Covering The UK Launch of the Nokia 5800

[slitchfield]

Pop into the Nokia store in Central London today and you'll find the Nokia 5800 has launched. Rafe got himself up at silly o'clock to get to Oxford Street in time for the opening, and he's been updating us over Twitter and uploading pictures as he goes. With close to 100 people queueing, the consensus is that the 5800 (the first touch based S60 phone, running 5th edition) is one of the most highly anticipated devices from Finland in the last few years. Read on for his thoughts throughout the morning.

Read on in the full article.

Why are you queueing..? The regent street store has had that phone for ages... and it's not even very good, or at least, the specs are good but the touch implementation sucks. What's the betting those 100 people are Nokia plants??

[bartmanekul]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why are you queueing..? The regent street store has had that phone for ages... and it's not even very good, or at least, the specs are good but the touch implementation sucks. What's the betting those 100 people are Nokia plants??

Perhaps you missed the fact that its already sold half a million, in just 30 days? For a single device from a company that makes so many is astounding.

And the touch seems fine if you know what your doing.

I don't know about Nokia plants, but I highly suspect an unregistered apple fanboy.

good reply ! I might get a 5800 in a week or two....

[talhamid]

Touch implementation sucks? Says who? I admit that it is a little slow and irritating esp when taps don't register, but for PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING (as pointed out above), it ceases to be an issue in about 3 hours of usage.

I am not against the iphone. I think it's a good-ish device with a very attractive interface that is sure to attract millions of new people to the idea of a smartphone. That in itself is a great achievement and I applaud Apple for it.

BUT. Did you notice that it is too big and heavy to be pocketable? Also, did you notice the messaging, or the totally broken camera? Did you think what you are GETTING when you pay all that cash? In that respect, Iphone is the worst thing that happened to smartphones - its ho-hum features are being easily copied or exceeded by Nokia, Samsung and LG and the game is not moving forward at all. As for that interface, I don't like it and I suspect many smartphone users won't. having an Iphone is also a fashion statement, conveying that you want to be hip, cool and value style over substance. I doubt many smartphone users can live with that - I can't.

Its a one-trick pony. Its app store is excellent, but it does commit that henious crime of tying you to Itunes and the whole Apple software framework. Where are the antitrust suits? Or do they only apply to companies with leading market share?

5800 is not an iphone competitor - it plays on price, delivering an astoundignly good value for money. It is small-ish, light, easy to take care of, not something heavy and fragile to be kept inside leather pouches. It's a different beast, much more respectable to average smartphone users who don't want to only LOOK at their phones, but ACCOMPLISH things through them. In that respect, nothing beats Symbian/S60, despite the clumsy interface.

[ltv]

I know someone who bought it for Rupees 19200. That is 287.478 GBP according to XE.com. ~40 pounds more.
Good for you guys.

[Rafe]

This was the first time the 5800 was available in the Regent Street store. They're also the first UK variants available (well almost - some online orders arrived on Thursday). I think the confusion may be caused by the fact it has been available in select countries since the beginning of December (Spain, Russia etc. also the Nokia US flagship stores I believe).

Also available at the Nokia Flagship Store in heathrow T5 at only £216!!!

[rai66]

Its not a bad phone,I had it for a while but the camera is horrendous really! ..still think iphone better overall.

[Sick Spider]

Hi all you Englishmen

Can anyone tell please what is the firmware it was launched with ?

Thank You.

[rogerwee]

I'm selling my N96 for this, and i'll love it, faster web browsing .

CORRECTION:

Nokia Regent have had the protype and sample devices of 5800 in store for ages but NONE available to sell, hence the launch.

Launch was amazing... good atmosphere... good result and hard working staff

A lot of time an effort went into the launch and it paid off

Posted by

Nokia Staff Member

[zestuart]

A lot of time an effort went into the launch and it paid off

Posted by

Nokia Staff Member

Certainly did: never have I been so happy to get up at 0500 and stand in the rain for 2h!

Hope you do the same for the N97.

Rafe; I was pairing my 5800 and BH-503 and I saw your phone (e71 I think), proudly discoverable. :p

Yo word up a massssive respect to all you 5800 owners vnice me am waiting to the king gets released the NOKIA N97 RESPECT TO ALL TINGS NOKIA N97

Only a Nokia fanboy will be interested in this phone. it has been on sale here at the NY Nokia Store for $350 for ages and nobody cares. I played with one for a total of 2 minutes and moved on to the next phone on display in the store. What a joke!