Vodafone censoring their own forum/"N97 Mini"

Owen

As the title says, there's been a discussion on Vodafone's new customer interaction about the lack of recent handsets, and the fact that o2 will be offering the iphone, n97 and Palm Pre, whereas Vodafone will have the n97 Mini (Whatever that is) and nothing else.

I posted my dismay at the lack of handsets in comparisson to other operators, and my post was deleted. What's the point in having a forum for open dialogue if you're going to censor everything? And if anyone from Vodafone is reading - that's pretty pathetic on your part.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Crackity Jones

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That's pretty pathetic of vodafone. i've only been looking at O2 forums since announcement of new iPhone but there is healthy debate and criticism there. Mods easygoing enough with sense of humour.

Danbo!

Modding needs some work alright... Theres a thread about the iphone and people are suggesting vodafone get with the times and bring out EDGE or 3G, saying that GPRS isnt enough. Its been going on for days and no mod has stepped in to say that vodafone does have 3G... strange.

Davy

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I dont that is the case, from what i have seen they either try get what you ask of them or they will tell you otherwise. Im sure when daryll gets a second away from the new iphone he would confirm that they wouldn't sensor like vodafone seem to be.

The very first comment i made about the vodafone forum was "Hope they make a decent job of this otherwise they might as not have bothered" if they are going to be doing stuff like that well they wasted their time to begin with. Its like a bad PR stunt

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

jesus_thats_gre

Whatever about how they intend running it, it is possible that the person acting as moderator is just trying to get his head around things and may have jumpted the gun slightly.

Rsaeire

If Vodafone take their new forum seriously, as I'm sure we all hope they do, then they should ensure that whomever is moderating it is completely confident in their role so situations such as those mentioned in the OP's first post do no occur. I can understand that people make mistakes, however, Vodafone have a habit of censoring any negativity aimed towards them so this form of moderation appears to be deliberate.

Owen

Here's where it gets interesting, the screenshot below shows me 'Eircell' asking a question about handset specifics, and Ev from Vodafone leaking out some information about a previously unknown n97 Mini handset coming on the market. Turns out we've caused a bit of a sensation online too if you google for "Nokia n97 Mini" (Use the quotes for an accurate search). It's apparently a whole new handset Vodafone were to say nothing about. Cat out of the bag eh?

http://images.intomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/screenshotn97mini.jpg

Venom

Sounds more like one of those post a rumor on the web and see how much it gets reported on type jokes tbh seeing as no one in the various mobile related sites has heard even a peep about this mini N97. My bet is the mod got mixed up and really means the 5530 XM which kinda looks like the N97.

Our man in Havana

Knowing Vodafone the N97 mini will be nothing more than a N97 hobbled with a very restrictive Vodafone firmware.

Random

N95 4gig anyone.?

Interested to see how the forum develops though. Looking around the staff seem slow to answer and seem more interested in welcoming everyone then getting down to basics.

It's early days though. I'm willing to give them a month to get things together. Then i'll feel justified in being very critical if things don't start to run a bit smoothly.

bren32

It seem like all mention of the N97 Mini is removed from the post now (without any explanation from Vodafone).

It's being reported all over the place now.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/06/18/vodafone-dude-mentions-n97-mini-confused-or-loose-lipped/

http://gizmodo.com/5294987/will-nokia-be-releasing-a-n97-mini-or-n97-lite-vodafone-thinks-so

It seems almost impossible to get a straight answer from them about new phones, everyone that asks seems to get a different answer. The form seemed to have nothing but vague answers from the mod.

Owen

bren32 wrote: »

It seem like all mention of the N97 Mini is removed from the post now (without any explanation from Vodafone).

It's being reported all over the place now.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/06/18/vodafone-dude-mentions-n97-mini-confused-or-loose-lipped/

http://gizmodo.com/5294987/will-nokia-be-releasing-a-n97-mini-or-n97-lite-vodafone-thinks-so

Woot, look at all the trouble I've caused

belmulletman

Ha... i use the forums there (username: tonyreilly) and it's just funny at this point. there are hundreds of results on google if you do a search for "N97 Mini"

It's maddening that they removed the best info from that thread, but i bet they didn't expect this to happen. It's a good then that only people with VF numbers can log in and comment!

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out!

belmulletman

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Woot, look at all the trouble I've caused

hehe...
I think we hit them a little hard over there, but sure that what they should expect till they sort things out!

I'm not going to stop any time soon. I'm too frustrated by VF at the moment, and i would move to O2 only for their CRAP price plans! It's a loose loose situation at the moment.

B. (aka. tonyreilly)

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Owen

The agent was quite specific that this would be a handset targetted towards reducing cost, and that the n97 Mini was going to be priced to suit the Irish Market. Doesn't seem that unclear to me - this guy/girl knew what they were talking about.

