If you've ever been to the Apple Store on Regent Street, you'll know it's a gleaming monument to all things Apple, with visitors dribbling over the latest iPods and Mac computers. It's as much about showing off cool new products as it is about actually selling them. And now Nokia's getting in on the act with its own Regent Street store, which was announced today.
On one level, it's a sensible move - a chance for Nokia to showcase its latest phones away from the clutter of rival firms' handsets that you'd find in, say, Carphone Warehouse. Of course, if you're a punter looking to buy a new phone, you might want to be able to compare Nokia's phones with the competition, so in that case the Nokia Store won't be for you.
But what we're wondering is where the operators fit in here, if at all...
Nokia has revealed that it will be selling its handsets in the store, as well as its luxury line of Vertu phones. However, it's unclear whether these phones will all be sold SIM-free, or if they'll come with operator contracts. It's an important distinction, because if it's the former, you can expect the Nokia Store to make a hefty dent in your credit card.
How big a dent? You can get an idea from looking at Nokia's own UK online shop, where the company sells SIM-free handsets. An N95 will set you back £499, an N93i is £449, and even an N73 is £239. If these SIM-free prices are the same in the Nokia Store, you can imagine shoppers popping in there to play with the phones, before nipping down the road to an independent mobile retailer to actually buy the one they want on a contract.
Not that Nokia would complain about that, come to think of it. But it'll be interesting to see if Nokia works with the operators to sell subsidised handsets in its new store nonetheless.
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