Nokia's N97 and the dilemma of the iPhone killer

Yet another knight has come forward vowing to slay the iPhone. Nokia today unveiled its N97, which  features a 3.5-inch touch screen and a QWERTY keyboard, 48 GB of storage and a GPS device that allows you to constantly update your location on social networks.

Sure, there are some problems: Critics say it’s a bit clunky, it costs about $700 and it doesn’t have a carrier in the U.S. But, hey, it’s the "world’s most advanced mobile computer.” It shall prevail. It’s already being called an “iPhone killer” and featured in online battles against the iPhone.

Of course, Nokia will have to get in line behind a number of other knights that are supposedly going to kill the iPhone. RIM’s BlackBerry Storm, for instance. T-Mobile’s G1, which, in pictures, looks ...

... suspiciously like the N97. Samsung’s Instinct, LG’s Dare.

Which brings us to a dilemma faced many times in the Middle Ages: When all these knights come forward to kill the big monster that lives under the bridge, don’t they just reinforce the idea that the big monster under the bridge is really, really scary? And doesn't that make the monster harder to kill? In other words, does every “iPhone killer” just secure Apple’s place as the handset maker to beat?

Not necessarily, said Avi Greengart, research director for mobile devices at Current Analysis.

“There’s already healthy competition underway,” he said, especially from RIM, which offers a number of devices to fit whatever your preference may be. Greengart, who is currently in Barcelona, Spain, testing the N97, said the Nokia device is “drool-worthy” and "a beautiful device."

Despite RIM's and Nokia's attempts, Greengart said, “no one has developed a user interface or integrated user experience as Apple has done on the iPhone or with iTunes.” 

The monster under the bridge is still pretty formidable. But with the N97 not out until early 2009 and the race to kill the monster heating up, expect more companies to step up in the next few months. That includes a certain company in Cupertino that isn’t going down without a fight, Greengart said.

Does that mean we'll see a new and improved monster sometime soon? Perhaps the knights need to sharpen their swords.

-- Alana Semuels

Photo by oriondo via Flickr

Comments

[RichW]

The "IPhone Killer" is already out and available. Its called the HTC Touch Pro (soon to be followed by the Touch HD). Here are the reasons I like it:

- Both touchscreen and keyboard typing, whichever you prefer
- true VGA 640x480 graphics.
- still camera & video camera. 3.2MP
- microSD slot. I put 8gb in mine, it probably can handle much more.
- you can load your own music & videos without being forced to buy from Itunes. In fact I loaded an entire DVD onto mine.
- independent GPS. With appropriate software, can be used without incurring streaming data charges, also work & maps your location if you are out of cell range.
- you can load whatever software you want without "hacking" the phone, unlike the IPhone where Apple has a nazi-control-freak attitude about your phone.

Heck with all this, why on earth would I want an IPhone ?

[Mark]

To the point of "doesn't every "iPhone killer" just secure Apple's place as the handset market to beat?" - the group using the word "iPhone killer" are the journalists of the world. In fact, I doubt you will find the word "iPhone killer" in any press release by any of the device manufacturers. So, really, the press is helping Apple be 'the monster'.

[Jesse]

Rich W, if there's an iPhone killer, shouldn't it have killed the iPhone already instead of having it climb up the sales charts? Is that HT Touch pro thing thin? Because I sure wouldn't want to carry that huge nokia thing

[UofSC93]

Yeah!!! Why would I want an Iphone anyway? Oh wait, I do own the Iphone 3G! and its a Godsend. Obviously its not for everyone, just for people who appreciate technology that can be easily used straight out of the package, as well as stuff that's beautifully designed. Best thing of all RICHW, you customize it via the App store - so below that interface no two Iphones are alike. That is if Fuhrer Jobs allows me to!

[RichW]

I guess definitions are in the eye of the beholder.

"IPhone Killer" (in my opinion) simply means its feature set exceeds that of the IPhone. I'm really not interested in Apple's market share nor their product popularity. You will find "me too" lemmings in all market spaces (i.e. those who spend money to copy what others have done without doing their own independent research first). In fact a bunch of them are losing their homes to foreclosure right now...

[jane]

Too bad the iphone can't support hotmail and other email accounts and that the iphone phone coverage is poor especially on the westside.

[KDB]

Don't get carried away, RichW. I have an iPhone with a ton of music on it. None of it purchased at iTunes...

[Javy]

I agree with RichW. The HTC touch pro is AMAZING!

Plus it has WIFI and that barcode scanner.

[GM]

What we need is a basic phone with good voice reception and a good browser interface with wifi. Once should choose the least expensive voiceplan and use free wifi for surfing.

[Paul D]

Some of u people are cluelelss .... I got over 2000 songs, personally created ringtones for free and if I wanted I can even upload DVDs . I bought samsungs instinct the first day it was released:..: it was an okay phone but the iPhone outperforms any phone on the market ... I actuLly get joy out of my iPhone

[S. Ballmer]

It's another turd just like all the others. Like any of these clowns phone mfg.'s are going to beat Steve Jobs & Company.

[Chris]

If the history of the iPod is anything to go on, then it should be clear that adding the label "iPhone-killer" to any iPhone competitor will be the kiss of death for that product. :)

[Mark]

It's not about the hardware. It's the software on the phone and on the PC that really makes or breaks the device. Anybody have an answer to iTunes? ...to third-party mobile apps? How about content like TV shows, music , podcasts, games, etc? Not yet.

No company can be the real "iPod" killer until they can match up with Apple on these points.

