In the last couple of years, a very visible trend has been picking up with Nokia-related hardware and devices: they’re becoming cheap, way too cheap. While this isn’t a bad thing per se, and is bringing the smartphone to the masses (think C5, 5800 XpressMusic family…), it isn’t necessarily helping Nokia’s image as the ultimate high quality mobile phone manufacturer that it once was.
Although the Nokia N8 is not the 2010 flagship, it surely fits in the top range in Nokia’s portfolio. But at less than 500$ before taxes and subsidy, it definitely doesn’t convey the image of an all-singing all-dancing device. Plus, it makes me wonder what the flagship will cost. Probably less than 600$ before taxes. Cool. But what’s wrong with that I hear you wonder? Well it worries me when a company can’t find more tech to cram in a handset and make it cost more than 600$.
From my limited observation of mobile phone usage in Paris and Lebanon, I’ve noticed that more and more people associate their device with a status image. Be it coolness (iPhone), business (Blackberry), fashion (Samsung)… every brand has a certain image it conveys. Not only that, but the price plays a very important role in that image too. Many average Joes don’t care about features or spec sheets, they want the best. And for them the best is the most expensive. People believe an expensive device should be better or else it wouldn’t cost this much. So when your current best effort tops at 500$ (before the true flagship is announced that is), it’s hard to believe you still “have it” especially that others have devices at 750$ and more. By definition, you don’t look as impressive. Not only with that particular device, but your whole range starts looking poorer because your top of the range isn’t as bang as the competition.
This isn’t just a theory. Over the years, I’ve asked many people why they bought a Nokia handset and got several answers. The most frequent is “they make the best devices”. I usually look in their hand and find a 50-60$ S40 dumbphone and smirk “this isn’t the best”, to which they reply “oh yeah, but have you seen insert name of flagship at the time of the question“. It’s like you know how great the Maybach is, but you can’t afford it so you buy a Mercedes C180: same manufacturer but you know they build the best.
So what do you think? Should Nokia pool all their know-how in one 1000$ handset to gain back their flagship status? And I’m not talking about the Vertu or 8800 line, or a re-hash of a device like the N97 Mini Gold, I’m talking about a good device packed with features and priced expensively. It needs to work really well (to avoid debacles like the N97 one) and to bring a few singing and dancing features to justify the price, but in my opinion, it doesn’t even need to pack one thousand dollars worth of tech, maybe 800$, but still price it at 1000$ for the shebang effect of getting a super expensive piece of tech. Opinions?
