I was just imagining an ad campaign for the N800. The initial idea is to link it to the iPhone, so that people who want a cheaper iPhone go for the N800.

The ad starts with a BIG text warning:

WARNING: THE N800 IS NOT AN IPHONE

Then starts listing differences

$400 $600
No monthly fees Two years of payments required
Free or cheap Internet calls Calling plan
Youtube Youtube
Supports Flash No Flash
Great Internet Pretty good Internet
etc

Then a repeat:

WARNING: THE N800 IS NOT AN IPHONE

IT'S BETTER

It assumes that Skype has been released for the N800, that Flash has been improved, that Youtube performance is great.

As marketers know, linking to something famous is a way to take advantage of someone else's PR campaign.

Interesting Ad

Dude, whats the hype on skype...we have gizmo.


OT, I know

I still don't understand why everyone is comparing the n800 to the iPhone. It's not a freaking phone, it never will be a phone! It's a web tablet that does a halfway decent job of letting you surf the net without dragging your laptop around. They say it plays movies and music, I don't know, that's what my iPod is for, well music anyway, I don't see the point of watching a movie on anything smaller than a 52" screen. Don't get me started on Youtube, there's one of the biggest waste of internet bandwidth I've ever seen. I can't really comment on the iPhone, I live in a part of the US that won't see it for at least a year, maybe more. May as well be comparing the n800 to a Cray.

My friend is familiar with Skype and not wirh Gizmo. Mt friends in Russia already use Skype, not Gizmo. It is easier to get someone to use something they,are familiar with than something they have never used.

Totally agree with you. There is no such thing as universal device. You will allways get better sound quality with an separate mp3 player, more comfortable phone calls with mobiles etc....

Barry, I think the reason people keep comparing the n800 to an iPhone even though the n800 clearly (sadly?) is not a phone is because, well. Is the iPhone bragging about how awesome it is at... making calls? Does anyone who is going to purchase an iPhone really care more about the 'Phone' part of the equation? It's selling points are it's niftykeen trendy looks and gui, coupled with its very unphonelike features, ie, its ability to browse the web, act as a media player, etc. Hell, it even looks more like a n800 than it does a phone. So while it might be a bit awkward to compare them, in the minds of the feature-minded more tech-savy out there, it might not be *that* weird of a comparison, especially amoung those who have to carry around a phone for work anyway.

That said, my two cents? Gimme the n800 or even the 770. More fun anyway.

But as far as your ad, what do you mean when you say the n800 has great internet, compared to the iphone's not-so-hot internet? Does the n800 have a hsdpa radio that no one told me about? Otherwise they both use wifi, and the iPhone has it's silly little edge radio, so they have roughly the same internet unless I'm missing something. Another point you could make for the n800 would be it's screen, or it's open platform. The fact that things are constantly being ported and improved for the net tablets is probably my favorite thing about them, and could be seen as a huge advantage over the iPhone's we-define-closed-platfroms-type platform. Of course then we have the reason I think the n800 wouldn't fare too well in direct competition with the iPhone. The iPhone is ridiculously easy to use, you don't have to think to do anything on it, which is good, which will enable half of it's users to actually use it, and the other half to have that much spare brainpower to think about how shiney shiney it is. The n800 might require some thought *gasp* and a bit of time, effort, and maybe tinkering to get it doing all the great things you'd like it to. Granted you can only do these things thanks to the open platform, but I'm not sure if the user unfriendliness factor of it all would fly too well.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, just in one of those moods today. Pretty sweet idea though, I gotta admit.

No Flash and no Java means the iPhone doesn't work with a LOT of stuff on the net. I'm looking forwarrd a bit and think Nokia should make deliberate adjustments to point up iPhone weaknesses, like provide java support.

There are books on this linking strategy -- it works. Many people are going to think, "gee, the commercials are cool and I'd like some of this cool technology but I can't spend that kind of money." The N800 can be positioned as the affordable way to get many of the cool things the iPhone ads are selling.

I think nokia will never do that...... comparitive advertising has never been done by nokia..... unlike the stupid flashy iphone. Nokia is very modest..... that is what actually makes me love nokia..... it gets the job done with minumum fuss and the least cost...... LONG LIVE NOKIA

Some of the best "advertising" a company can get is from customers. Blog about your Nokia N800/770. Show it to people. Be honest about what it does well and what it doesn't do well. I don't compare it to other specific products. I call it a "computer in my pocket", and what it does depends on the software you install. Once I show people Doom, browsing the web, and playing a movie, they get the idea.