Nokia N8 available for pre-order in the UK

My mistake, the euro should be pounds. 5728 China yuan (664 euro), and 4868 China yuan (564 euro)

It is 499� in Finland. Blue and Orange are marketed as exclusive and only available from the nokia store. http://kauppa.nokia.fi/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdetail_10513_10107_-12_60000484

It would be a mistake to pay that much money for it, it will sell for much less than 400.

It would also be a wise move to delay purchase until it has shaken down in the wild and you know what it is really like.

I'm not buying this time, bought the N95 and N97 on release dates, not good initial experiences. Going to wait this one out, maybe Jan next year, when the pricing will level out.

I'm not saying the price isn't good, it certainly is (while keeping a healthy profit margin for Nokia 😉 ), but it sure is very close to an iPhone 4 16GB.

I've been waiting for the price to be announced to be able to make a decision on my next phone but my problem comes down to trust.

With Apple, I know I get a good UI, the phone will be fairly feature packed and it will be supported with the latest iOS for at least two years from release. The phone I buy now, in terms of software, will be much better in year.

With Nokia, I'll get a "fine" UI, the phone will be very feature packed, but I have no idea about future support. Maybe Nokia will go nuts with new software features? Heck maybe, just maybe, the N8 will get Symbian^4? Or maybe it will just be minor bug fixes/features? Or perhaps it will be left for dead when Symbian^4 becomes their development focus?

This lack of clarity on future OS improvements (which most people expect thanks to Android and iOS) is a worry. Plus Nokia tend to have their "oops" moments far too often. N95 didn't have enough RAM so an N95 8GB it is! An N97 didn't have nearly enough C: space so a N97 Mini it is! It's hard not to expect the same thing, in some area, with the N8.

Which is why I still haven't decided... but I do want the N8.

I definitely don't want to be one of the first to have an N8 - that's a bit of a risk I'm not willing to take...

So it's nice to hear that it'll be coming to �35 18 month contracts (like mine) on o2... My contract ends in January so I'm sure we'll have a good idea whether I want this by then or not - by then I might be able to squeeze a cheaper contract/some goodies out of o2 in the process 😃

Hrrmm, the concept of being a *Nokia* early adopter these days is scary.

It seems to me that you should get it cheaper for taking the risk, not dearer -😊

Kev

I predict I will pay the following:

�329 for a PAYG phone from CPW plus a �10 topup with the network choice of Voda/o2/TMob/Orange.

Being CPW the phone will be unlocked so I will throw away the new SIM and put my GiffGaff SIM in.

In Germany, the blue and orange versions are also being sold as "exclusively available from the Nokia online store".

But to be fair, I bet they will be availble through other retailers and network operators as well after a while. Not many people here buy SIM free handsets. I personally really want the orange one...

I'm going to wait. I still have over a year on my contract.

I've also bought the N95, N82 and N86 all within a week of their releases, but this time I have to be a bit patient. I can't wait for it, but I simply don't have the spare cash, and I want to wait until the masses have had their say.

I'm glad I didn't get the N97 with all the firmware problems. I'm looking forward to hearing the first real-world reviews in the coming months.

Nice to see Nokia are going to charge their UK customers more than those in the US, thank you Nokia. I made the mistake of getting my 5800 from the Nokia store thinking it would be better for updates etc, but not a bit of it so I will get mine from Mobile Fun which are an excellent company. I shall also wait at least 6 months for bugs to be knocked out and for prices to drop. I also want to have a look at one first, for example I have not found one demo video of the calender function (which I use a lot). I love the one on the Iphone and hope the N8's will be similar.

spaceprobe wrote:Nice to see Nokia are going to charge their UK customers more than those in the US, thank you Nokia. .

Please stop and think before you condemn. The USA price states "before taxes". If you take the UK VAT rate of 17.5% off then there is barely any difference in price.

Thank the UK government for that one.

WillH wrote:I'm not saying the price isn't good, it certainly is (while keeping a healthy profit margin for Nokia 😉 ), but it sure is very close to an iPhone 4 16GB.

I've been waiting for the price to be announced to be able to make a decision on my next phone but my problem comes down to trust.

With Apple, I know I get a good UI, the phone will be fairly feature packed and it will be supported with the latest iOS for at least two years from release. The phone I buy now, in terms of software, will be much better in year.

