Microphone issue hampers Nokia's E90 roll-out

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Mobile phone giant Nokia has confirmed that a defective component in microphones, coupled with high demand, have hampered the availability of its flagship business phone, the E90 Communicator.

Background noise during phone calls, which raised customer complaints, was caused by a defective component in the microphone, Theresa Parenteau, spokeswoman for Nokia Enterprise Solutions said this week.

"Although the issue is now rectified it has resulted in more limited availability than originally anticipated in some markets," she said.

When Nokia unveiled the phone in February this year it said it would start selling it in the second quarter in selected markets, with volume shipments coming in the July to September quarter.

Customers have also reported scratches on the phone screen caused by some keyboard keys touching the screen. Nokia said it has now added a strengthening layer on the screens and modified the keyboard, so the keys will not touch the screen.

The HSDPA and WLAN-enabled E90 Communicator, which features a full keyboard, retails for around €750 - €800 (£510 - £544) before taxes and subsidies.

It was announced earlier this year at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona alongside five other devices: two others for business users and three aimed at the consumer market.

"The worlds of mobility and the internet are merging, but as an industry we are still only scratching the surface of the possibilities this offers," Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said at the time.

"Nokia is driving the change, taking a lead in harnessing this new connectivity in ways that will transform how we use mobile devices for work and in our personal lives. The products we are launching today reflect some key areas that we believe will become part of this new connected life and where we will start to see much more widespread adoption."

(Additional reporting by Maggie Holland, IT PRO)

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