Right. I bought a Nokia 5800, and I love the phone. The trick is, I bought it months after release, when version 20 of the firmware was out; I didn't run into any of the problems at release, and as a result I also got a great deal. Now, with version 31 of the firmware, the phone is even more solid and even faster.
These are two fundamental differences between a Nokia phone and all other manufacturers: namely, the firmware at release is not ready. In my opinion, the flip of that is that if you are willing to not be an early adopter, there are amazing deals for unlocked phones which do a whole hell of a lot very, very well. As the bulk of phones in the US do not follow this paradigm, it's almost that the wrong versions of the devices are marketed, and public opinion drops to the floor.
Moreover, tech commentators in the US only have a certain amount of time to devote to what's coming at the bleeding edge. In the case of Nokia, then, this method also fails, since they never get to see the long tail, when the firmware versions are more polished and the prices also start to drop. Personally, I find this upsetting, because there are a lot of consumers who are looking for what's affordable and reasonable at the time when they need something to get the job done; and I would argue that in that case, there's absolutely no reason to buy into the bleeding edge. All prices drop after the release, but because it's no longer cool to have an "outdated" device (read: four to six months after release), the shine and glean of the device aren't quite as attractive. Furthermore, because this is now the general market expectation, most companies have compensated by _not_ releasing comprehensive firmware updates, leaving Nokia alone in this space where most people don't understand what's going on with their products.
I really do feel that Nokia devices are great in the US, as long as you can benefit from buying an unlocked device, and that you are willing to wait until a v20 or greater firmware / for the price to drop. It does sadden me that in the US, this is generally too complex and/or not cool enough for most consumers, and I wish more tech sites and bloggers would read into the situation rather than unilaterally stab the brand to a slow "death."
