Nokia E71 - What Nokia could have done better

Nokia E71 – What Nokia could have done better

Categories: Business, Development, Innovation, New Media, Social Web, Strategy, Tech

I recently posted a fast snippet on what I think about the new Nokia E71 after watching a video created by my digital friend Guarav Mishra from India.

I thought he touched an interesting point. Nokia and other players should keep in mind APIs… watch the video he tells more about it

Guarav replied on what I shared on my radar and this gave me inspiration to write something more than just a comment. So here I am.

We are going mobile. I’m Italian and I’m not saying this because I’m now based in Finland, home country of Nokia. I often blog about the mobile world and its importance in marketing and PR.

This is not just a media-consumption era, it’s also a media-production era… If in 2008 you release a device with just 3MP camera (especially after pushing a 5MP in N95s..) it means that you have to think bigger. Also ‘E-Serie business people’ create content, and want tools to do it well! Guarav’s video is a great example. Another thing that Nokia should keep in mind is that Mac users need good pieces of software too and that the device I have in my hands is not my mobile phone, it’s my mobile office. So I need it to run as fast as I do… can’t spend time dealing with crashes and limited number of simultaneous connections…

The E71 is a good phone but it’s lacking where it shouldn’t. I’m a faithful Nokia customer and I was just expecting something more from the last E-serie release. Months ago, when I first heard about the specs of the upcoming E71 here in Finland I really hoped that it was a bad joke… I thought “Nothing special”. I really hoped that once released I would have changed my mind. Unfortunately it wasn’t a joke. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nokia. The only problem is that they could have done much more, but they didn’t.

To me it felt like a lousy competition to gain some market shares VS the iPhone. In his comment Guarav actually gave also good information about the E71 price compared to the iPhone. It made me think a bit, but considering the way I’m feeling now about the E71 at this point if I have to pay hundreds of euros for a device I start to be tempted to give a chance to Apple and get an iPhone, at least I’ll test something new/different. After years of purchasing Nokia, I would rather prefer to be here saying “Nokia released the best business on the market. They proved once again that they are the #1 when we are talking about the mobile industry”.

Let’s talk about strategy.

When I read this Nokia E71 ad I couldn’t help but thinking “Designed for the way we work”?… We ‘Who’? Nokia internals maybe..but not me…! Why didn’t Nokia ask its users what they wanted during the product development? (If they did, Nokia’s voice wasn’t loud enough). Why it’s so difficult for Nokia to stop by and comment when people are talking about it? Why not to join the conversation?

I honestly think that Nokia is a great brand. What makes me sit down and write post like this is also the passion I have for this brand, that’s why it would be nice if Nokia could / would join the conversation. Especially when we share constructive criticism. There are several different ways on how Nokia could move better in future product development, branding, marketing strategy… I actually would be more than happy to talk with Nokia about some of the ideas that we have at iTive.net.

I’m wondering what you my fellows think and especially what’s the take of some Suomi-Blogosphere mates like Hessu Jarvinen, Erkka Piirainen, Anne Rongas, Pasi Orn, Tuomo Turja, Saara Laaksonen, Antti Vilponen, Timo Rainio, Helge Keitel, Halo Efekti, Tuija Aalto (I could go on with the list but I’m sure I would end up leaving out some folks…so please feel free to forward the message to who you think might be interested in joining the conversation… )

How can Nokia do better?

Is Nokia over-pricing its devices?

What would you add to the “Nokia Wish List”?

AND… ‘Nokia’ if you are listening, it would be nice to hear your voice too in this conversation!

Andrea

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http://timorainio.blogspot.com Timo Rainio

Interesting question and perfect timing. Nokia didn’t lower its third quarter 2008 mobile device market share outlook because of e71. However people have been waiting something more from Nokia for a long time like you said.

We haven’t seen something really new like communicator and internet in a phone, cameras, color screens, GPS, possibility to load programs to phone, etc. Because of that we use phone like we have done it some years.

Today we discussed with some friends about data projector as a part of mobile phone. Maybe that could make webconferencies so easy that people would’t travel anymore so much only to see PowerPoint presentation and talking head in real life. And am sure that many other things would change as a part of this kind of change too.

My point is that new feature is not enough anymore. We are waiting features that will change our ways of doing things.
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Timo:
  
  About…
  “My point is that new feature is not enough anymore. We are waiting features that will change our ways of doing things.”
  
  That’s the point…Ok let’s take the example you made a about web-conferences and virtual meetings. If we could participate directly from mobile devices that would be awesome! I deal with virtual-business everyday ( http://www.itive.net/?page_id=55 ) and I tell you that the first brand which will step into the market giving the possibility/tech/app/whatever to join virtual meetings on the go…they will have a HUGE advantage + I’ll probably buy one of their device for each member of the http://www.itive.net team
  
  Andrea
KPa

I find it oversimplified that everyone is always talking about how many megapixels there are in the cameras, whether itâ€™s on phone or any other device (like just plain â€œcameraâ€ . The current hype with MPs is driving up noise and forgetting optics together with the usability.

This was not main subject on the blog note above, but it triggered me to write a comment.

I think that in general mobile phones have now reached (at least top end of them) the point where they can be seen as general purpose processing platforms. Technically development seems to be only incremental (better battery life, better screens etc.), but real innovation will come from the software: UI and specific applications that will enable individuals really to work on their own way, without sacrificing too much of individual working habits and thus productivity.

