The Nokia N9 was a brilliant phone. Its physical design was perfection, with a combination of a gently curving screen and clean lines blending together into a unique hardware proposition. On the software side of things, the new MeeGo operating system provided a new take on the smartphone experience, with a focus on universal swiping. It was well received by critics and the Nokia faithful the world over clamoured for it to be released in their home country.
But it wasn’t meant to be — for as good as the new operating system was, Nokia signed an agreement with Microsoft to become their biggest supplier of Windows phones and abandoned the MeeGo operating system that shipped on the N9 – there’d be no further products released on the same OS. The N9 represented a dead end, a beautiful failure that wasn’t released in major markets like the US and the UK.
A few months later, the N9 has gotten a new lease on life. At the Nokia World conference yesterday, Nokio CEO Stephen Elop announced the N9 had been reborn as the Windows-powered Nokia Lumia 800. By stripping out the old, dead end operating system and replacing it with Windows Phone, the handset may yet see the success it deserves.
In terms of hardware, the new phone is quite similar, with a bevy of small changes. The screen’s bezel has grown slightly, reducing the phone’s screen size to 3.7″ from 3.9″, and a new dedicated camera button addresses one of the few complaints had by users of the N9. Internally, the processor has been boosted to 1.4 GHz, although storage has been limited to 16 GB.
The sim free Lumia 800 comes in three colours (black, cyan and pink) and is now available from Mobile Fun as a pre-order. The phone is expected to ship on the 5th of January, 2012. For more information, check out the Lumia 800 simfree page.
Of course, we’ll have all of the Nokia Lumia 800 accessories you require, including some perfectly crafted Lumia 800 cases and screen protectors. We’ll also be stocking more unique accessories, such as Nokia Lumia 800 desk stands and batteries.
Also announced was the 800’s little brother, the Lumia 710. This phone has a new design but much of the same hardware, including the same processor and RAM. The battery and camera have been slightly downgraded to differentiate the two models. We’ll have more details on the pricing and availability on this phone shortly.
As with the 800, we’ve already begun to stock Nokia Lumia 710 accessories, including the usual assortment of Lumia 710 cases, Lumia 710 covers and screen protectors.
So, what do you think of the new handsets? Let us know via the comments section or via the social media links below!