You can't blame Microsoft for Nokia, Nokia screwed themselves over. They never considered the importance off software, hardware was always number one for Nokia. Even when the iPhone came out they laughed and didn't change tack.
They had all the money, all the opportunity, and they thought if they keep pumping out the same stuff, people will stay with them.
> They never considered the importance off software, hardware was always number one for Nokia.
Oh, but they pretended to. Just like Samsung today.
Top management really needs to have people with deep and true understanding about software.
And perhaps top management needs also someone with a good sense about design. Many of them seem think they're Steve Jobs... Their failing tends to always be very consumer oriented (meaning they're not makers, maybe they're just using nicely designed products) and shallow understanding of the problem and especially possibility / innovation space.
Samsung, our new Nokia. I wonder if next chapters play out likewise.
Nokia was seem like an old generation mobile manufacturer after Google released Android to the world, computing was then staggering that both Apple and Samsung are competing and own countless patented and fabrication is quite a profitable for their survival. Most consumers will go either Samsung or iPhone.
Everybody who knew about smartphones at the time knew about them. A couple people on HN who aren't in that group doesn't mean 'nobody knew about them'.
I had an iPhone 4 at one point and the existing Nokia devices were still able to compete, thanks to Opera also on the browser side. In fact I remember switching back from the 4 due to missing features and several annoyances.
Yeah I know, I also had the N8 among other models (but I had switched back to the E72).
Some things were better about the iPhone, notably the UX, browsing and the app ecosystem which was starting to pick up (but was nowhere near what we have today).
Some thing were worse, and this is where many people seem to have developed selective memory issues. In particular the E72 didn't drop calls if one held it wrong, had a battery life at least double that of the iPhone and was less than half its price.
The N8 had a great camera and free offline maps. With Opera mobile it had a pretty damn good browsing experience. It was far from a complete dud.
The N9 could compete toe to toe with the 4S also on the UX, but by then it was too late. Nokia didn't have the foresight and guts to kill Symbian and bet the company on Maemo/Meego while they still had the possibility to build an ecosystem around it.
Apple invested all their effort into the iPhone and incrementally turned it from a good browsing device albeit average smartphone into a superb mobile computer while Nokia was starting and restarting four projects to compete with it.
Yeah, Opera mobile and mini, arguably the most innovative mobile browsers ever invented. I had a Sony Ericsson P1i and was enjoying the mobile web thanks to Opera just fine.
Safari was impressive back then for sure, but feature-wise it's pretty bad even today.
I dont understand why no one else has picked up on the crazy good camera components yet. I had 1040(the 42 megapixel monster) and I have to say being able to take great looking pictures improved my quality of life. I was able to enjoy a hobby anywhere at anytime and document life in a much more candid 'real' way.
They had all the money, all the opportunity, and they thought if they keep pumping out the same stuff, people will stay with them.