Despite the significant marketing efforts Nokia has put behind its MeeGo flagship handset, the N9, the company appears to be shrinking its launch plans to include fewer countries. After admitting that there is no intention to bring the N9 to the US or the UK, the company has told MobiFlip the device will not be heading to Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
The announcement has cast doubt on Nokia’s launch plans for the device, which was expected to be released in a wide range of markets. It is unclear how many countries will now get the device through official channels, though the company’s Swedish page provides a launch countdown.
For North American customers willing to pay a premium for an unlocked N9, the handset is expected to support AT&T and T-Mobile in the US along with a number of Canadian carriers.
The N9 brings a relatively high-end feature set, based around a 3.9-inch AMOLED screen that serves as the primary input method in the absence of hardware controls such as a home button. Other features include an eight-megapixel camera, NFC support and internal storage capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB.
Nokia executives recently attempted to downplay the company’s apparent lack of interest in the device, claiming it will be supported for years and receive several software updates, however the shrinking launch plans have led many to believe the company is already focusing its resources on upcoming Windows Phone​ offerings.
