

- Huge 16M colors, 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches (awesome for watching hi-res dvd rips)
- Huge 32GB internal memory plus support for 32GB micro-sd cards thats equals to 64GB worth of memory (porn baby... porn... w00t!!!)
- 5 megapixels, Carl Zeiss optics with autofocus, dual led flash + video light (Palm pre has got no video recording ability at all)
- Dvd quality capture with 128kbs stereo sound @ 30fps in 16:9 aspect ratio
- Full html browser with flash and javascript support (watch youtube videos directly with the browser)
- Stereo FM radio with RDS, Visual radio; FM transmitter
- Digital Compass
- Full blown maps software with downloadable maps (no internet conection needed) plus 3 months of free turn by turn navigation.
- Capable OS with full access to hardware functions
- High quality games with Ngage
- Video and photo editor
- Flash Lite 3 (Capable of running flash games and applications)
- Java support
- Full skype support
- Front facing cam for video calling and skype video chat (Now she can really kiss you through the phone)
- Stylish and eye catching design

N97 FTW!!!

[cmil1212 @ May 18th 2009 7:43AM]

Advantages of Pre over this:

-Pre has multitouch capacitive screen
-Pre has superior browser that you can actually use
-Pre offers one of a kind multitasking
-Pre (with Sprint) has free GPS Navigation software
-Pre has synergy
-Pre's notification system
-WebOS will have more apps after a short time
-Pre's form factor is much better, phone looks better
-Pre is on a better network, cheaper plan, better subsidized price

[TareX @ May 18th 2009 9:48AM]

I agree with everything you said about the Pre, and add the biggest advantage: Single-hand operability.

However, the N97 has a wid VGA tiltscreen.... you can watch all your dvdrips at full quality. And S60 does have a mammoth app library bigger than any other mobile OS out there.

[Me4u2 @ May 18th 2009 10:17AM]

@cmil1212

"Pre has multitouch capacitive screen"
-Multitouch = gimmicky (not practical)

"Pre has superior browser that you can actually use"
- Superior browser with no flash support are you kidding me??

"Pre offers one of a kind multitasking"
- Multi-tasking is a breeze on all Nokia phones

"Pre (with Sprint) has free GPS Navigation software"
- Nokia maps doesn't need an internet connection just install the map file for U.S.A and you are good to go, plus it supports turn by turn navigation, 3d view, topography view.... with the N97 + Nokia maps, you don't need TomTom.

"WebOS will have more apps after a short time"
- WebOS apps = web apps = fail (iphone 1st gen users can testify to that)

"Pre is on a better network, cheaper plan, better subsidized price"
- Sprint Sux!!!

[cmil1212 @ May 18th 2009 10:32AM]

Wow..you sound like an idiot..lol

[Me4u2 @ May 18th 2009 10:53AM]

@cmil1212

Hey kiddo, why the personal attack... Anyway, no hard feelings... Peace!!!