With Nokia, I'll get a "fine" UI, the phone will be very feature packed, but I have no idea about future support. Maybe Nokia will go nuts with new software features? Heck maybe, just maybe, the N8 will get Symbian^4? Or maybe it will just be minor bug fixes/features? Or perhaps it will be left for dead when Symbian^4 becomes their development focus?

This lack of clarity on future OS improvements (which most people expect thanks to Android and iOS) is a worry. Plus Nokia tend to have their "oops" moments far too often. N95 didn't have enough RAM so an N95 8GB it is! An N97 didn't have nearly enough C: space so a N97 Mini it is! It's hard not to expect the same thing, in some area, with the N8.

Which is why I still haven't decided... but I do want the N8.

I work for Nokia so cannot comment on future plans. However, I can say Nokia is committed to Symbian^3, and of course N8 is not the only product using Symbian^3. The N8 and all Symbian^3 products come with Qt built in, so you can run Qt apps. We have rolled this out to 5th edition too (the Orange Wednesday is a good example).

Those comments you mention for 'oops' moments, we a of course are very aware of and we are not looking to repeat them 😊 Symbian^3 has WDP which in day to day use means you have a lot of free RAM.

I genuinely believe people will be generally surprised with the N8 and other Symbian^3 devices. They are lovely devices and the N8 especially is the most amazing camera and video phone I have ever seen!

Cheers,

Kevin

once again we in the UK are paying a 'tax' for no reason is the �65 we are paying more over the converted Italy price worth it? In my mind it is NOT!

Plus FYI you have converted all your EU prices with the VAT which is not fair Italys VAT is 20% NOT 17.5% as it is in the UK so you have artificially made the UK prices seem more 'fair' when infact they are MUCH worse than you make out.

Anyone confirm if Tesco's �289.97 is pukka?

I waited and waited- but have bought a htc desire instead, which is wonderful and satisfies my own requirement in a phone- "is it like a psion". I too felt I just couldn't trust nokia given the past- what a waste s60 was on my e90! My 5800's screen broke twice. The battery life is likely a huge over-estimate on the N8. Symbian's bluetooth support is better than android, though.

"The UK is a key market for Nokia"

yes because they get free money from the UK product 'tax' (and I dont mean VAT)

also the phone is free on 24 month (at �35 a month) contracts NOT 18 month contracts as you incorrectly state - fix it

just so you know we pay a tiny apple tax for the 16GB iphone comapared to this! (taking the $699 non comitment iphone (without the US sales tax) wich is still locked to AT&T, against our sim free �499 with VAT iphone)

>I think you meant Apple instead of Nokia what with the antenna hardware issues and the proximity sensor's inability to recognise a face.<

No, I meant Nokia.

The N97 was an abomination, but the problem was not so much the hardware and software bugs, but the way Nokia dealt with them, or rather, didn't.

At least Apple had the good grace to give away a free cover to try and solve the problem. Nokia were still fitting the same defective parts 3 months after the launch of the N97 and hoping the problem would go away.

After 8 years with Nokia and Symbian, I've moved to Android and it would take more than the rehash Symbian^3 is to tempt me back.

Loads have been very anxious an dying to see an buy the N8,as its been along time since Nokia let the N8 get leaked out in April,the Price might seem High,but if Apple can get away charging such a High price for there iPhones an people are willing to pay for it,the others are going to follow suite,I would like to see a Review an Video of the Finished version of the N8,an will be watch the London Event on the 14th-15th September very closely were Nokia will be showing off the N8 an the new Symbian3 software,Hope the N8 really gets Nokia back on track an shows the others that Nokia does not want Android an Symbian4 an Meego will be alot better

So UK VAT is 17.5% and we're paying GBP429 or Euro518:-

France it's 19.6% but we're still paying GBP49 more

Germany it's 19% but we're paying GBP33 more

Italy it's 20% but we're paying GBP41 more

What happened to Euro370 before taxes ie Euro 434.75 with UK VAT or GBP361 odd?

Obviously all the Euro release prices are above this but we really are getting shafted.

This seems unwise in one of the Euro countries where Nokia has lost serious amounts of ground at the top end to both Apple and Android devices. It also pitches it at the same price as the Galaxy S and the Desire sim free and that's without deals (well if there wasn't a seeming supply shortage of those 2) and not a million miles from where Vodafone pitched the iPhone4 on PAYG. And that's without new devices from HTC's London event next week pushing the price of the older versions down.

