Nokia Introduces MeeGo-Powered N9 Phone

An anonymous reader writes with news that Nokia has unveiled its first MeeGo-powered smartphone, the N9. "[T]he smartphone doesn't have any buttons on the front, with only the volume controls and a lock button located on the right side of the device. ... The performance of the prototype device felt very snappy, and it looks almost ready for retail. As a MeeGo device, the N9 will be running apps based on the Qt platform." The Washington Post calls it "the platform that could have been," referring to Nokia's decision to make the transition to Windows Phone for future devices. Others are impressed with the device, but see it as either a dead end or just another distraction to Nokia's long-term plans.

If this phone existed 2 years ago, MSFT

[rsborg]

....may not have effectively "owned" Nokia like they do today (Microsoft effectively paid Nokia $1B+ to guarantee WP7 was their prime platform).

I'm not saying it's too little to late, it does look like a fantastic phone with really fluid UI. And it runs Linux without a JVM layer. Nice.

Re:Flexing muscles

[exomondo]

My hope is Symbian for dumbphones, WP7 for most smartphones and Maemo/Meego for the highend linux touchscreen computer phones. That allows Nokia to just continue support at the low end, not have to worry about the software side of the larger smartphone market and to be able to focus on pushing highend devices with their own platform that should appeal to power users.

Re:The phone I've been wating for . .

[fatphil]

But don't forget that some people worked their guts out on the device.

Everyone will have some criticisms, that's only expected, but no-one who has worked on the device wants to see a criticism with a brush so broad that it covers their contribution or component. (Your comment did was not so broad-brush, this isn't a criticism of your post.)

There are several aspects of the device and/or software that are absolutely stellar. Incomparably better than anything else I've seen. I hope that journalists and bloggers recognise those when they finally get their hands upon one. It's a shame that some of these aspects are 'invisible', that's often the way with software - the less you notice it, the better it is, but alas the less likely it is to grab the attention.

Of course, there's one reason why I have the views and insights that I do, so I'll end this post with the following:
The opinions expressed in this post are mine own and do not necessarily represent the official view of Nokia.

Can someone tell me why the went with WP7?

[divisionbyzero]

I don't get it. This phone looks great.

Re:The phone I've been wating for . .

[Anonymous Coward]

THIS device right there shows us the beauty of open source like nothing else:
Even when Nokia dies (and there's no doubt about that), even if they stop supporting it tomorrow, and even if it's the last MeeGo ever, ...

The drivers are there, the kernel is there... and you will be able to do everything you want with it, until it's so old the battery has to be replaced* and even your current phone has become useless.

* (and you will be able to put a more recent battery in with Nokia)

The team should spin out

[renzhi]

Some investor with vision, should grab the whole team, and set up a new company to build MeeGo phone, a real convergent mobile device. That way, you won't have the Nokia baggage, you don't have to fight internal politics of a giant corp, you get the excitement and energy of a new start up working on something cool, and best of all, you rid yourselves off that Elop.

Please Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

[simm_s]

For all of you Android haters that want a true Linux phone experience! Built with blessed APIs and running the latest mainline Linux kernel. This is your chance to prove us that a phone OS built using a fully open source development methods works. I am sick of going to conferences and hearing about how Android is bad for the community etc and then these same people pull out Apple iPhones. Needed to get that off my chest! :-)