CUE A RANT: Three UK is ALL OVER THE PLACE with their Nokia N95 strategy

Look at this, it really does wind me up. Not Jon’s comment, but the fact he’s EVEN HAVING to post the comment.

Link: SMS Text News » Three’s X-Series launches in Italy WITH NOKIA N95s!

jonmul Says:

I swapped a few emails with the X-Series blog team this morning, as I want to join up to X-Series, but am waiting for the N95.

I was told that that 3 UK are ‘waiting on some final test results before deciding on timings for the N95″. They also said that they expect to know more next week, but that this of course could change.

I have my fingers crossed this is true, I will be switching my T-Mobile contract for 3 immediatley if so!

I think Three UK need their heads examined.

Look at THIS!! This chap Jonathan Mulholland, OBVIOUSLY a mobile geek of sorts and therefore, I think it’s entirely safe to assume, a high spend user, is MAKING A PURCHASING DECISION based on Three UK’s ability to knock out the N95.

It’s no use bringing it out now. Everyone and their dog’s been away and got it from Vodafone, o2, Orange or T-Mobile – you know, the MARKET LEADERS.

How annoying. It really does GET RIGHT UP MY NOSE. You want the company to do well, you really do. You LOVE the X-Series range of applications, you like how they’re performing, then they arse it all up delaying and poncing about with the N95.

I understand that the X-Series applications need to be tested. I understand that, yes, the GPS on the N95 isn’t necessarily as good as your TomTom, but please, for the LOVE OF MOBILE, release-the-handset!

Or don’t.

OR commit your testers to a timescale.

I’ve been going on about this for effing ages.

Three have lost £50k’s worth of customers who I know personally who would have SWITCHED to them for the N95.

What happened? Nearly everyone did the shoulder-shrug and stayed with their existing operator TO GET AN N95.

Geez it winds me up, it really does.

Someone, somewhere in Three UK should have grabbed the testing team by the scruff of the neck and explained, using small words and big pictures, just e x a c t l y what motivates the UK buying public.

Jon is just one tiny example — he’s making a buying decision based on hardware. Not price plans. Not how many free text messages. Those are also-rans. They need to meet his expectations but it’s the hardware and X-Series he’s after. Making him wait all this time — and STILL being unable to give him a yes or no definitive public answer as to when and whether the N95 is arriving isn’t good enough.

Knocking out the N95 after goodness knows how many maybes and dunnos from the call centre is a really limpwristed gesture, particularly given that A) The Italians seem to have managed it perfectly fine… IN ITALIAN.. you know, applications IN ITALIAN, in a DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. I can’t be bothered to write the other B, C or D.

I know there are perfectly reasonable commercial reasons for the delay. That’s why Three is sat in the position they are, though, right? Come on. Oh it’s so annoying sitting there, tubthumping, telling everyone what a wicked service Three is (something I do genuinely believe) only to have all the folk who were sat, salivating at the ‘oh-I-will-get-N95-and-X-Series’ moment go back to their existing operator.

Don’t forget that the moment’s gone now.

Remember that a few months ago, Orange and Vodafone still hadn’t launched their new data plans. Yes there’s a few ..er.. questions about the Orange one, and well, the 120mb for 7quid a month Vodafone one is reasonably ok… but during all those months of uncertainty, that was the time to launch the N95.

So, moment’s gone. We move on.

I’m glad I’ve got that out of my system.