The mobile developer market has changed – Nokia N9000
Posted on: September 10, 2009 – Filed under: Lisbon
In the old days the mobile developers that wanted to survive had to do what operators thought the consumer should have on cellphones. A lot a cellphones came fully packed with applications and characteristics that made it unpractical to use without the operators allow it to work. What happen is that the one’s that played game with the operators got their cell sold, the others didn’t.
In this environment Nokia did what it could and even tried to show the operators the right way… it didn’t work and sometimes the operators wouldn’t allow Nokia devices to be sold.
The operators were more interested in making a profit then allow the market to get grow, or at least to grow at their speed.
So in 2001 when the 3rd generation cellphone where already on the shipping lane the operators decided that the cellphone would first be 2,5 generation, cameras, video… and internet but very expensive.
Latter Android and Apple rocked the market when they developed cellphone for the consumer, and not for the operator, and don’t allow the operators to modify the software or to cut any of the capabilities.
Worst, for the first time consumer demand for this cellphones surpassed what any other promised and the consumers wanted it. Waiting lines, fan groups and a consumer looking for a cellphone not in a operator shop but in a Apple shop…
The american market served as a example and millions of consumers looked for the Iphone, Android and latter Palm Pre. This cellphones brought the american market, years away from the more developed european markets, to the top. Soon companies like Sprint, Verizon had to had this cellphone to help them on their battle to get more market share. The result was a satisfied consumer, more clients and a growing income from this new clients. Internet, Emails, Photos, Videos, Social Networks and GPS gave the consumers what they wanted and the developers are continuing to push forward.
The European consumers also wanted this cellphone and operators started to have meeting with the developers… The meetings where interesting, no software alteration, no reduced services and open internet at a low price. The visionary operators saw the example of the american market and said yes, even paid for a part of the cell, some going to 600€ and being sold in a pay plan of 24 months for as low as 50€. Other saw it as a bad thing and sold it for the full price, reducing the number of person who can buy it, but with similar pay plans.
But where was Nokia? Looking at their market share going down and seeing the other mobile developers doing what they couldn’t. Worst, this mobile phone had characteristics they had already developed and operators denied them.
This is a company almost known as a chameleon for developing a cellphone on the operators request, counting more that 40 models on the market, worldwide.
Today the Nokia replied to the operators, the N900 will not be modified, even if that means the cell will not be sold by some operators.
In my opinion this is the right decision, it’s for the cellphone developers the job to make cellphone for the consumers and not for the operators.
And with this Nokia is back to the market. The result can only be good.