Nokia N95 for North America: get it September for $699

Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? The shock of a real, honest-to-goodness N95 with North American 3G bands becoming reality (sorry, T-Mobile, not you!) is still wearing off, and now the company's spouting off about a September release for the darned thing. As we found in our hands-on, this particular variant of the S60 superphone gets tweaked just a bit from the original -- though not as much as the bigger-screened N95 8GB -- offering a redesigned, recessed camera lens (sans protective cover), twice the RAM, dimpled music control keys, and re-upped battery capacity. Nokia claims this very special version of the N95 was made in part because it's been "extremely pleased" with response to the European N95 in these parts -- so to everyone with an N95 in your pocket right now, thanks! As we mentioned, grab it starting next month through a variety of online retailers plus Nokia's flagship stores in New York and Chicago for $699.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Aug 29th 2007 10:44PM]

I have only one thing to say. Thanks, Steve, for waking up the cell phone industry in the US.

[paccoast2010 @ Aug 30th 2007 2:46AM]

not in Canada, though : (

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 30th 2007 5:53AM]

North America gets N95 with 3G... STOP... Soviet Union gets Levis jeans... STOP... UK gets Clockwork Orange... STOP... Ambovar village in Ethiopia gets running water...

[Dae @ Aug 29th 2007 10:45PM]

Who is the service provider? I pray its sprint. I really want to retire my treo 700p.

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 10:55PM]

It's an unlocked 850/1900 phone for use with AT&T, T-Mobile or any other GSM provider.

[Dae @ Aug 29th 2007 11:02PM]

Thanks Greyscale. I'm starting to hate my provider (sprint).

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 11:05PM]

Don't listen to me, I might have it all wrong. These new Nokias have me a bit confused. Check with the Nokia site or someone here will be able to answer definitively eventually.

[CK @ Aug 29th 2007 11:10PM]

Definitely not Sprint. Only GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile). Sprint is CDMA. I hate my provider, too (Verizon)

[aboyinacity @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:16PM]

The New North American n95 only supports GSM 850 and 1900 bands, the two bands AT&T runs their 3g network on. T-Mobile runs their 3G network on the 1700 spectrum and is not supported on the new US n95 model.

[kai @ Aug 29th 2007 10:47PM]

hah. 700 for that? what a joke. with 8gigs of internal flash, then we're talkin 700. but without? what a joke. oh and look, 3g? cool, now i can use all that bandwidth to uh...go to uh...websites that i cant type in? or uh...buy music that i'd normally buy on my computer and re-tag/backup?

this entire nokia release event was a huge disappointment.

[Terc @ Aug 29th 2007 11:38PM]

Thanks, I was worried people only complained about prices on iPhones. My faith has been renewed in complainers across the web.

[Legodude522 @ Aug 29th 2007 11:39PM]

It's not too bad thinking thats the cost for the phone without a contract.

[RyanTV @ Aug 30th 2007 12:42PM]

I agree with you Kai - Nokia is desperately trying to find some renewed relevance in the wireless market. This looks like a good phone, but that price is ridiculous.

Companies need to get over the fan-boy pricing schemes they use and market products that the masses will buy.

[LordFarkward @ Aug 29th 2007 10:47PM]

there's been a lotta nokia news lately...

i'm quite pleasantly surprised that there's no idiot crying "ZOMG NOKIA NEWS ALL THE TIME ENGADAGET HOW MUCH YOU GETTING PAID YOU NOKIA FANBOIS!!???!?!?!" *yet*

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 10:55PM]

It's is 8GB.

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 10:56PM]

Now pretend I responded to kai.

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 10:58PM]

K, maybe it isn't. Just go ahead and rank me down.

[LordFarkward @ Aug 29th 2007 11:27PM]

don't worry about it, i did the exact same thing here
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/island-resort-bans-gadgets-from-beach/#comments

[Xzavier @ Aug 29th 2007 10:50PM]

And worth every penny!

[jdmbo1 @ Aug 29th 2007 10:54PM]

Who the hell would buy this version when the new N95 8GB version in Europe is coming out for almost the same amount?

[aboyinacity @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:16PM]

maybe everyone who doesn't live in Europe and wants 3G support...

