I'm not a fan of any particular company. I must say that my previous phone, the Nokia 6126, is the best cell phone I have ever used. I had it for quite a few years until I got my N97. My old phone is now the property of my brother-in-law who likes it (other than the battery life).
I got my N97 not because it was a Nokia phone. I got it because it had the features that I specifically needed. In particular was the GPS and QWERTY keyboard that gave it the edge over the iPhone and other smart phone available to me at the time. I did not go specifically for any brand, just had my list of requirements and the N97 was the best fit.
I did have my issues with the N97 stability. The V21 firmware did a lot to fix most of the issues. I also spent a lot of time customising it to the way I like and to make it as stable as possible. I'm still awaiting for V22 to be available to me in Canada to fix some minor issues that still remain.
Being a first time smartphone user, I wrestled with the many features smartphones have as well as the stability issues of the N97. I guess I was able to overlook the issues I had due to the novelty of such a device. I took a month for me to customise it the way I like and was comfortable with using it. My friend who had an HTC told me it took him about the same amount of time as well.
Looking back those 4 months, I have though if I could have made a better choice. Based on what I knew a the time, I felt I probably made the best choice I could have. If I knew then what I knew now, I might have considered waiting a few weeks for the Nexus One. I'm a littled unsatisfied with Bell's network coverage which is weak and non-existent in some places that I go. I would have like to have stayed with Fido (or go to Rogers) since their network coverage is excellent everywhere I went on my old phone. Hindsight is 20/20, and I would have no way of knowing then what I know now. My brother-in-law (a different one) has a Nexus One and he says it is the best phone he ever used and is one who uses bleeding edge devices. I may even overlook the lack of a QUERTY keyboard.
I'm likely going to use the N97 for a few years. I'll see what happens to the industry in a couple of years. It seems that whatever phone I get will feel outdated in several months as new phones come out regularly. Whether or not I will go with Nokia 3 times in a row depends on Nokia and other companies. Although I cannot help being a bit of a fan of the company whose product I use, Nokia will have to have a product that suites my needs when I upgrade for me to remain a customer.
The V22 firmware is not available to me in Canada. If it becomes available and addresses the few issues I still have, I would definitely give a Nokia phones more consideration than I would now. Anything can happen in a few years. Until then, I'm out of the market unless something catistrophic happens to my N97.
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\>tuntman
