N80 pricing - compared with new N93

[SimUK]

There's been quite a lot of talk about pricing of the N80 (such as it going for £599+ on some retailers sites) so I thought I'd try and find the original RRP mentioned in the announcement press release from last year.

Nokia said it'd have an "unsubsidized sales price of approximately 500 euros (http://press.nokia.com/PR/200511/1019237_5.html)".

Compare that with the N93 announced earlier this week, which Nokia say will launch this July (we shall see) for "unsubsidized sales price of approximately 550 euros (http://press.nokia.com/PR/200604/1046557_5.html)"

Only 50 euros more for the N93, despite having Carl Zeiss optics, 3x optical zoom, dvd-like video recording, adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 (that's £70 alone RRP), and an N-Gage game all thrown in.

Now, I'm a massive fan of the N80 and want one, so I'm not trying to "do down" the N80 at all, but doesn't it seem a bit expensive compared with the N93's price, when you consider what the N93 comes with? Sure technology falls in price constantly and things get cheaper to make, but this phone is only just launching so it's not as if it was out a year ago. Surely 500 euros should be lower now to take in to account the newly announced N93 (and other Nseries phones).

Either way though, 500 euros is £348 direct conversion according to XE.net, and if you add on VAT (I assume the euros price that Nokia quoted doesn't take that in to account already?) that takes it to £408.90. A long way short of the £500-£599+ prices which are being charged by some companies at the moment.

I know it's a hugely anticipated phone - I'm checking websites and calling everywhere to find if they've got stock too :laugh: - but the pricing seems well out-of-step with what Nokia's claimed it'd cost. Especially when you consider the N93's pricing which (despite not being the same form factor, and possibly not being as good in other areas - the screen maybe?) seems much better value for money when you consider it's only 50 euros more than the N80. Only thing is, other than the nice optics for the camera and the dvd-like recording on the N93 there's nothing tempting me towards it (I've already got Premiere Elements 2 on my PC and have the original System Rush N-Gage game...).

Any thoughts on the pricing of the N80/N93, and what retailers are charging? Is it just a "mad rush at launch" that's going on with the high prices and will they rapidly come down to the £400-ish price range once everyone has stock, or are we facing being "ripped off" just because it's a hot phone? I'm hopeful that the Nokia Shop website will come through with a decent price pretty soon and then I can avoid all over the over-priced retailers...

[sm1thson]

All top phones seam to be in that region when new i remember when i got my t68i (contract) the sim free price was about £330 at the time! i dont think you an compare prices like that as time is such a big factor, by the time the N93 is out the N80 will be loads cheaper. and when the phones are hard to get on the high street there are allways those cashing in on the early adaptors (and impatient). I am confident that the price will drop, and more so the price with contract will drop the most to the point where you can get the same kind of deals as there is on the N70 etc at the moment, but that means waiting much longer!

[FilleMo]

The recommended retail price is aimed at the retailers not the end customer. Although it can give the end user an early hint of what the price will land at, retailers are in no way obligated to follow the manufacturers' recommendations. They can, and will, set their own profit margins and when it comes to phones that are as highly anticipated as these two you can expect those margins to be high!

As for Nokia's online shop, I would agree that it would be strange if they didn't at least roughly follow their own price recommendation.

-Mo

[bavlondon]

Also you have to bear in mind the n93 may never make it to the uk networks and be doomed to sim free expensive prices like the n90 suffered

[SimUK]

Sure I understand that retailers can charge what they like, and don't have to follow the RRP, but surely the RRP is there to give an idea on price, and like I say, with the N93 just weeks (as it is weeks in the grand scale of things) away now, for only 50euro RRP more, then retailers would be daft (other than they'll catch out all the people who pay "silly money" right at the start before the price does get down to normal levels) to have the N80 priced so high when the N93 is going to be around the same price. Surely it'd hurt sales of the N80... other than the fact it's such an in-demand phone that they probably know they'll have no trouble at all selling every single one they can get hold of.

I really do think the Nokia online shop could be a huge saviour though for people wanting a "simfree" handset rather than one tied to a contract, and it'd seem Nokia's online prices are going to give the industry a bit of a kick in the teeth and make them have to change how much they charge for handsets if Nokia can do them for "RRP".

I want the N80, but if I'm going to be paying £500+ (£530 is about the lowest I've seen so far from Expansys?) then I might as well pay a few quid more and get the N93 instead in July, despite really wanting the N80. I reckon I'll pay a maximum of about £415 for the N80, otherwise I don't think I'll bother until the price has dropped.


@bavlondon - N90? Carphone Warehouse are doing the N90 on o2, so it's not as if it's not been picked up by any networks. Handset from "free" on the top packages to £159.99 on the cheaper monthly rental packages.

[E616Vboy]

@bavlondon - N90? Carphone Warehouse are doing the N90 on o2, so it's not as if it's not been picked up by any networks. Handset from "free" on the top packages to £159.99 on the cheaper monthly rental packages.

The phone isnt supported by o2, CPW have just got a Sim Free N90 and wacked an o2 contract sim in it. You know this because there will be no branding on it and will come unlocked. Most stores do this, Phones4u sell D600's on orange PAYG, which are Sim Free with an Orange PAYG sim chucked in with it.

[sm1thson]

then retailers would be daft (other than they'll catch out all the people who pay "silly money" right at the start before the price does get down to normal levels) to have the N80 priced so high when the N93 is going to be around the same price

from what i have seen so far i would pick the N80 over the N93, its smaller (important for me), better looking (important for me), i dont like flips!, allthough i love having a camera on my phone im not into it making the phone bulkyer etc and the CZ optics will no doubt be spoilt by another crap nokia CCD (will still be better than the apalling N80 tho).

-just my preference, N90 lovers will have an early christmas when the N93 comes!

[SimUK]

Just seen on another forum that the N80 is listed (in both Silver and Black) on the Amazon Germany website (as a pre-order at the moment) for a very competitive price compared with what UK retailers are listing it.

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FCOMTI

Still 65 euros more than Nokia's "estimate" but it's not too bad.

[bavlondon]

from what i have seen so far i would pick the N80 over the N93, its smaller (important for me), better looking (important for me), i dont like flips!, allthough i love having a camera on my phone im not into it making the phone bulkyer etc and the CZ optics will no doubt be spoilt by another crap nokia CCD (will still be better than the apalling N80 tho).

-just my preference, N90 lovers will have an early christmas when the N93 comes!

Nokias do not use CCD camer lens modules. They use CMOS which is cheaper. SE used CCD on the s700 but even they have recverted to using CMOS. The only phone right now in the UK thats incorporates CCD is the Sharp 903.

And for the record CCD is better than CMOS, hence this is why it it is prefferrd in professional digital cameras.