Or not.

At least, disapointing times like:

"Is it a phone?" (because it's a nokia) "No, it's an internet tablet" "Oh so what is it useful for?" And before I can explain, the person already thinks "then it's useless".

are over.

/me is happy with that choice.

By the way, today, a N96 is cheaper with a plan at a provider than the N810 is. So no, I really don't think it will kill the platform.

Maybe there will be some issue with the battery though... I'm pretty sure Nokia will handle it well.

Then you don't understand the cellular game. It's not just dropping in a cellular radio and calling it a day. There are lots government regulation bodies that require extensive testing and certification, all of which costs lots of money. Then there's the software implementation, which also costs money, and carrier requirements, etc, etc, etc.

In the end, it just ends up costing you, the consumer, a lot of money.

. . . and for somebody like me, who really can't afford adding $50 a month to his cellular bill, that's a Bad Thing™.

"Cheaper" you're paying out the *** for the cellular service.

Besides, there wont be any provider breaks for this, as it's data-only.

Hmm, then again how possible is Nokia to announnce two modifications at the same time? 3G and not? Like N810 and WE but released together?

please excuse my ignorance here, but doesnt nokia have cellular radios that have been tested and certified already? why wouldnt those be used in the desired n9x0 device for cellular compatibility? again, i may be ignorant but, if they are tested and certified already, would a round of QA be all that needed to ensure that the platform still adheres to the requirements of certification?

i for one (and only one it seems) welcome that ubiquitous device that is a phone and mobile internet device in one. the convenience of having all of that connectivity in one sleek, sexy device is where my desires are.

thing is that each phone that goes on market is tested, its not just a matter of getting a pre-tested radio...

if so, engadget would not have its FCC fridays for instance.

thing is this, take your avarage smartphone, check the price without carrier.

then take a tablet of similar specs...

I knew there would be many here feeling that way, but look at the big picture and how this broadens the platform. If anything enables future devices to go mainstream, it's the upcoming features Ari just revealed.

As for price, the sensible goal is of course to keep them as cheap as possible. But "cheap" is subjective.

right, each phone is tested when going to market, so use a radio that has been tested to work and cut the R&D costs.

Oh believe me, I understand it very well.

The NITs have always had radio interfaces that needed "extensive testing and certification" prior approval by national agencies, so what? Another interface won't make this all that much more expensive for Nokia. And if this was such an huge issue, they would have never done a N810WE. HSDPA-capable phones have become available for just a bit over 100€ by now, do you really think that just the cellular hardware without a screen, a housing, a battery, accessories, or most of the main electronics the phone needs would cost much more than maybe 30-50€? I don't think so.

In regards to carrier requirements: I think a lot of people on here need to at least try to look at the bigger picture - there's a huge market outside the US and its ridiculously fragmented mobile market dominated by control-freak operators. Nokia managed to sell the NITs on their own, without any subsidization, up to now. Why should this suddenly change?

That statement just doesn't hold any water right now - do you know anything about the N900's pricing? I certainly don't, but I certainly don't believe it will be much more expensive than any other tablet was in the beginning.

Well, nobody will force you into using any 3G radio the next-gen NIT will offer, simple as that. Once again, I'm sure it will be sold SIM-free (or contract-free or whatever) too.

And for me, having a dedicated SIM card slot is HUGE. Many operators here offer very good data-only contracts (eg 9€ for 3GB/month, which would suffice for the time I'm out of WiFI range), but as soon as you want to add a data option to a normal voice contract, they rip you off. So, just using bluetooth to connect via your normal phone is not really a good option for me.

so if all one wants is a PDA, one should go out and buy a palm centro and forget that it has a mobile radio in there?

lol... I knew, based on recent posts, that HSPA would polarize this community.

But it shouldn't. Think of it as another option. Right now you can choose N810 or N810WE. Someday you might add "NxxxHSPA" to that menu.