Nokia confirms N9 MeeGo phone not coming to U.S.

Nokia unveiled the N9, its first MeeGo-based smartphone, at an event in June. Although the device is impressive, Nokia is setting it up for failure. Nokia's commitment to a new platform strategy that revolves around Windows Phone 7 raises questions about the extent to which its first—and probably last—MeeGo device will be supported. Prospects for the N9 look increasingly poor in light of business decisions that Nokia is making ahead of the phone's debut. The company has confirmed that the N9 smartphone isn't going to be sold in the U.S. at launch. Retailers have also indicated that it won't be released in the UK, either. The N9 launch countdown timer was reportedly removed yesterday from the Nokia N9 Sweden website, which currently appears to be down entirely. The MeeGo platform was a joint effort launched by Nokia and Intel last year. Nokia intended to offer MeeGo on its high-end smartphones and continue using Symbian on mid-range devices. The company was strangely quiet about its MeeGo plans at NokiaWorld earlier this year, but CTO Rich Green -- who has since left the company -- said that the platform was "critically important"" for Nokia's future products, offering a modern desktop-like platform that could compete with Android and iOS. Stephen Elop, a former Microsoft executive who became Nokia's CEO earlier this year, had other plans. After evaluating Nokia's platform options, Elop announced in February that the company would transition to Windows Phone 7, eventually discontinue Symbian, and relegate MeeGo to a research project. Elop has also said that Nokia will not follow up the N9 with additional MeeGo phones, even if the product is successful. Despite the seemingly clear mandate, the role that various platforms will play in the company's future product lineup remains somewhat ambiguous. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog this week, Nokia U.S. President Chris Weber—another former Microsoft executive -- discussed Nokia's new focus on Windows Phone 7 and the emphasis that the company now places on North America. "When we launch Windows Phones we will essentially be out of the Symbian business, the S40 business, etc.," he said. "We’ll develop for North America and make the phones globally available and applicable."" The situation is somewhat different outside of the United States. Although Nokia has gutted its Symbian developer division and has indicated that 2014 is likely the end of the line for Symbian support, a number of corporate executives have said that the platform will continue to be sold on devices in certain regions, particularly BRIC markets and Southeast Asia. The company has also touted its low-end S40 platform as the key to connecting the "next billion" mobile users, an effort that it has sometimes framed as being complementary to its Windows Phone 7 smartphone strategy. Although Nokia's apparent approach to regional segmentation is understandable, the lack of clarity and the unanswered questions make it difficult for third-party mobile application developers to commit to the company's products. The limited availability of the N9 will further erode its chances of attracting developers and encouraging an ecosystem to form around the product.