Nokia staff discount prefers iPhone 3GS?
updated 04:05 pm EDT, Mon June 29, 2009
Nokia Disco Favors iPhone
Nokia could paradoxically favor the iPhone rather than its own devices for employee discounts if info discovered today proves true. Where staff reportedly get a 10 percent discount on the flagship N97, the Inquirer understands that those same workers would receive a 17 percent discount on a new iPhone 3GS. It's not clear whether this applies to the unsubsidized prices or to contract plans.
A Nokia spokesperson declined to comment on "internal" issues such as staff incentives.
The discrepancy is a minor embarassment for Nokia, whose N97 shipped virtually at the same time as the new iPhone and represents the future of its smartphones. It's not necessarily an exceptional practice for companies with conflicting interests as Microsoft until this month had been discounting employees' cellphone service regardless of operating system; the practice was later changed to only offer the full discount for those using Windows Mobile phones.