[Steve Ballmer @ Aug 29th 2007 10:56PM]

$699? For a PHONE? Fully SUBSIDIZED? That's got to be the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not very good for business customers.

[sr1329 @ Aug 29th 2007 11:17PM]

Of course not. It's unlocked and unbranded.

[Ayle @ Aug 29th 2007 11:19PM]

It's not subsidized.

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 11:24PM]

It's not subsidized.

[Al @ Aug 30th 2007 12:53AM]

You can install Mail4Exchange.

Business people need that stuff, right?

[SeditioN VII @ Aug 30th 2007 1:11AM]

haha ...he's clearly quoting steve ballmer from his interview shortly after the iPhone was announced.


And I like it! lol

[Danny @ Aug 30th 2007 3:09AM]

haha love that interview, probably the most ignorant blabbering I've ever seen. I loved how he quoted prices for only WM phones that don't have touchscreens like the Moto Q, but ignored the touchscreen phones that go for about that price (Samsung ip-830 is $650). He's obviously scared, or completely ignorant. I have a Samsung i-730 WM5 touchscreen phone and it is absolutely the worst electronic device of any kind I've ever owned thanks to WM5 between restarting 5 times a day and the tremendously outdated and clunky interface (it's no different than the PPC I bought in 2001-ish other than the background on the today screen). I can't wait to get out of my contract, 1 year to go! I wonder about how these Symbian phones are, but I have a hard time believing it's $100 better than an iphone.

[Dan @ Aug 29th 2007 11:08PM]

how is this cooler than an iphone?

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 11:09PM]

It's not made by the Monster Cable of consumer electronics.

[humpty @ Aug 29th 2007 11:15PM]

It has real buttons.

[Subhash @ Aug 30th 2007 12:27AM]

And you'd be able to install some useful applications and games :)

[Johan S @ Aug 30th 2007 2:03AM]

Is this cooler than the iPhone?

Well, I can tell you this .. come September I'll be standing in line .. .. for an iPod!

[TrickDicky @ Aug 30th 2007 7:55AM]

It has a ton more features than an iPony. 3G inc HSDPA, 5 megapixel cam (it is actually good enough to not need a separate camera - unlike any other phone currently available), near DVD video recording, GPS reciever + it's symbian so there's shite loads of app's and games for it.

There's also the fact you can get them free on a 12 month contract in europe (mines only £35 per month).

[TMLC @ Aug 30th 2007 9:16AM]

I wouldn't say the camera is that good. But it does support loads of apps, including some with Skype and other VOIP support. It also has build-in GPS, and all maps are free. Its not as good as a dedicated unit though. I have it and I love it :)

[tobin92 @ Aug 29th 2007 11:56PM]

Any news on a official provider yet?
I can't imagine T-Mobile or AT&T haven't picked this up.....I would pay a good $299 after 2 year contract.

[greyscale @ Aug 30th 2007 12:01AM]

As has been discussed, it's an unlocked phone for use with any GSM provider. It will be sold direct from Nokia and other retailers.

[smiley rojas @ Aug 29th 2007 11:22PM]

"Steve Ballmer
$699? For a PHONE? Fully SUBSIDIZED? That's got to be the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not very good for business customers."
actually the 8925 will cost 800 when it is released in october but it will have the full keyboard and 3.5G

[Pat @ Aug 29th 2007 11:44PM]

800 USD at release unlocked as the HTC Tytn II. The AT&T model (8925) will be substantially less expensive depending on contract.

[tyronic @ Aug 29th 2007 11:48PM]

Wow! $700 for a piece of crap phone?! How come now that it doesn't have an Apple logo on it, people aren't freaking out over the price?! Bunch of two-bit hypocrites. People just wanna bash on Apple because everybody has to hate something blindly... so might as well be the popular one...
I'm not an Apple fanboy, but if you wanna freakout over the price of phones, just as many people or More should be freaking out over the price of this less functional phone!

[greyscale @ Aug 29th 2007 11:58PM]

You can't compare a non-subsidized unlocked phone direct from the manufacturer to one that requires a bend-me-over-2-year-non-stop-rape contract. If Apple sold iPhones direct they would be $1200.

[greyscale @ Aug 30th 2007 12:12AM]

And they still wouldn't be 3G or be able to MMS and would still make you look like a trendy whore with more money than sense.