Nokia are behaving as if S^3 is a step change OS (ie what they promised investors) rather than an interim kludge. I don't believe that after the first N95 then the N96 then topping the fails with the all time classic N97 (which still barely works and is now completely obsolete already) that Nokia has the pre release pricing power they are trying to exhibit here. And why stiff the country that used to buy huge volumes of your product and still may have some Epoc/Symbian goodwill left and that you have been loosing huge amounts of market share to Apple etc. (I believe that along with France the UK is amongst the highest in iPhone penetration).

Mind you I'd be amazed after previous efforts if the pre order volumes are very high, following Steve Litchfield's maxims I'm certainly not touching it after N97 experience for a good few months and in fact by then I'll hold out to see what Android 3 looks like, what Meego brings or S^4 - though did see rumour that S^4 is delayed so that Meego which is falling behind can be finished, if that proves true in any way as a shareholder I don't want to think of the consequences. - "hello I'd like to sell some shares, what!? errr fergedit"

Apple can charge what they like cause they have a device that people have to have, nobody else can get away with that kind of premium pricing. The N8 needs to slug it out with the galaxy s, desire. They will sell but woe betide them if its not up to scratch

Unregistered wrote:also the phone is free on 24 month (at �35 a month) contracts NOT 18 month contracts as you incorrectly state - fix it

Check again - you can change the contract length to 18 months and the price remains the same. You get less inclusive minutes though.

I do appreciate people get worked up about SIM free prices, but these do tend to vary a lot early on and then settle down. It's worth bearing in mind that most people (In the UK and many other markets) buy on a contract and not SIM free.

Frustrating for those of use who do buy SIM Free though.

I would add that the UK does seem particular prone to Nokia currency hedging (well at least for the last year).

kevmc wrote:I work for Nokia so cannot comment on future plans. However, I can say Nokia is committed to Symbian^3, and of course N8 is not the only product using Symbian^3. The N8 and all Symbian^3 products come with Qt built in, so you can run Qt apps. We have rolled this out to 5th edition too (the Orange Wednesday is a good example).

Those comments you mention for 'oops' moments, we a of course are very aware of and we are not looking to repeat them 😊 Symbian^3 has WDP which in day to day use means you have a lot of free RAM.

I genuinely believe people will be generally surprised with the N8 and other Symbian^3 devices. They are lovely devices and the N8 especially is the most amazing camera and video phone I have ever seen!

Cheers,

Kevin

Kevin can you please comment on the price, �429 and why the N8 costs so much? Other retailers are selling the phone sim-free for less than this. Do you not feel you're being a bit greedy?

For example: It's �459 on Nokia France which works out at �382 - the French price includes their equivalent of VAT. It's �479 (�399) on Nokia Germany and Nokia Netherlands, �469 (�390) on Nokia Spain and Nokia Italy. How the hell can Nokia justify a mark up of �50 in the UK?

�390 would be a fairer price. I can't see how Nokia expect to price the N8 at anything above �479/�400 on the UK site and get away with it.

Another case of rip off Britain. What do you expect. I wont be pre ordering either at that price, knock a 100 quid off and I might be interested.

Now that the release date is near, we'll finally get to see if the phone starts to turn around Nokia's fortunes in the high end. There's a lot riding on this phone, even if Nokia refuses to call it a flagship.

well the E7 looks a more compelling device in my view but hey😊

"...reflected in the pricing being at the upper end of expectations."

Tech-speak for:

"...much more than was originally implied, when people mentioned that aside from the camera, the phone is fairly dated in terms of other hardware and specs, and thus Nokia were reflecting this with a 'really keen launchprice', so as to ensure maximum uptake"

Whatever happened to that notion?

For sure, at this price, I won't be moving BACK to Symbian from my Android HTC Desire I finally moved to after near 12 years with Nokia almost exclusively...

All these people talking about the price, have you never seen a Nokia phone launch before? This pre-order price is not what the phone will sell for when it settles into the market, it will drop significantly. It always happens.

@snoFlake: Well in my country, Denmark, the price is exactly what they promised - 460 Euros incl. VAT (which is 25% in Denmark).

Besides, even if the N8 is the same price as the Desire, there is no contest. The N8 wins by a wide margin - at least for my uses.

gadget freak wrote:well the E7 looks a more compelling device in my view but hey😊

I agree, apart from the camera I am preferring the E7. However, I am going to skip all ^3 devices in favour of ^4, as many non-Nokia handset makers are doing too.