According to infoSync, the 9290 is not based on the 9210i, but rather the 9210!
Looking at the US Nokia site, this sounds plausible, as the authot of the infoSync article defends his opinion.
So, if this is the case, what does that imply for 9210 owners?
Dunno. The Register say it has Opera, RealOne, and Flash player, (which suggests 9210i), but I've heard from other web references it has the same hardware spec as the 9210. Confusing.
Basically..the hardware parts of 9210i should be similar to those of 9210, except for ROM and RAM. If 9210 can be upgraded to 9210i, what we can do is just change its ROM and memory! I have also noticed that 9210c is like 9210i..almost has the same ROM and memory...I guess that NOKIA made 9210c and 9210i at the same period! Frankly, 9210c and 9210i have the same specifications in hardware, except for that 9210c has to take quite a lot of memory to be installed the Chinese interfaces, and 9210i doesn't have to be installed the Chinese interfaces.