Nokia UK’s general manager, Mark Loughran, is confident the N97 will beat the iPhone with a better camera, radical change in styling, and lower tariffs.

Loughran said: ‘The new iPhone is an evolution rather than a revolution and for people trying to decide whether to get a Nokia N97 or an iPhone, it comes down to a decision on performance and value for money.’



His views break Nokia’s previous rule that it would never comment publicly on rivals, and underlines how crucial the manufacturer perceives the N97’s tussle with the iPhone to be in terms of sales and for the leadership mantle in the industry.

Loughran added: ‘The new iPhone seems to have the same design and colour,
upgrading from a sub-standard two-megapixel camera to a still low 3.2-megapixel camera, and is probably a disappointment for many people given the high tariff and lifetime ownership costs.’

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