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O2 says ‘no’ to stocking the Nokia N96

04/09/2008 10:29:04
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iPhone targets and budgets force O2 to omit Nokia phone

O2 will not stock the Nokia N96, arguably the most anticipated phone of the year, when it launches on 1 October.

The operator is believed to have allocated the majority of its subsidy budget to the Apple 3G iPhone for the remainder of the financial year, leaving it unwilling to subsidise the expensive Nokia device as well.

It is believed that O2 is under pressure to hit its iPhone targets, or risk losing its exclusivity with Apple.

There are also no Nseries handsets available on the operator’s 12-month contracts.

O2’s management team is looking to rein in the spiralling cost of Nokia’s Nseries handsets in light of the lower average monthly spends on postpay. The operator believes there is no merit in stocking the N96 if its minimum line rental offer for a free N96 is higher than rivals’. One source close to O2 added: ‘O2 wants to challenge the argument that it is impossible to grow in the contract market without  flagship Nokia handsets in its range.’

Store staff have been told there is no N96 in the range because there is little profit margin on Nseries handsets. The network has also flagged up the possibility of a repeat on the N96 of the component and software problems that blighted early batches of the N95.

O2 increased its minimum monthly line rental to obtain free top-end phones, such as the Nokia N95, Sony Ericsson C902 and Samsung Tocco, to £75-per-month, but recently brought prices back down, except for the N95.

Customers are likely to be able to buy the Nokia N96 on O2 at the Carphone Warehouse.




Comments on this article:

chris davey  29-11-2008 09:45:17
ive been with O2 since 1993 and i too wanted to upgrade to the n96 .They said they had no plans to stock it and reduced my monthly tarriff to 15 quid so i would keep with them. They said it may be released late November but i doubt it
kirstie  30-10-2008 12:45:48
My contract with o2 run out in september. I will not upgrade to the crap phones that they are offering as they are not any kind of upgrade to my existing phone. N96 is the phone i've been after since it came out. I've had contract phone for 7 years and not once have been ever asked to pay for a brand new handset, i think its disgusting as 02 wanted £250 for the N96 on an 18 month contract. As if the £50 i pay a month is not enough for them. I'm seriously thinking of cancelling, buying the N96 and going back to pay as you go as these mobile phone companies are getting all to greedy. Glad that 02 are showing their customers as much loyality as their customers are showing them (NOT).
Olly  06-11-2008 12:53:47
Well i am definately leaving 02 after this news, i was looking forward to the n96, and i dislike the Iphone. Thank you O2 for abandoning long time members. Bye Bye O2.
nick  27-10-2008 02:51:25
I have just had an email from O2 saying the N96 is due for release on 3/11/2008
jules  24-10-2008 02:48:17
You seriously all need to get a life. It's a mobile phone, you want it that bad, go to another network instead of moaning like old woman.
dean  15-10-2008 01:07:52
bit annoyed with o2, as they told me beginning of september that due to being able to have a free upgrade that they would send out the new n96 when it was in stock and that i would recieve it end of october and put me on a "sim only" tariff until the phone arrived, i havent had any phone calls from o2 to tell me i will not get my phone as they had promised me, so ill be ringing them tomorrow to complain and take it further, as i would have moved then if i had known what i know now, that in my opinion was kinda false advertising by saying i will have it, when clearly they aint going to be stocking it, cheers o2
Chris  20-10-2008 11:50:12
Im leaving o2 after around 7 years too, they still do not have the X1 upgrade in stock and keep feeding me lies as to when it will be released "it'll be next week", etc. B**ls to them, i've asked for my PAC and heading to the land of the red and white comma The greed of o2 in getting iphone has seen them cut themselves off from most of their existing customers rant over
DavyYoung  14-10-2008 09:22:57
I have been with o2 since before it was o2. I dont like the Iphone at all, so there is no chance of me taking one of those. I like Nokia's and if O2 dont because of profit then I guess its PAC time.
Juntao  08-10-2008 02:20:37
This really sucks! I love my o2 tarrif, and if i move to carphone warehouse to get this n96 i may not have the same tarrif. £45 gets me 1200mins xnet anytime, 500 text/mms and free xnet anytime sat, sun and monday (long weekend). I may have to just buy the n96 offline and just get the iphone from o2 or just buy the n96 offline and just wait for bloody o2 to release the bloody phone! iphone sounds cool, but i have been using nokia ever since they came out with the removable faces! lol memories!
NickC  01-10-2008 08:53:45
sod them, just got my pak code cya o2 its been fun.

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