Getting older: Obsolete, End of life, or simply Mature

I got my N95 when they were dumping stock because the 8GB was in, and so it was cheaper. I'm still using it, and hardware problems are restricted to not being able to read the keyboard any more (I remember it anyway) and a little extra instability which is beginning to become annoying.

So far, my promise to myself to not replace it before the contract ended was the main reason I haven't, coupled with a lack of funds.

Now, I'm dithering over a replacement because I can't see enough reason to tie myself into another contract (which is, honestly, the cheapest way of doing it in Australia, I've done the sums many times) or shell out up front. I've had the N95 so long it's been unrecognisably customised with task managers and front-end replacements, and there's nothing it doesn't actually do, productivity speaking.

On the other hand, expecting The Grid to keep superseded models in it would make it completely unusable, not to mention do nasty things to Steve's servers. And mind, probably.

would like to know where Nokia publishes the lifecycle info. Would be even nicer he they did it upfront. Eg what will it look like for N8?

gcameron00 wrote:would like to know where Nokia publishes the lifecycle info. Would be even nicer he they did it upfront. Eg what will it look like for N8?

Now this IS really an interesting piece of read, good work!!!

While it may true that new gadgets are always hot on the front, time will eventually come when all these will become obsolete, or outdated, or simply Old.

Now that is a rather inconvenient truth for us gadgeteers. For example, I always wanted to get my hand on the N95 w/c I got about 3 years ago. Im still suing it today and I am proud to say that I kept it in pristine condition regardless of the outdoor elements that may contribute to its wear and tear. But since I truly loved the device, it is simply irreplaceable.

Our beloved phones may become old, but that their usefulness will still be valued even when newer offerings arise on the market.

Tacsiyapo!

In my experience the product lifecycle is usually over a couple of days after the warranty runs out. 😊

The life cycle of most phones is the length of the contract. Then the owner receives an upgrade and the old phone is sold to a child on Ebay or Mazuma'd.

For me the life of a phone is how long it takes me to become bored with it. 3-6 months.

N900 still has a P.R. 1.3 update that is yet to be released. Obsolete? NO.

Would be nice if Nokia take a page out of the iPhone book. Its nice to get all the UI features of the newer phones by firmware update, that way you wont feel obsolete. Although that would dent sales in Nokias eyes.

But Steve good Sir...

Not wanting to keep flogging the dead horse too much, WHY does the Nexus One fit into this, as the only factor that applies to that, is that it's not being 'made anymore'.

Fitting your other necessary criteria, not only is it still being SOLD (Voda, other European operators etc), it is yet to even receive (any second now though/ongoing), it's 2.2 Firmware.

So how can it be obsolete, when it is still being sold...

...still to receive 2.2...?

...And given the recent Google announcements regarding the hardware spec for Android 3.0 being RECOMMENDATION only (notwithstanding the Nexus One meets it anyhow), it will likely see 3.0 come Christmas/early JANUARY 2011...

Why does that fit the mantra of Obsolete even using your own definitions mate? lol.

It is a phone still being sold (admittedly whilst current stocks allow).

It is about to get a new Firmware update.

It will see ongoing Device Support for some time.

It will likely see a new firmware again, come 3.0, possibly even into 2011.

That's probably where and why your definition of 'obsolete' falls down, if only applied to meaning a phone still being manufactured, and hence your good reason for floating this whole topic of course, so well done in that sense.

The bogey here of course being Nokia, where they thankfully DO choose to issue FW updates for old devices now and then, BUT not having any clear strategy or assurance that this will happen - it's very pot luck.

Whereas for the Nexus One, policy is rather different, in that the world and his dog can bet on the N1 getting Android 3.0

GREAT article though - very thought provoking for sure.

(Mine's a Desire, as it happens, so I'm just playing Devil's Advocate to be fair to N1 owners, as my Desire does not fit the EOL mantra, still being made for now).

Hang on. I only got the N900 a few moths ago! Second-hand, but still...

