With Navifirm, I see a 22.2011.44.2 update for that one - so you can go the Navifirm path (explained elsewhere on this forum).

BTW for OTA, you may still have to check for OTA updates, not just wait and hope that it happens/gets pushed - go to settings, applications, tap the right bottom icon, then tap the right top button to check for firmware update...

@ drvar, that may be, but they could just ask Nokia to delay the branded firmware update, which seems not the case in the aforementioned situation...

This is EXACTLY what I was going to share. Had the same initial response with my new N9 64GB Finland import and kept looking around in “ About Device” but like you said, it's in Applications. Just be aware that the update takes a pretty long time, even on WiFi.

I've got d phone in december n i check for updates in settings> applications> manage apps> updates every other day( even now) but always shows 'device up to date' ..so had no luck with that ...

If you got the device in dec it may already be PR1.1.

Very simple, if you have Swype input, you have PR1.1 (it wasn't there in PR1.0 yet).
So if OTA doesn't announce it, you have to use navifirm to get the firmware, and nokia flasher to flash it onto the device - instructions abundant on this forum...

Are there any rules about compatibility between firmwares and handsets? E.g. is it possible to flash a Black 64GB Swiss firmware onto a White Chinese N9, or a Magenta 16GB Malaysian firmware onto a Cyan 16GB Finnish phone?

Also, would it be wise to ignore (maybe even disable) OTA updates and just do updates manually to the newest (compatible) version via navifirm?

Reading some of these posts it seems Harmattan itself already has quite some fragmentation going on, actively aided by the maker himself (different firmwares (versions) for different localisations, colors or even distribution channels within the same country).

Few remarks to answer that:
you can not flash different GB sizes, for obvious reasons
it seems you cannot downgrade
downgrade is not only going from PR1.1 to PR1.0 but also supposedly from a higher to a lower number in the firmware code (..._legacy_480_ARM_... to _legacy_232_ARM_... won't work, the other way around may...)
from one colour to another works fine (done that)
from one region to another also works (seen plenty of reports on that - mind you, some regions have different language support, supposedly different preinstalled software, etc)
don't know if you can install oem versions, I wouldn't since I don't want to end up with a telecom-branded phone

I don't know if it's wise to disable OTA updates, but I recommend to use Navifirm to get the latest if not offered via OTA and if the update will get you improvements you want/need. For me it was Swype, which wasn't there in PR1.0.

I will wait for OTA for PR1.2, since I haven't seen anything in PR1.2 that I can't wait for, and with navifirm updates you have to reinstall all apps... which shouldn't be necessary with OTA updates.

Thanks for the info, so I would think for OTA updates Nokia would go by your currently installed firmware (instead of the actual model you are using), is that correct?

If so, is there a recommended "standard" or "main" firmware that would get OTA updates sooner/more frequently (for people that don't care much for all the localized stuff)?

This may have already been mentioned...
But another route IIRC is to try updating via NSU or Nokia Suite.
But 1st confirm you dont have 1.1, you may not even need to update!