n900 failed because it is a brick and lack of potrait mode. the software wasn't ready and it wasn't able to be used one handed.
remenber the iphone have no ecosystem when its start it was practically a dumbphone, needed to be hacked.
but the brand power and marketing move it, i remember even jobs calling kinectic scrolling something revolutionary.
n9 fixes many of the issues its mass market device, it would have sold decently it elop didnt open his mouth