Strangely though, my N95 8GB is in a drawer. My Wife is sticking with the <i>original</i> E61, which is definitely obsolete, but still in heavy daily use.

its a pitty that you didn't include the N900 but still the Motorola MileStone.
It would've been fun to compare those all in one devices one having Maemo and one on Android.

The status of the Nexus One is of a developer device. It has plain Android withoug manufacturer additions so it suits that role perfectly. It's still for sale to developers, at leat the remainign stock is.

http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/google-pulls-plug-nexus-one-still-sale-developers/2010-07-19

You'd have to eol every nokia symbian phone too then. As far as I know none of them will get symbian 3. Which puts them in the same boat as the n900(still being made but the os isn't going anywhere). If you say they are still getting updates then that is also true for the n900. Noone has said the n900 will not get further updates.

Funny, I did the grid test and got the phone that I got now(X6) as the best match along with n97 😃

Great read as usual Mr L, my 'mature' phones all seem to follow the same path, I have contact handsets (which I'm considering changing after 10yrs and maybe going 'unlocked' , but that's another issue ) and the path they take is maximum customisation for the period of the contract, then relegation to alarm clock and then 'loan' to friend or family who have lost or broken there handset, the most I've actually been able to keep hold of is 4, but at the moment I'm living with a N97 in daily use and a N95 8gig 'alarm clock' (and backup for N97 failures and repairs) my N91 is living in Bristol with my son and my 6230i is apparently being used by a friend of a friend of my daughters, because she thought I 'wouldn't mind'.
As a result I rarely have a phone that manages to reach it's 'Golden Years' actually in my possession !! That said all my 'old faithful' handsets were in perfect working order when they left home, despite several disappearing off the radar !

The guys who created that PDA/Mobile device comparison forgot one key criteria that would really affect the final results of which phone is for you:

A physical keyboard.

After all, that is something some people find extremely important, while others don't find it important at all.

I was trying to steer away from unique physical characteristics (e.g. keyboards, Xenon flash, egg whisks) and concentrate on how well each device did a particular job.

You have to admit that its results, once you've plugged in your preferences, aren't bad. It gets fine tuned regularly etc.

''In my own inventory, for example, the Nokia N96 and N86 8MP are both effectively EOL, in that Nokia has indicated that there are no more planned firmware updates. Allowing me to be fairly lavish with the time I spend on the N86, in particular, getting it exactly as I like it, knowing that, on this device at least, I'll never have to go into this sort of detail again''.

Slitchfield, are you sure? N86 = EOL, end of life?

Are there really no more planned firmware updates for the phone at all? I'm really surprised as this phone still has a LOT of potential!

I can't believe it, less than a year and already EOL?! Madness i tell you! Very strange indeed!

Wot no sony ericsson? :con?

Hello!
The only mobile available today I want to have is my N900, because of the physical keyboard, the linux based OS and applications. It is nothing else similar to it.
Would not necasserily recommend everyone to get one, but it is fantastic for me (working in IT for mobile operator).
Are the criteria based on the latest available free software for the phones?
Not many Sony-Ericsson on your list btw (obsolete?).
__________________
- Nokia N900 (v10.2010.19-1 | pr1.2) with 32gb micro-SD (i.e. 64gb total), LOTS of software, extra Debian OS.

I am confused. I only bought it a year ago. The E72 is, quite frankly, uglier ( teeny space bar and it just feels cheap) and Nokia released a firmware update for the E71 recently. I can do everything with my E71 including twitter, facebook, surfing, reading books, sending shots taken with the E71's very decent camera to Flickr.

I bought my E71 outright and it is an incredible convergence device. Well built, not tacky like a BB and with an actual keyboard unlike an iPhone. If it is EOL in your estimation then I plan to clutch it well into it's dead days because it is pretty close to perfection.

The N86 is selling for 279 quid on Nokia Online UK and for that price the phone is a complete bargain! It's a cracking phone yet according to Steve it's EOL with no new FW updates! Been buried 6 feet under in less than a year. Cheers Nokia!

EOL for N86, no further firmware Upgrades, but the camera power consumption bug
(The mechanical shutter keeps open, After closing the camera with the camera slider)

How is it possible?