Nokia delays Symbian^3, investors not impressed

As in any business, in the world of the smartphone there are winners and there are losers. Earlier this week Apple blew away market expectations and posted a $3 billion profit thanks largely to increased popularity of the iPhone. For the competition news is not so good, and while Nokia did manage to boost earnings per share 40 percent this year, it missed analyst expectations and, more importantly, is having to delay the release of Symbian^3 until sometime in the third quarter. The release was initially due in the first half of the year, then became a little more specific as a Q2 release. These factors have sent share prices dropping 12 percent and leaves Nokia fans waiting another few months for a taste of something fresh -- not good when there are so many other delectable options up for the taking.

[ounkeo Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:35AM]

@HJTravels

Um... Nokia is NOT doing badly. It's sites like this that propogate the notion that Nokia are doing badly. NA tech journalists are pretty anti-anything European (Nokia). They usually won't report anything properly about Nokia but when it comes to an American company, wow, they even write news about what color underwear the CEO chooses for what day, what his cat ate for lunch and why his cat would choose that flavour.

Nokia is doing very well at this point in time. They are big and slow to steer their ship in light of the new competition and market, but if anyone had even bothered to divert a few percent of energy wasted on "Apple used a new 3pin screw on their products guys!!! Let's go camp their HQ for some interviews lulz!", we'd get a much clearer and more holistic picture of where things are at in this industry and the players involved.

Keep in mind this is the same group (most NA tech journos/analysts) that, for the last 3 years said RIM was dead, oh so dead, don't even buy their stocks (literally) dead and that Nokia was dead, and was in danger of bankruptcy in 2008 or some silly thing like that.

[floobie Posted Apr 22nd 2010 9:06AM]

Argh... an N8 (or whatever they're going to call it) is definitely on my list of phones to check out. I want a new phone in a few months to replace my ipod (and, well, my phone), and this was a nice looking candidate. If Nokia can't move quickly enough, it might have to be the new iPhone instead, or perhaps a nice HTC.

[killplay Posted Apr 22nd 2010 9:21AM]

At least their not rushing it like RIM did with the storm. If the OS is good, consumers will come.

[ravikath Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:00AM]

Hmm, seems like Nokia has been dropping the ball a lot of late...subpar smartphone offerings, and even their feature phone offerings have been yawn-inspiring...

[hary536 Posted Apr 22nd 2010 2:11PM]

@ravikath

Really? Are you sleeping? or drunk?

[Johnny Tremaine Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:14AM]

I actually own a Symbian phone, the Samsung Omnia HD, and although I love the camera and its video capabilities, its UI and software is fracking dire.

Everything about Nokia now is 'just wait, just wait...' or 'ready, aim, aim, aim....' If they pull another N97 debacle with the N8/Symbian 3, then they will be doomed.

Me? My next phone is most definitely going to be running Android. Hopefully, I'll be able to unload the Omnia for some kind of return on ebay.

[Hussain Rahim Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:26AM]

What is their long-term strategy?
Just buy Palm.
Seriously, they need it more than anyone else.

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 22nd 2010 1:56PM]

LOL Symbian.

Their marketshare is all but gone in the US and declining in the rest of the world.

Come on Nokia, just use Android.

[hary536 Posted Apr 22nd 2010 2:12PM]

@Johnny Rockets

LOL, how much has it declined? Any proper numbers for ur LOL?

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 22nd 2010 3:08PM]

@hary536

Here you go:

http://metrics.admob.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/AdMob-Mobile-Metrics-Dec-09.pdf

Read it and weep.

[naashak Posted Apr 22nd 2010 3:41PM]

@Johnny Rockets
uh...there is a difference between the share AdMob projects and the actual share in device volume.

[encipher Posted Apr 22nd 2010 3:47PM]

@Johnny Rockets

All that is saying, is that Apple users surf the internet more than Nokia users. You can't draw any conclusions about the OS except that perhaps it is less web browsing friendly so people don't use it as much. Or perhaps the fact that Admob is an american company serving primarily american clients and since most american people visit mostly english websites then it makes sense that most traffic would come from the most popular phone in america: the iPhone.

[1q2w3e4r Posted Apr 22nd 2010 2:05PM]

Sweet just in time for a new phone!!

[ecsw Posted Apr 22nd 2010 6:00PM]

Stop wasting time. Get over to MeeGo and create more apps for it and you still get a chance.

N97 disappointed me after 2 months using it and I moved over to N900. What a difference. The only thing missing compare to android to N900 is the app.

Nokia, wake up.

[Wesscoast Posted Apr 22nd 2010 7:11PM]

I can't believe Engadget took down my 'bloody cumshot' post. They're soooo homophobic!

[cahyo Posted Apr 23rd 2010 12:16AM]

Actually, if we honestly look at Symbian Phone. they already have all those killer feature years ago. Full multitasking (soon for iphone), bluetooth tethering, front facing camera (soon for iphone), LED flash for camera (soon for iphone), push mail, Flash supported browser, free offline GPS turn by turn assist (no one have it now) and so on. I thing you guys take my point.

Basically, it does what other platform can do, or will do..and even more
So please, don't tell me that Nokia phones doesn't have killer features.

Okay, the interface is a bit dated, but is ok and works for most people. I'm sure they can came up with fresher UI design soon the Symbian^4 and Meego release.

I remember the day G1 came out, when Android still doesn't have consistence UI. Everyone seems doesn;t have a problem with that.

What actually they lack now is cool and sexy factor. Iphone and Android has all the cool and sexy factor today.

This is what Nokia should fix. Their PR team should think harder than their engineer. They should make a drama, tell average joe about Symbian (most of them actually don't know about, at least in my country) and make it look and heard sexy...

[LoubieLou Posted Jun 28th 2010 7:02PM]

Nokia shares have fallen because the stupid mistakes they make,announcing mobiles to early an people get feed up waiting,an another company produces a phone that better or on Par,will like to see there strategy changed at Nokia be all we it is stupid mistakes all the time