[3GScottishUser]

The new all singing all dancing N95 is out on 02, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and Virgin Media ...... no sign of it on 3 though!!

One wonders why 3 have chosen not to offer the most significant 3G phone launched so far this year.

Could it be due to the high price of the handset?

Are 3 UK now focussing all their attention on the lower end of the market in an effort to convert PAYG customers to contracts? (The £15 a month 'quality customer' segment).

Its probably a small market sector for this type of cutting edge tech handset but its significant that the 'so-called' tech driven 'pure 3G' service provider has failed to add this signifcant product to its handset line up so far.

I suspect this will be a faily costly ommission for 3 UK who have probably managed to retain some new adoptors over the last 4 years. Those customers will not accept 2nd best and will move to get what they desire elsewhere if necessary.

Looking around the deals on offer the best option seems to be T-Mobile's Web'N'Walk Flext package. At £35 a month it provides up to 900 x/net mins and up to 1800 SMS plus unlimited web browsing on the handset up to 1GB fair use per month. You can also use T-Mobile and BT's Wi-Fi Hotspots for really fast Internet access in addition to the HSDPA T-Mobile 3G network. It's a major benefit to regular travellers that Wi-Fi access is included and leaves the 1GB allowance free for 3G coverage. The N-95 is just £69.99 on the Flext Web'N'Walk 35 package too!!

[getti]

To get HSDPA on T-Mobile you need WnW Plus. You mentioned £35 for all those minutes, texts and data but the data is not included.

So for the data as well it comes to £42.50 or £47.50 a month if you want HSDPA. Still good though although the price keeps going up and up when you add more.

3 have decided not to stock the N95 as it 'failed software testing'. That is all we are being told now so who knows. Aparantly it did not like the branding that was going to be put on it (although 3 don't brand much).

You can get a sim free N95 and use on 3 though (I have) and it works fine.

There are already reports of T-Mobile customers being unhappy with their N95 because of something they did with the software so you cant seem to stream video

[3GScottishUser]

'Failed software testing' - yeah...... that'll be why it's on every other network!!

T-Mobile include Web'N'Walk in their £35 a month direct deal at the moment. (£5 a month discount) and HSDPA is available on all T-Mobile sites to all 3G users although its not that important unless you use the handset as a modem which requires Web'N'Walk Professional at an extra £7.50 a month.

A SIM free phone is not a great option as an N95 costs over £600 and you then have to add the monthly network subscription...... a lot!!! The £69.99 deal looks a more afffordable prospect for most users!

[Hands0n]

A notable omission [by 3] of a significant iconic handset from Nokia.

The "Failed software testing ...." is more likely to be "We had trouble branding it without breaking it". 3 are infamous by now for the aggressive branding and crippling of handset functions for entirely commercial reasons. They have ruined many a handset in their short history.

HSDPA is independent of which package you choose from T-Mobile (or anyone else for that matter, unless it is a commercial policy, it certainly is not a technical one).

Data Tariffs - T-Mobile's is by far the most cost effective - that £12.50 for WNW Plus gets you 3GB of data per month - more than any other network provider for that price! 3's is cheaper, but you only get 1GB, and don't even get me started on Vodafone who have lost the [data tariff] plot entirely!

[Ginz]

For this very reason I jumped ship from Vodafone after a rather expensive 18 months and joined T-Mobile.

I'm enjoying using the web and walk which perfectly accompanies the N95. There are some build issues that are emerging with the slider not being entirely up to scratch.. on my unit anyway, which is something I'm going to see whether I get a new handset with CPW. As a sidenote bluetooth doesn't function entirely on my handset either.

It is a huge omission though for 3 not to carry the N95. The amount of people that want one on 3 but can't get one and move must be high.. or at least moderate.

The deal I got through CPW was £Free N95 but £42.50 a month for Flext 35+Web and Walk. Was most impressed to get the phone for free so then kinda got carried away.. nice exclusive CPW colour handset!.. 'Warm Graphite' and it actually looks better than the other colours!

[Ben]

This should be Three's flagship handset to showcase their services. I can understand protecting the user experience against bad firmware, but how long does it take to sort out branding a single handset? That said, Orange have had some pretty horrific delays in the past as they tried to do exactly the same thing...

[Richard G]

i've said this to guys in a few other forums, and done a post about it on the WOM World (http://www.womworld.com/nseries/2007/03/26/n95-uk-network-worries-are-unfounded/), but the N95 will be available on 3, it's just a matter of time, be patient guys, this is information coming from the Nseries team themselves in Espoo Helsinki, the predicted time is around three weeks, so just sit tight fellas :D

[3GScottishUser]

Welcome to Talk3g.co.uk but I have to ask why would anyone want to sit tight waiting for 3 for an N95 when they dont allow modem data access with X-Series, have limited HSDPA coverage and have no deal allowing Wi-Fi access?

This Nokia N95 is currently a T-Mobile flagship and it's features are most affordable and worthwhile on their fully enabled HSDPA 3G network.

[getti]

X-Series will sell with the N95 for a few reasons. Its cheaper than T-Mobile, you get more 3G than T-Mobile, you can get Skype to cut down calls to abroad, if you go in store and get 12 months Gold you get a free Slingbox worth retail value of £149.99.

Ok it does not allow modem access (yet) but out of the mobile market how many people do use for a modem?

I always wanted the modem feature and i only remember 4 times using it and i used X-Series for that no problem.

T-Mobile may be selling the N95 now but they are getting a shed load back as returns because of their software problems down to branding

[Ginz]

I haven't had any problems with T-Mobile in terms of branding.. As far as I can see there isn't any on my handset.. Am using an N-Series theme and apart from the webnwalk icon etc which I've paid extra for the browsing..! I can't see anything else majorly to be concerned about.. could say i'm having an excellent mobile experience now with T-Mobile and the N95.

Battery could be better though ;)

[3GScottishUser]

I don't think it's valid for an employee of a network to state that a handset is suffering high volumes of returns on another without some concrete evidence to back up such a claim. I suppose it's the old story of simply bashing someone else's product when you have nothing similar to compete with.

As for Skype lets not get confused, its only useful for calling Skype customers on-line, 3's Skype offering does not allow customers to call traditional numbers (Skype Out) so its of very limited value.

To clarify 3 charge £2 per MB for modem data and that is the key application that makes HSDPA worthwhile. It is well known that modem access is achieved by a different process than handset Internet use and is clearly identifiable and charged for. Nobody should be confused about download limits etc. X-Series can be used as a modem but it's charged separately at 3's standard data rates for all data consumed. Wi-Fi is another useful Internet access technology 3 do not offer in the UK.

The Slingbox 'novelty' is just that and it's utter speculation whether 3 would give it away free with an N95 as they dont offer the device presently.

All of the UK networks apart from 3 UK offer the N95 and I think its very unhelpful for a 3 UK employee to post unqualified negative comments about a flagship product on other networks simply due to its non-availability on 3.

Looking around the various consumer forums those who have N95's on various networks seem pretty pleased with them so far. I think it's only fair that employees of a company who can't supply this device make that fact transparent when posting negative comments about it.

[getti]

The point i made about T-Mobile is not my opinion but has been well commented on over on What Mobile Forums by many people. My comment was not made to do with the 3 network but as a 3G customer who has used the handset.

[3GScottishUser]

I can see absolutely no evidence of 'shed loads' of customers returning N95's to T-Mobile.

I have posted a link to the relevant N95 thread below at What Mobile.

http://www.whatmobile.net/forumvb/showthread.php?t=16230

For balance it might also be worth reading a couple of general customer reviews at Reviewcentre.co.uk

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review238331.html

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review238476.html