Nokia says to carriers, "Hands off my Maemo"

Has Nokia put a knife into its own back by telling carriers that it will not customize the N900 and other Maemo based products for the cellular operators? In the U.S. market, most of the major carriers add proprietary software into the design of a phone. An example would be Sprint TV added for the recently launched Touch Pro2, or VCast video applications for many Verizon handsets. By just saying no to carriers, Nokia could be reducing its potential market in the U.S. where carriers have the power, and even overseas for its Maemo powered products.

The Linux based OS powers the new N900 handset which is currently available for pre-sell in the U.S. for $649 at Nokia stores and online. While the phone is configured to run over T-Mobile U.S.A.'s 3G network, both sides have no plans to at present to have the handset offered through the nation's fourth largest carrier. Currently, Nokia does allow for carrier customization of its devices using the Symbian platform..

While eliminating the branding on its Maemo powered models will save time and get products to market quicker, according to Nokia, the main idea is to copy Apple and Google. Those two, according to David Rivas, Nokia's vice president for devices R&D, told Reuters, "are a whole lot less about providing customization to the operators and a whole lot more about providing a really cool, compelling value proposition to the end-consumer."

Nokia N900 Specifications | Hands-on

source: Reuters via Phonescoop, EngadgetMobile