So, i was wondering...since, you know...Nokia delayed the device several times and doesn't have enough units for the first batch of pre-orders in many countries...given the fact they underestimated the potencial of the N900...


How many pre-orders are there in total worldwide, that Nokia cannot handle it?

That's probably one of the most interesting questions on here for sometime. I'd be interested in the split across country-specific models too.

Production run take time to setup as I suspect the factory has other things to make and change of tooling takes time too.

Anyone have any insight for a nosey old man?

http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin/shop/...er_id=!ORDERID!

At shopBLT alone, there are 15224 pre-orders (negative stock). And that's just one store.

In reference to the original question. What do you define as a pre-order?

Orders from Nokia to retailers or orders from retailers to end-users?

Using Shopblt as an example they have 25000 units they have ordered, from Nokia, for them to sell. Of those they have sold 15250 to end-users (or other retailers).

So from Nokia´s point of view they have 25000 on order from Shopblt.
From shopblt´s point of view they have 15250 orders.

I´d go with the 25000 number here personally, as after all that´s what Nokia needs to produce.

I'd guess it's similar to the original N95 - the hype is there. However, the N95 didn't sell very well in the beginning, but it had very long legs - possibly because it was an unique device. If the N900 will be the only Maemo device until next Xmas, then - and only then - it might sell half as much as the N95 (including 8GB/N82).

Keep in mind that the N95 was still selling during the first half of the year 2009 - more than 2 years after its first release. That's probably because it was Nokia's best phone to date - way more powerful than the N97.

The N900 does have some future-proofness, unlike the N97. The initial N97 sales prove that Nokia's brand is still strong - the 5th most valuable in the intire world!?


But - here's the catch - the N900 will have a limited release, outside Asia - Nokia's stronghold. The N900's absence in Asia will surely affect the sales negatively, and unless Nokia changes their plan for the N900 (not Maemo in general), then the N900 will consider "itself" being lucky if it matches the N97's sale numbers.

There's no possibility of a situation where the N900 outsell the N97 this year, but it's still quite likely that the N900 will catch up the N97 next year - it doesn't look like the N97 will have strong legs, being one of many similar spec'ed Symbian phones (unlike the N95).

Nokia could easily kill the N97 sales (by replacing them with N900 units), but the N97 itself is a nice profit maker - while the N900 isn't. The question is for how long Nokia will be willing to support an outdated phone risking damaging their own brand. Symbian^3 devices (with hardware accelerated UI) will most likely be on par with the N900 hardware.


Anyway - despite of Nokia's low initial estimations (?) - I think it's rather safe to assume that the N900 won't follow the failed steps of the N96 at this point.

I'd say a major reason for the delay is because of the massive interest Nokia recieved for this device. I think that they believed that it would only be marginally more interesting for consumers than the previous internet tablets. Boy oh Boy were they wrong. I was in the Helsinki Flagship store on wednesday and asked about how many pre-orders they had. She said that this has been the most popular phone for awhile now. And it's not even released!

BTW shipping dates for Finland

20.11 –*Nokia Online Shop Finland starts processing & shipping phones

Around 27.11 Nokia Online Shop Finland recieves next shipment of N900s (According to a thread where a verified finnish nokia representative says this)

27.11 Nokia Flagship Store Helsinki starts selling pre-ordered phones (and to the general public if they recieve enough phones)

4.12 Regular retailers in Finland are allowed to start selling the phones

Surely severel million, worldwide. Its going to be huge.

Nothing I've seen has given me the impression that delays have been caused by a shortage of hardware. There was a delay caused by a firmware update, and 'delay' caused because the transit from factory to paws has taken rather longer than people expected (Including people in customer service centres).

I'm sure Nokia have made enough, even if they're not necessarily in the right place (Like the NYC store). For example, if BLT have several thousand to spare, they could meet the requests from NYC store (someone explain why a sandwich is selling phones?)

i would say over 9000

9000? Well only one store has 12500 preorders..
I would say ~100-200.000