[Raymond]

In my opinion, the iPhone kills itself. I don't appreciate having to use iTunes for music downloads. The internet looking exactly like the internet is not the best thing for a two inch screen. Having to schedule an appointment at Apple store for minor problems was annoying. The worst part was having the Apple Store service clerk state that he had no answer to why I wasn't getting my emails.

My Blackberry Curve may not be as cool as the iPhone, but I recieved excellent customer service with my tech problems. I can use any format to download music. I love going wireless stereo Bluetooth when listening to music. Lastly, the internet may not look like the internet I pull up at the office, but what I do see makes much more sense for a two inch screen.

Bottom line Blackberry is for business and Apple is for fun.

[Shea Cardinalli]

All this talk of iphone Killers makes me sick. Like many people said before me, its all about the integration of EVERYTHING, not just a web browser or email client. itunes is unparalleled even in the ipod world, so you take that and combine it with a phone and viola you have magic. Not only that, but Apple's sheer attention to detail on every front is what makes the iphone such a joy to use. If the accelerometer worked crappily, or if the screen took 3 seconds longer to turn off when the phone is put to your head then the overall experience would suffer. Truth is, Apple has already made huge strides in this regard and continues to add new functionality on a weekly basis. The iphone simply has not been beat yet because everyone is trying to COPYCAT, rather than innovating. Even the BlackBerry Storm suffers from not paying enough attention to detail, even in the areas Apple missed on the Storm also missed on. The Storm thus far is the closest competitor, simply because the price is right, but even still the menu's are clunky and the software was garbage out of the date, not to mention the lack of an App store on launch. Nuff said.

[George Kaplan]

Oh, criminy...all this nonsense about this phone or that one being an "iPhone killer" is only the output of writers with severe writer's block. What sort of unimaginative writing is this?

The iPod succeeds not because of the size of the phone, or the touchscreen, or the iPod within, but because EVERYTHING WORKS. People who don't have time to read a honkin' manual to find the arcane method for placing a caller on hold to take another call (and switch back and forth) can figure it out intuitively and immediately on an iPhone. Downloading music, adding apps...it is just too simple. My mom can do all of that--in fact, at age 80 my mom DOES do it.

The Nokia looks like a fine phone. It is also $700, and lacks any deal with a carrier which would lead to a subsidized cost. If it is going to kill an iPod, a Blackberry or anything else, it needs to find a way to be affordable. At the present, it lacks the first test required to be a market leader.

Oh, and really any HTC phone (including the T-mobile G-1 "Google phone)? Just too fugly for words. Seriously, I would make all my calls in the dark before I let someone see me using one of their phones. A free Samsung phone looks better than any HTC monstrosity.

[Scott]

I find the "lemmings" reference ironic since Apple devotees argued the same thing about Windows, i.e. that Mac was superior and it was only the lemming-like behavior of the masses that caused Windows to become the dominant OS.
Well, true or not, it made Microsoft the most powerful software company in the world. The same trends are now favoring Apple, with the masses buying its iPods and iPhones. "Lemmings" determine the direction of the marketplace, regardless of whether you dismiss the iPhone as a "toy" or Windows as a crappy product. Witness the fact that RIM put out the iPhone-wannabe Storm, despite the fact that the Blackberry (real) keyboard functions perfectly well.
Now while I can see why the press is fixated on an "iPhone killer" given the iPhone's buzz and rapidly gaining market share, remember that Blackberry still has the largest market share in the U.S. So maybe the more appropriate question is whether the iPhone is a "Blackberry killer"?

[Manny]

Despite RIM's and Nokia's attempts, Greengart said, “no one has developed a user interface or integrated user experience as Apple has done on the iPhone or with iTunes"

This is what sold me on the iPhone. It's a whole lot easier to use; being seamless in both use and design.

[Davey V]

Yea true. But you can not discard the point that we loving going thru such comparisons. HTC touch pro or Nokia N97, they all come not to be HTC or Nokia but iPhone killer. Here is an article I found rather amusing. Lovely humour though, http://gadgetophilia.com/13-reasons-why-iphone-will-bite-the-dust-before-nokia-n97/

[chill duuuuuuuud]

Two words Xperia X1

[Pedro Alves]

"T-Mobile’s G1, which, in pictures, looks ...

... suspiciously like the N97"

What?? The G1 looks like the N97??!!

Are you Blind??!

There is no iPhone kiler. This term suggests that the iPhone is the standaard to compare to. But it isn't. The features never have been revolutionairy,, the basic look of a phone that is almost all screen and has a touchscreen interface wasn't revolutionairy either (Qtec, HTC and Palm had that principle many yeas ago already). And the first generation was even way behind in features, compared to competitors: no 3G, weak camera, no GPS, to name a few.

The revolution was the great graphic interface, multi-touch, perfection in design, and the amazing Apple marketing that could have turned even the fact that you can call with the iPhone into a revolutionary feature.

A great phone, but many more great ones out there. The iPhone never was a Nokia killer to me. No Nokia phone ever let me down, never needed to update constantly, good reception, strong reliable phones.

This N97 seems like a great phone to me! To me it's the most interesting phone, because of what I am used to and the features that I want. It's not an iPhone killer: it has features that blow the iPhone away by so many times, that it would be an insult to call it that.

People that have an iPhone probably aren't interested in these features anyway: they want the awesome Mac interface and the Apple stuff, like iTunes, etc.

[Rocci]

Hopefully this will be the closest iphone killer. Since we all have to wait for its release, Im just gonna wait for the unlocked verison that is going to be released http://www.puremobile.com/Nokia/Nokia-N97-White-GSM-Phone/ My dream came true, a nokie with qwerty and touch.....don't worry N97, we'll be together very soon.