Nokia N80
U.S. Version Status
Before 5,000 people ask... 😉
The latest and most reliable info I have is that Cingular is reconsidering whether to carry the N80.
Certainly the N80 was on Cingular's roadmap, and of course versions have been spotted with a Cingular logo. BUT... Cingular wants their 3G phones to have WCDMA 850, and it's not clear if Nokia is able to easily add WCDMA 850 using their current chipsets.
Cingular has told me flat-out that the 6282 is the only 3G phone they will ever carry without WCDMA 850, which would exclude the N80, unless Nokia can add WCDMA 850 to it.
At the Nseries event last week in Berlin, I overheard a Nokia U.S. person saying that Cingular was still figuring out whether to carry the N80.
Either way, I do expect Nokia...
(continues)
The latest and most reliable info I have is that Cingular is reconsidering whether to carry the N80.
Certainly the N80 was on Cingular's roadmap, and of course versions have been spotted with a Cingular logo. BUT... Cingular wants their 3G phones to have WCDMA 850, and it's not clear if Nokia is able to easily add WCDMA 850 using their current chipsets.
Cingular has told me flat-out that the 6282 is the only 3G phone they will ever carry without WCDMA 850, which would exclude the N80, unless Nokia can add WCDMA 850 to it.
At the Nseries event last week in Berlin, I overheard a Nokia U.S. person saying that Cingular was still figuring out whether to carry the N80.
Either way, I do expect Nokia...
(continues)
...
thanx for the info, b/c i was about to ask. luckily i'm in Chicago and will most definitly be checking out Nokia's retail location when it's set to open this June 😎
...
I'll refrain from making a smartass comment about availability in the U.S. 😎 - I will say that this is inline with some information I just came by. I work for Cingular, and during a conference call last week on upcoming promotions, someone asked about new 3G phones. The answer came back that the only 2 upcoming phones will be the LG CG500 & the Nokia 6282. That will be for at least until September. Cingular may decide to carry it before the end of the year, but it won't be till after this summer at the earliest.
...
Dudes cingular is most likley coming out with the phone. I spoke to a guy who runs 3 major cingular stores in MD. He said not many smartphones have come out latley and this will be the milestone phone for the end of the summer. Keep posted but it most likley will come out by cingular the deal is almost half way done thats why in most pics on the nokia website have the cingular logo on the phone. Dustin 😎
...
Why does Nokia need Cingulars permission to release the phone? Can't they sell it unlocked with no provider contract?
If Nokia needs to ask permission from every provider in the US before they sell a phone themselves AND only sell them through a provider, then they're wasting their time opening their own "flagship" stores.
Thumbs down if it's true. 😡
If Nokia needs to ask permission from every provider in the US before they sell a phone themselves AND only sell them through a provider, then they're wasting their time opening their own "flagship" stores.
Thumbs down if it's true. 😡
...
permission to use with cingular's 3g, not to be used for cingular voice - that's no prob. Configuring it for 3g data is a whole different beast
...
Greetings Rich,
I must admit I would be included in the 5,000 so thanks for giving us the update on Cingular plans for the N80.
Either way I plan on eventually getting the N80.
Earl/Fitzco
I must admit I would be included in the 5,000 so thanks for giving us the update on Cingular plans for the N80.
Either way I plan on eventually getting the N80.
Earl/Fitzco
...
Rich Brome said:
Either way, I do expect Nokia to sell the N80 at its forthcoming U.S. flagship stores
Has Nokia published a list of cities for the "Flagship Stores"?
...
Chicago and New York so far... Chicago on June 21st, and New York "later this year."
...
Well I just found out the phone is a bust for cingular. The phone was planned to be out for cingular and about 300 test phones came out with a cingular logo but unfortuanlly the phone was cancelled for cingular to do its high price and 3g networks. Sorry to report the bad news cingular customers but I feel the same way.
...
Are you sure? You posted that first week of May and now its a month later and there's still talk about it. I'm pretty sure nokia would take the Cingular branded N80 off nokiausa.com if it really is cancelled as you say.
...
can you please explain these technical terms? "Cingular wants their 3G phones to have WCDMA"
...
You missed the most vital part of that phrase. Cingular wants there 3g phones to have WCDMA 850. Which means they want all there phones to work on there entire 3g network, even if they dont have 850 in all areas.
...
Flint Michigan is 850 only, no 1900. It is only a small part of our coverage area(30sq miles?), but I'm sure there are others like it around the country.
I still plan on getting one, even if it is WCDMA1900, there are enough of those towers.
I still plan on getting one, even if it is WCDMA1900, there are enough of those towers.
...
Interestingly enough, the Nokia N80 US version was showing as available from
http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/N80/ » this morning.
Of course I clicked the "Buy" link, and after filling out credit card info, was treated to a lovely error message asking me to call an 800 number. The Nokia USA rep who answered the phone explained that the availability on the web site today was a mistake, but to check the site again "early next week", as it will be available very soon.
Sorta good news on the availability front for the US version.
http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/N80/ » this morning.
Of course I clicked the "Buy" link, and after filling out credit card info, was treated to a lovely error message asking me to call an 800 number. The Nokia USA rep who answered the phone explained that the availability on the web site today was a mistake, but to check the site again "early next week", as it will be available very soon.
Sorta good news on the availability front for the US version.
...
Excellent news as far as I'm concerned.
Sounds like a lock to be available soon.
Most likely will drive down the secondary market also.
Sounds like a lock to be available soon.
Most likely will drive down the secondary market also.
...
yah i noticed that as well, but it was when i had just woke up and i was a little confused. went and showered, came back, and it was gone... i new it was an error because thats happened before on previous devices i've anticipated. Well my bet is still on this Saturday when the flagship store opens up in chicago.
...
I hope you are right. I can't wait to buy this phone. I have a dumb question, but I need to ask it - can't I just buy an unlocked phone and use it on Cingular or TMobile?
...
yes, that is the meaning of unlocked (not locked to a carrier) most phones are simple to unlock and if you don't know how to do it, there are websites that charge a couple of bucks for an unlock code. i just advise you this, if you are planning to use and int'l phone on cingular, find out whether the cingular in your area relies on 850 or 1900mhz. Cuz here in austin cingular runs heavily on 850mhz and most triband phones are 900/1800/1900. These phones will run perfectly on t-mobile, but for example my se w900 is tri-band(900/1800/1900) and when i get out of the city into the suburbs i don't get **** for reception on cingular. So i had to switch over to a quad band phone (850/900/1800/1900). The n80 is quad band so you will be fine with that...
(continues)
(continues)
...
Thanks. I'm going to wait until after this weekend to make a decision, but this helped me a great deal. By the way, I live in the Atlanta area, so do I just need to contact a CSR to determine if my area primarily use 850mhz vs 1900mhz?
...
If you're getting the quad band N80 (or any quad band) it doesn't matter what band they are using in the ATL
...
but just to let you know, if you do buy the European N80, 3G won't work on it in the US because cingular uses wcdma 850 and wcdma 1900 for its 3G and in europe and other countries they use wcdma2100.
...
