I'm.getting.this.phone.

[3migo]

A front facing camera may or may not be a gimmick, however, it is a selling point. If Nokia and MSFT want WP7.5 to be competitive and take a piece of the market share they need more selling points, gimmicks or not. A casual buyer might compare the iPhone 4/4S and the Nexus Prime to the Lumia 800 and notice the lack of video chat. You don't think that employees at wireless dealers don't push the iPhone's ability to do Facetime or Android's to do Skype or Google video chat? If video chatting is such a gimmick, why did Microsoft just recently acquire Skype for 8.5 Billion for a "gimmick?" Or how about Tango bringing out their WP app the Titan and Radar?

It might be a gimmick that will only be used a few times but I'd rather have the option of doing something than not have that ability at all. The point is not how useful something is, the point is do you offer a selling point that can compare to the competition. Without an FFC, the Lumia doesn't and it's already turning a lot of people off.

Again, Nokia and MSFT need selling points and features in the worst possible way. MSFT needs to gain ground in the mobile market and Nokia needs to regain a presence in the US. Releasing a phone that doesn't have as many features as the competition is not going to create sales.

Video chatting on a PHONE is a gimmick, the entire idea is not a gimmick. Microsoft bought Skype because it's a bloody good investment. You know how many people use Skype? And how much profit they receive from it? On top of that, I imagine they are working to integrate skype seamlessly with Windows phone, adding your skype contacts to your phone book, and adding a skype option when messaging.

We need to face the fact that carriers don't push Windows phone, just how they don't push Blackberrys. Verizon pushes Android, AT&T pushes the iPhone along with Sprint. The salesman, not the features, are the deciding factors for most smartphone buyers.

 

[mapexvenus]

I'll get you one whenever you like mapexvenus, if you'll get me a Focus S LOL

Actually I will take the Focus S if that is available in the US

 

[Kahuna Cowboy]

Actually FFC's are very useful in my opinion. I use Facetime and Skype all of the time, as do many of my friends and family. There is a reason almost all new higher end phones and tablets are including them, and it's not because of the connivence of taking a self picture to upload to Facebook.

Bottom line the Nokia Lumia 800, it's a solid featured phone.... for 2010. Not for one releasing in 2012. If this is the kickstarter for Windows Phone mass appeal they better have a darn good advertising campaign because the specs alone are not going to woo the masses.

 

[3migo]

Actually FFC's are very useful in my opinion. I use Facetime and Skype all of the time, as do many of my friends and family. There is a reason almost all new higher end phones and tablets are including them, and it's not because of the connivence of taking a self picture to upload to Facebook.

Bottom line the Nokia Lumia 800, it's a solid featured phone.... for 2010. Not for one releasing in 2012. If this is the kickstarter for Windows Phone mass appeal they better have a darn good advertising campaign because the specs alone are not going to woo the masses.

The masses don't care about specs. They care about how a phone looks and feels, and Nokia excels in both those departments.

 

[gazziza]

The masses don't care about specs. They care about how a phone looks and feels, and Nokia excels in both those departments.

You're confusing specs and features. The average person wants apps and features. Features like an FFC. What they don't care about are specs like gigahertz and ram. Specs and features are two totally different things.

 

[3migo]

You're confusing specs and features. The average person wants apps and features. Features like an FFC. What they don't care about are specs like gigahertz and ram. Specs and features are two totally different things.

True. Although I still think that the 800 has enough draw cosmetically to bring people to the platform, without the FFC.

 

[Rallicat]

Whether or not a front facing camera matters is down to the individual.

I'm planning to move to the 800, having been an iPhone owner for the last few years (yeah, I'm a switcher!). I currently have the iPhone 4, which of course does have a FFC - do I use it? Almost never - and on the rare occasions I did, it was absolutely for gimmicky reasons.

Some people do use FFC though, so if that's important, then maybe it will be a deal breaker for those users. For everyone else though, I'd say: don't let tech blogs dictate to you which features you should care about! Ask yourself what's really important to you as a user, and make the decision based on what you'd really use.

Battery access too, is questionable. It remains to be seen how this phone holds up in the real world - heavy users are always going to find themselves wanting to carry a charger or spare battery around, and as with the iPhone, there are probably going to be battery packs you can plug into the charger port.

Looking forward to getting my hands on the 800!
--
Rallicat