Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of cell phones. The vast spread of Nokia's market is almost everywhere except North America. Nokia has never played well with the U.S. carriers and their procedures. A few Nokia smartphones are released with U.S. carrier 3G frequencies (the NAM models.) These are sold unlocked on the open market. Occasionally, there is a carrier subsidized version. Recently, in typical baffling Nokia style, they announced that the N900 will remain un-tampered by any carrier. T-Mobile U.S. has no plans to subsidize it (at this time.) The device and it's Maemo OS are the 5th step of a planned 6 step program and as such, Nokia still excuses the N900 as an exploratory device and as a geek computer that now also happens to include a phone. There is no denying that it is a well appointed and potentially powerful unit. Nokia is charging top dollar for it.
.
I would imagine that Nokia is fully aware that the N900 probably ain't going to sell real well in America.
And perhaps they just don't care.
What other handset manufacturer has the ways and means to refuse to play ball with the U.S. but can still see a long term vision carried through with it's original purpose remaining intact?