Nokia used to market its new phones as part of a "Revolution" of new devices that would change the cell phone industry and the world. Its latest offerings, the N79, N85, and N96, should be branded the "evolution" instead - they are bland and boring.
Hey Nokia, what happened?
All three handsets are based on design cues from previously successful models, and besides internal technical advancements, many failed to be impressed.
No More Revolution?
Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner, told PC World yesterday that "Nokia needs something more distinctive going forward, truly new products rather than devices that look like a refresh of previous products on a slightly different form factor," and I couldn't agree more.
It seems like ages ago Nokia, back in the early days of the Nseries, when the world was wowed not only by the technical capabilities of the devices but also by the handsets' design.
Remember the N90, the clamshell with the swiveling camera and the rotating screen? What about the N91, with its all-metal body and music controls sliding on top of the keyboard? Or the N93/i clamshell with its innovative display hinge, rotating into a laptop form factor?
Nokia's latest phones seem like retreads, with slight technical improvements. Take the N85: with a smoother design, the handset is based on N95's success, which in its turn is also based on the design firstly introduced by the N80 back in 2006. The N79 is nothing more than a slightly improved version of the N81, which was in fact based on the massive success of the N73, also launched two years ago.
Has Nokia lost its mojo for new form factors and innovative features. For more than a year now we are waiting for Nokia's true iPhone competitor, dubbed as the Tube . And even then, the Tube is not a new concept for Nokia, who had on the market a similar concept device, the 7710, back in 2004! Four years later, Nokia must be really unhappy about not pursuing the touch-screen concept, when it could have had a market lead.
Still, Nokia's handsets are recognized for their durability and build quality, but come on Nokia, give us something really new.
