Nokia confirms its N8 flagship is now shipping
updated 04:50 am EDT, Thu September 30, 2010
Symbian^3 OS rises to challenge Android, iOS
Nokia has begun shipping its Android and iOS challenger, the Symbian^3 powered N8. The first to receive the anticipated handset will be customers who placed early pre-orders for the device in Nokia online stores and its retail outlets. Nokia says that it expects the device to be broadly available in the coming weeks, although this will vary by carrier and country. Confirmation that the device is now shipping supports Nokia’s claims that it would meet its shipping target.
According to Nokia, the N8 has set a new company record for the number of pre-orders that it has taken for one of its handsets. The Symbian^3 OS device will by supported by a range of services and apps on launch via its Ovi online center. In addition to standard smartphone features, the N8 incorporates a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, an extra large image sensor and also includes an HDMI port.
Nokia's online store is currently stating that pre-orders made today for the device will ship by the end of October. It's retailing for the contract free price of $550.
The N8 is considered Nokia's strongest hope for recovering its sliding market share. Until now, it had no shipping devices with multi-touch or some other modern features, some of which have been available in competitors since the original iPhone in 2007. A dependence on aging designs resulted in a sudden CEO change and has led to a slew of executive departure plans as the company's leadership hasn't been confident in its ability to challenge Apple or Google.
