Nokia's 3G Mobile Phone Gamble - Will it Work With the New 'Booklet'?

Why would a 3G mobile phone maker like Nokia enterexpensive, Nokia sends a wrong signal to the 3g
the "Booklet" market, developing a super-thin notebookmobile industry, to which the Booklet 3G will be sold,
computer? Is it smart? Will it work?saying that it won't cater for the mass market as it did
The news that Nokia would move into the laptopwith products such as the Nokia 1101 or the Nokia 5800
market surprised relatively few commentators, but isdevices. Furthermore, adopting the same
the move destined to succeed for the 3gmobile phoneAtom+Windows tandem as the rest of the industry,
maker - or will it spell disaster? There are mixedNokia made it easier for prospective consumers to
answers to that question as the mobile phone marketcompare it to the other models on the market.
is intensively competitive yet Nokia are a mobile phoneBy launching something so similar in form factor to
giant, so why shouldn't they be successful with thehundreds of other netbooks (and notebooks) on the
Nokia booklet?market is bound to make selling the Booklet 3G more
Well, let's look at some of the issues they face.of a challenge for Nokia.
Exactly what is the Nokia booklet? Is it a mini laptop orSo many commentators are wondering why the 3g
a very thin netbook? Will that lead to some marketgiant didn't release a smartbook, which it is more
confusion? Marketing is something Nokia knowcapable of designing. And they now face the added
something about and so no doubt they can dispelobstacle of coming to the Netbook party a little late.
some of those issues. However pricing is also an issueWe have Google's Chrome-based Smartbook coming
with the Booklet expected to be several times morewhich is likely to be highly competitive and cost less so
expensive than the cheapest netbook on the UKNokia have a major 3gmobile challenge ahead of
market anyway, which is the Hannspree Hannsnote.them. Are they up to it, as they have been with their
The Booklet is set to be expensive, by notebook3g mobile phones? We will see.
standards at least. By making its first product so