Owen

And now there's a very official response from VF saying :

Some information posted here yesterday has been removed. We are not in a position to discuss the N97 at this point. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will update you in due course.

Note how it doesn't say 'some incorrect information'.

Our man in Havana

PaintDoctor wrote: »

And now there's a very official response from VF saying :



Note how it doesn't say 'some incorrect information'.

Indeed. I think you may have poked a hornets nest.

Crackity Jones

Bond-007 wrote: »

Indeed. I think you may have poked a hornets nest.

he! is that the last we see of 'Ev from Vodafone'!!

h57xiucj2z946q

I hope he/she don't lose their job over that mistake.

Crackity Jones

Sky Howling Sage wrote: »

I hope he/she don't lose their job over that mistake.

more than likely transferred back to (non-written) general customer care

Our man in Havana

Back on the phones, the ultimate demotion.

alfagt

It's spreading like a fire on a hot windy day in California! Stuff have it as one of the main headlines on their website, Here

Crackity Jones

alfagt wrote: »

It's spreading like a fire on a hot windy day in California! Stuff have it as one of the main headlines on their website, Here

as they say no such thing as bad publicity. Vodafone need to keep people believing they have something decent around the corner even if it is only a mini N97.

mik_da_man

Good work PaintDoctor - I've been reading that thread on vodafone

On the modding issue I'm gonna cut them a bit of slack as it's only just started ans the mods prob didn't know what to expect.
Hopefully it will be sorted out soon, at least some of the mods know their stuff and seem pretty helpful.

Rsaeire

If this supposed mini N97 leak turns out to be true, it may just be one of the best leaks in recent memory. The fact that it has already gained traction among several popular gadget sites just goes to show that people should be extremely careful in what information is given to the public.

Davy

Maybe the mod whats to be famous

seanybiker

woo 3 of us in this thread are famous now. Will I make a "leave Ev alone" videos for youtube ha ha.

Rsaeire

seanybiker wrote: »

woo 3 of us in this thread are famous now. Will I make a "leave Ev alone" videos for youtube ha ha.

Make sure you be as dramatic as possible and swear a lot as that way you can have an "unrated version". How awesome is that!?

Owen

Apparently, someone somewhere has seen photos of an n97 without a Dpad. The plot thickens!

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Owen

Could be hogwash, but it's a comment on engadgetmobile.com

brendanuk

Going round the world :)

Romanian
O N97 mini é referenciado por alguém da Vodafone Irlanda num dos foruns do operador.
Ev da Vodafone, é assim que assina, refere a existência de um mini N97 que será lançado mais para o final do ano a um preço bastante competitivo.

Dutch
18 juni 2009 - Op internet is het gerucht opgedoken dat Vodafone en Nokia later dit jaar komen met een kleinere editie van de Nokia N97 - de Nokia N97 Mini.

Vietnamese
Đồn thổi về N97 Mini xuất phát từ forum của nhà mạng Vodafone, theo đó, máy sẽ xuất hiện vào cuối năm nay. Đây là một chiếc smartphone gọn gàng, có thể bị rút gọn tính năng, và giá bán thấp. Hiện tại, chưa có thông tin về cấu hình, thiết kế của model mới.

Tom Dunne

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I would say it is the agent getting confused. It's the first mention of this alleged model ever on the interweb.

mik_da_man wrote: »

On the modding issue I'm gonna cut them a bit of slack as it's only just started ans the mods prob didn't know what to expect.
Hopefully it will be sorted out soon, at least some of the mods know their stuff and seem pretty helpful.

I suppose that's the difference between modding there and modding the likes of here.

I'm only accountable to you guys and the Admins. My boss won't be coming knocking on the door if/when I make a mistake like that.

Trust me, they will live and learn. I know I did.

jesus_thats_gre

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I would say it is the agent getting confused. It's the first mention of this alleged model ever on the interweb.

I think you are right.

It will likely just the same device with half the amount of memory or something simple like that so that the cost can be reduced.

It could also be a the N97i or something similar to the way that the N95 and every other Nokia flagship became an i model 6 months later (6310 > 6310i (blue LED screen), 8910 > 8910i (colour screen), 6610 > 6610i (camera) and countless other examples that escape my memory).

Something defo been made or nothing here.

jesus_thats_gre

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

It could also be a the N97i or something similar to the way that the N95 and every other Nokia flagship became an i model 6 months later (6310 > 6310i (blue LED screen), 8910 > 8910i (colour screen), 6610 > 6610i (camera) and countless other examples that escape my memory).

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Apparently, someone somewhere has seen photos of an n97 without a Dpad. The plot thickens!

