Nokia Lumia 900 Won't Beat the iPhone: 10 Reasons Why - Mobile and Wireless - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

Nokia Lumia 900 Won’t Beat the iPhone: 10 Reasons Why

Written By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Apr 3, 2012
4 minute read
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The high-end smartphone market is about to become a bit more crowded in the U.S. with the upcoming launch of Nokia€™s Lumia 900. The smartphone, which will come in the customer€™s color choice of blue, black or white, is being touted as yet the latest potentially strong competitor to Apple€™s iPhone. Moreover, the device€™s $100 price tag with a two-year agreement is making many wonder if Apple might have to drop the price of its smartphone to compete.
However, all those arguments fail to see what€™s really happening in the mobile space, and the way in which Nokia is viewed by today€™s consumers. Although the company was once the world€™s top mobile handset maker, it€™s now losing its grip. And as nice as the Lumia 900 might be, it€™s no match for the top smartphone on the market today, Apple€™s iPhone. Simply put, all this talk of Nokia possibly hurting Apple€™s iPhone falls short for several reasons.
Read on to find out why the Nokia Lumia 900 will never beat Apple€™s iPhone:
1. This is Nokia, after all
Looking at Nokia€™s current market share numbers, which have been in rapid decline, it€™s not hard to wonder why so few people believe the company will be able to beat the iPhone. Nokia is losing its appeal to customers around the world, and to think that a single device can change that situation is outrageous€”especially when it€™s going up against the iPhone.
2. Windows Phone 7 won€™t cut it
Let€™s not forget that the Nokia Lumia 900 is running Windows Phone 7, an operating system that few consumers know and care about. There€™s little debating that Windows Phone 7 is a worthwhile software platform that more people should try. But it€™s no Apple iOS. Thus, there isn€™t exactly a stampede of users to try out Windows Phone 7. With Windows Phone 7 running on the Lumia 900, Nokia€™s device has little chance of success.
3. The price turns people away
Some might say that by offering the Nokia Lumia 900 for $100 with a two-year agreement, the company might attract many more customers. But that€™s just not the case. Apple€™s iPhone is the gold standard in the marketplace, and it retails for $200. Any device that€™s priced cheaper than that looks like an underpowered alternative. And that€™s exactly what the Lumia 900 looks like.
4. Nokia€™s odd design ideas
Look at the Nokia Lumia 900 and compare the device€™s design to the iPhone 4S. Notice anything? Right: an oddly childlike design choice. The iPhone 4S features an elegant design that catches consumers€™ eyes. The Nokia Lumia 900€™s choices of colors make it seem like any other Windows Phone 7 device on the market. The time has come for Nokia to care more about design.


Nokia Falls Short on Market Buzz

5. Apps

One of the biggest issues with Windows Phone 7 is its general lack of apps. Sure, it has about 50,000 applications at this point, but Apple has exponentially more than that in its App Store. Until Microsoft can figure out the application development issue discourages many developers from porting games to the platform, any one of today€™s Windows Phone 7-based devices will be left out in the cold.

6. Where€™s the hype?
Did you know that the Nokia Lumia 900 was launching soon? No? Not many other people did, either. Unfortunately, even after all these years, Nokia still hasn€™t mastered the art of hype. Apple, meanwhile, has, and whenever one of its products is ready to launch, everyone€™s talking about it. Until Nokia can deliver some hype, it€™ll be hard for the Lumia to keep up.

7. The AT&T problem
Nokia€™s Lumia 900 will only be available on AT&T€™s network. In today€™s hotly contested market where devices are available on nearly every carrier€™s service, that€™s a major liability for the device. Even Apple€™s iPhone, which was once exclusive to AT&T, is now available on Verizon and Sprint networks. Exclusivity is a major liability nowadays.

8. LTE will almost undoubtedly come to the iPhone 5

One of the Lumia 900€™s trump cards, some folks say, is its 4G LTE connectivity. The iPhone 4S lacks connectivity with the ultra-high-speed network, making the Lumia 900 a potentially better option. But let€™s not forget that the iPhone 5 will almost undoubtedly come with 4G LTE. And that device could stifle any chance of the Lumia 900 winning out in the mobile market.

9. There€™s a higher bar for success

Judging success in the mobile space isn€™t always easy. Samsung€™s devices are widely viewed as successful, even though individual product shipments can€™t match the iPhone€™s. For Nokia, the bar for success is much more difficult to achieve, since the company€™s device has such high expectations. The Lumia 900 is supposed to be the iPhone killer. But if it can€™t come close to achieving that goal, it€™ll be viewed as a loser. And losers just don€™t kill the top devices in the mobile space.

10. The U.S. is a major liability

Elsewhere around the world, Nokia has done a middling job of succeeding in the mobile space. But in recent years, Nokia has been largely ignored by customers especially in the U.S. who want more advanced devices. Given that, how can anyone think that the Lumia 900 will beat the iPhone? Apple is a hero to American consumers. Let€™s not forget that.

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