The dual nature of this praise helps explain why the partnership between Nokia and Microsoft is widely perceived as giving the Windows Phone platform a much needed boost.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that the N9 / Lumia 800 chassis could go down as most beautiful device Nokia has ever made. In fact, I think you could say that it — along with the iPhone 4 / 4S — is the best phone design in history....
But then, Nokia... then you scale it up to a more reasonable and modern 4.3 inches, add a front-facing camera, and give it LTE. You offer it in your amazing shade of searing, unapologetic cyan, and you sell it in the US on AT&T. It's like you've personally made a bespoke phone for me.
Maybe you have! Naw... well, maybe!
Chris, aside from being a truly top chap, is one of the most well respected online media commentators in the mobile space and this kind of commentary is extremely valuable to Nokia in the lead up to the sales start of the Lumia 900. It is also part of a wider pattern of US tech media enthusiasm for Nokia's Windows Phone project.
The full impact of this on sales remains to be seen, but the contrast with the US reception to Nokia's Symbian smartphone portfolio in recent years could not be clearer.