Nokia N97 versus Nokia N97i = no dpad and capacitive screen

flywheel

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I would say it is the agent getting confused.

could be, over the years the lack of knowledge by some Vodafone personnel on their products / handsets hasn't been great... even the website has had some clangers with handset spec details

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

(6310 > 6310i (blue LED screen)

think the dual - tri-band was the biggie in that 'upgrade'

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Something defo been made of nothing here.

sure can you not check with yer colleagues or are you not working in there anymore?

jesus_thats_gre

think the dual - tri-band was the biggie in that 'upgrade'

That it was

xanthor

Not at all surprising. They also block quite a few sites, some of which aren't that controversial.

Owen

I'm not so sure the agent was confused - they seemed very clear that this was a handset, being offered at a reduced price with reduced features. It's probably a 4 gig n97 or something.

Rsaeire

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I'm not so sure the agent was confused - they seemed very clear that this was a handset, being offered at a reduced price with reduced features. It's probably a 4 gig n97 or something.

Although "Ev" mentioned an "N97 mini", I would agree that it was most likely an anecdotal way of saying that it is an N97 with lower specifications, as opposed to the actual name of the handset. Not only would it go against Nokia's naming conventions, it would most definitely been seen as a "me too" effort when compared with Apple's line of "mini" products, e.g. iPod mini, Mac mini and the "supposed" iPhone mini.

Whatever happens, I'm eagerly anticipating the end result.

Davy

Rsaeire wrote: »

Whatever happens, I'm eagerly anticipating the end result.

Him getting the sack

Sully

If Alpha IT made phones they would be the best damn phones on the market. Voda or o2? Who needs em. Alpha Mobile all the way tbh. (Free for Boards.ie users, T&C apply.)

Anywhome.. Interesting. Voda would easily just say that its incorrect to kick people of the scent you know, but since the agent seemed to talk as if it was common knowledge and nobody has any information on it - I would assume there is no such item.

Crackity Jones

Rsaeire wrote: »

Although "Ev" mentioned an "N97 mini", I would agree that it was most likely an anecdotal way of saying that it is an N97 with lower specifications, as opposed to the actual name of the handset. Not only would it go against Nokia's naming conventions, it would most definitely been seen as a "me too" effort when compared with Apple's line of "mini" products, e.g. iPod mini, Mac mini and the "supposed" iPhone mini.

Whatever happens, I'm eagerly anticipating the end result.

Here ya are lads. From the Irish Times today...I wouldn't be getting too excited about a stripped down N97...

"Vodafone not to offer new Nokia phone

NOKIA’S N97 may be one of the most eagerly anticipated handsets from the Finnish handset maker but Ireland’s largest mobile operator, Vodafone, has told The Irish Times it will not be offering it to customers. Instead, the operator says it will launch a stripped-down version of the N97, which it calls the N97 Mini.

“Due to the N97 Mini’s competitive pricing, we feel that it will appeal to a wider segment of consumers,” the company said in a statement. Vodafone declined to give any further information.

O2, Meteor and 3 Ireland all said they intend to sell the N97 but none was able to provide a launch date or expected pricing. Nokia says it expects its new phone to be available in Ireland in August, but interest from operators suggests it may be earlier than this.

The N97 goes on sale in Britain today. It is only available in Nokia’s flagship store on Regent’s St in London with wider availability expected from next Friday.

Although it costs €499 directly from Nokia without a Sim-card, Nokia expects operator subsidies to reduce the price to £35 (€41) or less with a contract.

The iPhone 3G S goes on sale in Ireland, exclusively through O2, also next Friday. Although neither side discusses the nature of the contract, it is safe to assume that Apple has lengthened the term of its deal which means the iPhone is an O2-only product."

Owen

Did you read the article you just posted, or just the headline? The article repeats the information we've been saying, the Headline just means the normal n97.

Crackity Jones wrote: »

I wouldn't be getting too excited about a stripped down N97...

Crackity Jones wrote: »

Instead, the operator says it will launch a stripped-down version of the N97, which it calls the N97 Mini.

Crackity Jones

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Did you read the article you just posted, or just the headline? The article repeats the information we've been saying, the Headline just means the normal n97.

yes I read the article. Vodafone have confirmed they are releasing a stripped down version which people were surmising in above posts. I dont think a stripped down version is anything to be excited about or anything Vodafone have to shout about.

Owen

Completely my mistake, sorry, I thought when you said "I wouldn't be getting too excited" you meant it wouldn't be happening.

Crackity Jones

np! i was a bit confused by your response! but I think its desperate times for Vodafone in the smartphone segment.

Rsaeire

Crackity Jones wrote: »

np! i was a bit confused by your response! but I think its desperate times for Vodafone in the smartphone segment.

After the debacle that was the Blackberry Storm Vodafone need something to renew consumers' interest in their handset collection, but unfortunately they don't seem to have any future handset releases that are in anyway desirable.