Launches: later the better?

By Ian, on December 13th, 2010

One of the main bones of contention when it comes to comments on the Nokia blog is product launch dates. Put simply, they are always either too early or too late. Too late because some people want to buy the products as soon as they’re announced, and any launch date thereafter is wrong. Too early, because sometimes there are bugs and they have to be fixed with firmware updates, both of which are, in some people’s minds, evidence of gross negligence. I tried to tackle some of the demands for an early release in this piece, which first appeared here.

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In the world of the Web, the expression “release early and often” has gained a lot of currency. It refers to the way web companies like Google and Yahoo! seem to have a brand new product every week. Smaller companies are in on it too. If you read blogs like Mashable and Techcrunch, you’ll find new, often innovative web services every single day. They’re labelled ‘beta’ — because they might not work the way you expect. But they’re often free, so nobody can complain too much.

Another way this is sometimes put is “fail early, fail often”. The advice makes a lot of sense when it comes to particular types of product. Try to do something. Put it out there. If it works, then great, and if it doesn’t, try again. But keep moving quickly so you can retain first-mover advantage over your competition. If your service isn’t evolving, it’s suggested, then it is decaying.

This philosophy seems to work very well in some markets. It’s probably not great advice when it comes to making phones, though.

When people buy a phone on contract, they’re making a big investment. Currently, 24-month contracts at £30 a month or more are common for smartphones in the UK. That’s £720 for your phone. Depending on the model you choose, there might be an additional payment up-front.

When you’re making that sort of investment, then you don’t want a product that’s been released early. You want something that works as advertised, out of the box. Getting a new phone is a big decision: you want to feel justified that you’ve done the right thing. You want to be able to pat yourself on the back for being so clever, not worry that you may have got it wrong this time.

Then there’s also the fact that phones are made of metal, glass and electronics. If you don’t get those right from the start, then the product is ruined. You can’t download a patch for a wonky catch or a flickering screen. Of course, firmware upgrades can upgrade or improve some aspects of your phone — and they’re very welcome — but getting something that doesn’t work right in the first place is a definite no-no when it comes to big purchases.

But where this Web 2.0 philosophy of continual releases and upgrades does work very well is in extra services. Things you weren’t paying for that you get for free. For example, no-one who bought a Nokia smartphone before January this year expected to be given voice navigation through Ovi Maps for free. But that’s what many of them got. It’s not only nice to be gifted something valuable by the people who made your phone, it makes you like them more and means that you’re more likely to come back to them when the next contract is due.

So yes, release early and often. But only when it comes to the added extras.

picture credit: Edgar Zuniga Jr.