Nokia reveal what really happened in their offices when the iPhone launched in 2007
They saw Apple as a huge threat
Nokia has made its internal presentation from 2007 public, revealing how the company responded to the launch of Apple’s iPhone.
Shared by Reddit user favicondotico, a presentation titled "Apple iPhone was launched (yes, it is “iPhone” *)" displays how the then-dominant mobile phone giant viewed Apple’s next-gen device.
The Nokia Design Archive was opened to the public on January 15, 2025.
Whilst we know today that their efforts didn't outdo the iPhone, it still makes an interesting read.
Advert
In 2007, Nokia was a leader in the mobile industry, but the company viewed the upcoming release of the iPhone as a 'serious high-end contender'.
The company’s presentation highlights Nokia's understanding of the iPhone’s disruptive potential and lays out its multi-step, strategic plan to mitigate the blow. One of the points of threat identified was the 'iPhone touch screen UI may set a new standard of state-of-art.'
Nokia wrote: "User interface has been a big strength for Nokia, so the UI may be the biggest threat that iPhone presents".
Additionally, Cingular and Apple partnered to bring the iPhone to the United States in 2007. So, Nokia noted to 'work very closely with T-Mobile' to promote the N800 as a competitive alternative.
There were also worries that Apple’s high prices and exclusive carrier deals might shake up the premium smartphone market.
To stay competitive, the Finnish corporation outlined a few approaches including accelerating touch UI development, leveraging the N800's touch screen, strengthening carrier partnerships and undercutting Apple’s pricing.
On the note of partnerships, Nokia described that its partnerships 'highlight Nokia's superior strength in the market, keeping things in perspective.'
The mobile provider also prioritised 'locking in local partnerships' in markets where it was already strong, including India, China, and Europe.
Nokia’s presentation even included an evaluation of its relationship with Microsoft, referring to the tech giant as 'the enemy of your enemy....' in brackets - perhaps suggesting a potential partnership to counter Apple’s growing influence.
Furthermore, Nokia made a note to pinpoint the iPhone's weaknesses including its lack of 3G support and upgradeability, limited app support and installation, non-removable battery and vague mentions of security.
Finally, Nokia planned to focus on mid-range devices and offer 'Google/Yahoo experiences' along with its own to minimise the attraction from high-end competitors.
As a whole, it seems that Nokia accurately predicted the iPhone’s impact to set new standards for the smartphone market. Unfortunately for Nokia, its efforts to counter Apple’s momentum were ultimately overshadowed by the iPhone’s success.
And as they say, the rest is history.