From that point of view there are two main approaches: a closed proprietary solution with closed innovation paths, and more open way. From a product quality and marketing point of view, closed way is much easier to control on business, but that very much limits the number of individuals contributing to the general development. However, the income flows are much easier to catch.
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @KPa:
  Yep, you are right about this general buzz around MPs ONLY…
  
  My post wasn’t just about MPs but again, today, if we look at the ‘entire package’…MPs are an important factor…especially if you are looking for a certain level of performance in your device.
  
  I liked that you mentioned ‘user interface’ and other specific applications… I think they/anyone should go OPEN. Open-source, open API, etc. That would definitely be a plus for a countless number of reasons.
  
  Thanks for joining the conversation KPa!
  
  Andrea
http://blog.erkka.com erkka

Yeah, they could do better. E-series are ok to my opinion, business phones don’t need to be that wow, they need to be solid. The N-series is something to worry about… Or what do you think?
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Erkka:
  
  I understand what you mean…You see if we look at the N-series that’s obvious, people already expect the ‘wow’ effect. What Nokia forgot is that business (E-Series) people now have a higher standards of expectations too! These people are not just media consumers, they are media producers too!
  
  Mishra’s video is a great example, and many other business people will need good devices to create their own content (picts, audio, video, etc.).
  
  In many meetings I see people taking snap-shots of whiteboards, videos of brainstorming sessions, managing emails/apps/everything from/with their phone.
  
  Needs are evolving, that’s why I think that Nokia should/could have done much better. About the ‘how’ could have done it… well I already wrote most part of my thoughts in the post
  
  Andrea
http://blog.erkka.com erkka

Ok, I have to agree about the business needs. I can’t go below 5MP with cell phone camera anymore ’cause that’s kinda the limit for truly readable “scan” of a A4 sheet.
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Erkka: Exactly… Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the next E-Series release, and let’s hope that Nokia will join the conversation.
  
  Andrea
http://www.hessujarvinen.com Hessu

Wow! What an intersting discussion we have here! Great. I’m sorry I’m a bit late I must agree with you guys. Especially about what @kpa said about the incremental development and the true innovaton coming trough software.

However I still feel that this smugling marketing (ujutus markkinointi) is the main reason for too short incremental steps in the technological development of these multimedia computers. Meaning the lack of memory mostly…and insuficient processor for heavy usage I quess @andrea was after also.

I think it would be technologically possible to produce a real computer-like phone, but it would be 1) too expensive / narrow niche and 2) it will stop the possibility to smugle new features and milk the markets in their full potential for a while.

I have been following this smugling of features for a long time. I was using communicator since it’s first incarnation Communicator 9000 all the way to the 9210. Then moved to other E-series phones. I’ve also been an avid Palm user and currently having a Nokia Internet Tablet N800. I have loved all those devices, but always been forced to get the new one due it’s more capable something.

An anecdote comes into my mind about this: I remember that one version of communicator which came with a separate camera included. With that I was able to beam my pictures up to my Communicator and then…Ã¶Ã¶Ã¶..there was no Flickr, nothing. They were step ahead then.

But back to innovation from incrementation. By enabling the best possible hardware the true innovation can rise and real multimedia computers will exist. Nokia (and other wendors) are constantly balancing with the smugling factor to maximize their revenue. That is ok. Hopefully Android -platform, iPhone and others will change the game a bit…to lower the smugling factor and enabling the real potential. It’s the same what we are now seeing with ultra portable lap-tops. Watch out what is happening in that market.

Uuh. That was put up quite fast while drinking coffee. I love to discuss these topics more. Let’s keep in touch. Have to stop now…thank your self if you managed this far with my text
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Hessu:
  Thanks for the insightful comment…
  
  Heh… ‘smuggling marketing’! Wondering what Nokia thinks about it
  
  Like I said, these devices are becoming my mobile office.
  This means that YES I’m / will keep using them, but NO I will not buy a device that doesn’t respond to my needs.
  
  New ‘shiny object’ strategy…no thanks.
  
  Game changers? Definitely agree. Google, Apple and others will follow. About Nokia? They will not run out of market (at least any time soon), it’s just a pity that they forgot ‘a BIT’ the demand/needs coming from their affectionne’…
  
  Interesting times my friend…interesting times…
  
  Andrea
http://www.gauravonomics.com/ Gaurav Mishra

I actually mailed the folks at WOM World (Nokia’s publicists) to share the links to my Nokia E71 review/ Nokia E71 vidcast and ask them some questions about apps available on Nokia E71 for another post. I guess they are so busy â€œpushingâ€ phones on to bloggers that they donâ€™t have any time to respond to â€œpullâ€ queries.
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Guarav:
  
  Same here. Except for few ‘invite only’ events ( http://events.nokia.com/openlab/ ), so far Nokia never joined the conversation… which ‘again’ is a pity. Why? There are some many talented people (like you) out there, and many inspiring discussions like this one. It’s not the first time that I try to engage with Nokia like you did. Let’s hope they will listen and step in this / future conversations.
  
  Andrea
http://jussi.jaiku.com Jussi-Pekka

Hi Andrea!

Thx for the feedback! We are trying to push exactly this kind of thinking, e.g. with having online Q&A with product managers during the product launches, publishing blogs and attending in different conversation, having S60 meetups etc. We have also just launched our Nokia Pilots programn that you might be interested I recommend you to check that out -> http://www.nokia.com/A41082081

If you have any good ideas or other feedback, we are all ears.

Cheers!

Jussi-Pekka
- http://media.vascellari.com Andrea Vascellari
  
  @Jussi: Thanks to you for stopping by + for the link to Nokia Pilots! I’ll link to you future ‘Nokia related’ posts.
  
  Andrea
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