[Constable Odo @ Aug 30th 2007 12:21AM]

But what makes everyone think that it was Apple that demanded a two-year contract. Might it not have been AT&T that forced that decision. I don't think it really matters since there will still be a lot of iPhones sold regardless of outright price and two-year contract.
Undoubtedly there would be buyers who would be willing to purchase a $1200 unlocked iPhone IF, I say if, it came with the basic functions of other smartphones (IMS, video recording, push e-mail, etc.). Eventually it will have these features but I mean right now.

[greyscale @ Aug 30th 2007 12:35AM]

Constable...

Every carrier on the planet wants the iPhone. Apple chose to go with AT&T, arguably the worst carrier in North America. Apple was in control and could have demanded any terms they wanted but they decided to go with the devil and let them do their normal 2-year bullshit deal.

[tyronic @ Aug 30th 2007 12:37AM]

Oh, so you know the exact cost for an unlocked iPhone? Do you work in the Apple Sales department? You know you shouldn't bad mouth your own company... not good for business... as for the "bend-me-over-2-year-non-stop-rape"... technicaly it would be over after 2 years... and I fail to see how it's considered "rape"... at a base plan it only costs an extra $20 a month for Internet and 200 SMS, then you have a $60 voice plan... So tell me how is $80 a month considered "rape" when it IS the cheapest "smartphone" (although the iPhone isn't a full smartphone, it does do everything better) plan.
And who the frak changes their cellular provider every year? Statistics PROVE that the majority stay with their carrier for quite some time. Plus, I doubt that when the Nokia phone gets here it will prolly be sold with a two year contract, maybe a one year if you are lucky... But I'm just guessing on the last part.

[Jared @ Aug 30th 2007 1:18AM]

I don't think you get the point. Apple got paid by AT&T to lock the phone. With this no one needs to extend/sign a new contract. Also, the N95 is much more of a phone than your crappy 2.5G iphone which is much less of a phone and more of a multimedia player.

"Statistics PROVE that the majority stay with their carrier for quite some time. Plus, I doubt that when the Nokia phone gets here it will prolly be sold with a two year contract, maybe a one year if you are lucky... But I'm just guessing on the last part."
--Sorry churn among your beloved AT&T is among the highest in the country. Compare it to Verizon, you'll be amazed

[greyscale @ Aug 30th 2007 1:20AM]

ty...

The only thing the iPhone does better than other phones is Coverflow.

If you don't understand why cell contracts are bad for consumers there's nothing I can say that will enlighten you.

Just be happy with your crippled fashion phone and 2-year contract that you can reup in 6 months when Apple drops the new and improved MMS-capable iPhone. That way you won't have to worry about losing your phone for a week when you have to ship it to Apple for the $60 (or whatever it is) battery replacement.

[John @ Aug 30th 2007 1:31AM]

Perhaps you noticed that an unlocked iPhone got sold recently.... for two more iPhones and a car? Perhaps then you should reflect that this phone is pre-unlocked without any legal quagmires associated with it.

[akn @ Aug 30th 2007 10:23AM]

@greyscale, et al:

Are there other GSM carriers besides AT&T that support 3G on 850/1900 MHz right now? To my knowledge there aren't, except for perhaps a few regional MVNOs that probably lease bandwidth from AT&T anyway. So to take advantage of your unlocked wunder-Nokia's American 3G support, you'd have to pay the devil every month (directly or indirectly) just like iPhoners, correct?

True, you could cancel your service and leave at any time, but for what alternative? EDGE on T-Mobile?

And also, the N95 is, like, FAT and ugly and wouldn't fit in any of the pockets on my skinny jeans... Yes, style is more important than substance for some people, and you're free to bring that up as much as you want. I'd ask you, though, to try not to sound so judgemental about it.

[Ed @ Aug 30th 2007 6:54PM]

[[[[Every carrier on the planet wants the iPhone. Apple chose to go with AT&T, arguably the worst carrier in North America. Apple was in control and could have demanded any terms they wanted but they decided to go with the devil and let them do their normal 2-year bullshit deal.]]]]


Wrong greyscale. Apple offered the I-phone to verizon first and they turned it down. I agree though, that 2 year deal is a crock of goat shit.