Did the N95 kill Nokia or revive it?

Rita over at Symbian Guru is Jaiku-crowdsourcing a feature she’s working on entitled ‘Did the N95 kill Nokia or revive it?’ The question really caught my attention — and, by the looks of it, a heckuvalot of others. Check out some of the essays she’s had in response to her question on her Jaiku stream.

Stefan was right in there with a huge, huge and well written response. I’m pretty sure he didn’t type that on his N82.

Vodaclone posted this comment — I found myself nodding away at the end of each sentence.

The N95 didn’t kill Nokia. Nokia killed the N95.

They saw all the buzz being generated by the iPhone and they didn’t apply any of that buzz the the N95.
They saw that the iPhone would auto-screen rotation and have only now started to add it to the 8GB model.
To Nokia, the N95 is just another device – one to be be given the same dreary managment attention as every previous Nokia phone. To Apple, the iPhone is an event. Apple’s success hinges on convincing everyone that it’s a viable player – and they have. Nokia rested on their laurels and have been punished for it.

Look at the (official)Nokia forums, the blogs, the software updates. It’s like they only paying half the attention that they should be.

New firmware for the N95 should be as much as an event as the iPhone firmware, the release of Vista or the new Ubuntu. Instead it’s shuffled out with an apologetic whisper rather than a triumphant roar.

Theoretically, the N95 kicks the iPhone’s arse. It has more apps, better technology and a more attractive price point.

What it doesn’t have, seemingly, is anyone at Nokia who cares.

I look forward to Rita’s published article!