Nokia back in the game with N9?

Yesterday, I bought a Nokia N9 and I declare it to be awesome. So given its awesomeness, are Nokia now back in the consumer smartphone game?

Short answer, no. Why? Because they messed up - and we helped. The N9 is an absolutely awesome piece of kit. A sturdy, functional, well polished and feature-complete device. Heck the browser even supports multi-touch events.

So if this device is so good, why aren't they back in the game?

Because the N9 does not represent the future of Nokia devices. As far as I'm aware the N9 is the last of the Meego powered devices that Nokia plans to ship. Their future aligns tightly with Microsoft and focuses on shipping devices with the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

We did this

We all thought Nokia was down and out, a company that once dominated the mobile space seemed destined to fade slowly into the night. I suspect some very talented engineers at Nokia, however, felt differently and put an incredible amount of work into creating both Meego and the N9.

I now feel a sadness for those talented engineers and regret everything I have previously said about Nokia being doomed to fail. Why? Because it was all of us doubting Nokia that led Nokia to ditch Meego and partner with MS for a future of Windows Phone riddled devices.

What a tremendous shame. I hold in my hand a truly awesome piece of technology. One that truly gives its iRivals a serious run for their money. A piece of technology that feels better than any Android phone on the market, but has no future roadmap.

An Apology and a Plea

To the team at Nokia (who may well no longer be there) who crafted this device, let me say I'm sorry. You deserved better.

To the Nokia management and decision makers, please reconsider your decision to move away from Meego and focus on the Windows Phone OS. Not only have you shown that what you had with Meego was excellent, I believe you are potentially coupling yourself to a product roadmap in WP7 that does not align well with a mobile technology company. I could write a whole post on this and may at another time, but for now let's just say that MS and WP7 are definitely not the best fit for Nokia.

Spread the Word

If like me, you have bought an N9 and feel the same way that I do. Tell your friends. Tell your fellow developers, and tell your clients who you build mobile apps / websites for. This is a device that deserves respect and serious consideration.

My belief is the jury is still out within Nokia on Meego, and adoption and positive feedback on the N9 could definitely influence future decisions. Coupled with the generally poor response that Windows Phone 7 has had (I still don't know anyone who really cares about it) I genuinely believe that Meego has a fighting chance.

But then, what do I know. I thought WebOS could have changed the world...