Wow. A senior Nokia exec has just admitted in a frank interview that the company dropped the ball with the N97 when it came to user experience, admitting it was a “tremendous disappointment” and “something that we didn’t anticipate.”
Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president of markets at Nokia, sat down for a frank and compelling interview with Mobile Industry Review last week at Mobile World Congress, where he gave his view on the launch of the Nokia N97 last year.
In about as honest a statement as we’ve heard from any tech VIP in the last year, Vanjoki admitted that while the N97 “has been a tremendous success for us when it comes to how many did we ship”, it was also “a tremendous disappointment in terms of the experience quality… and something that we did not anticipate.”"
Nokia casts doubts on Symbian 3 upgrade for N97
We certainly found that to be the case when we reviewed the Nokia N97 last Summer, and struggled to cope with its janky interpretation of Symbian, so it’s good to see Nokia has not only acknowledged it, but is working to make sure its quality control is up to scratch for its next launch, whatever that may be.
Vanjoki went on to say that the latest firmware update for the Nokia N97 has put the problems to bed. “Now I can tell you that it’s over. Now we have software that is properly tested not only by our engineers and in our labs, but normal people out in the marketplace.”
He also promised that the Nokia N97 launch and software updates have proved a “tremendous experience for learning” and that “when Symbian 3 comes out, you can rest assured that it will be perfect.”
Kudos, Nokia, for the honesty. We’re hopeful this is another step towards Nokia regaining its initiative in the smartphone arena. Between MeeGo and Symbian 3, it might just be able to.
Episode 80: Nokia’s Anssi Vanjoki on N97 issues: “I can put my sleepless nights behind me” from Mobile Industry Review on Vimeo.
Out TBC | £TBC | Nokia (Via Mobile Industry Review)
