Today at an event in New York, Nokia announced that its Booklet 3G netbook will be an AT&T exclusive, taking advantage of the carrier’s high-speed 3G network. The mini-laptop will be sold exclusively through Best Buy, priced at $299.99 with a 2-year contract from AT&T. The contract requires activation on AT&T’s $60/month Laptop Connect plan, which offers a 5GB monthly limit.
Today, AT&T already offers 3 netbooks, from Acer, Dell, and Lenovo. All of these are priced at $199 with a 2-year contract, which positions the Nokia Booklet 3G at only $100 more. While the Booklet 3G’s suggested retail price of roughly $600+ is absurd for a netbook, this contract pricing is actually really attractive, for the right consumer. Sat beside my Asus 1000HE EeePC, the Nokia Booklet 3G looks awesome, feels awesome, and performs way better. Similarly, when positioned, for an extra $100, next to the other netbooks that AT&T currently offers, the Booklet 3G will, in my opinion, fly off the shelves.
The only sticking point is the $60/month data plan. For advanced users such as myself and most readers of this blog, $60/month for a (nearly) unlimited data plan on a netbook is quite absurd. I pay $20/month for my unlimited (truly unlimited) data plan on my regular AT&T plan, and can easily tether my phone to my 1000HE for 3G access already. However, most consumers have accepted that portable computer data is going to cost them $60/month. It’s the same on all four of the major carriers.
With the pricing and hardware in order, Nokia is in a great position to use software updates to continuously increase the value proposition of the Booklet 3G over the next year or so. The built-in GPS receiver, accelerometer, monster battery life, and integrated 3G antenna all open up the possibility of some cool applications just waiting to be developed.
What do you think? Are you interested in the Booklet 3G, or do you think it’s still priced out of this world? I hope to have a Nokia Booklet 3G for review shortly, and will definitely be doing some hard-core comparisons against my Asus 1000HE EeePC, which I think is currently one of the best netbooks on the market.
Ricky Cadden 
I still don't see a point in this. Sure, $299.00 is priced the same as most other netbooks — except for the fact that it is AFTER subsidy. So we're talking a 1700.00 commitment over 2 years? No thanks. You'd be WAAAAAY better off getting a netbook for the same price that wasn't on a subsidy, and then getting a data plan. Sure, you are committed to the data plan, but at least then in a year when the next big thing comes out, you can simply move your usb modem over to a new gadget.
Lol, dude your argument doesn't make sense. The SIM card slot on the Booklet 3G is user-accessible (it's on the side of the laptop). Thus, if you're, as you say, already going to get the data plan, why on earth would you go ahead and not take the subsidy? In a year when something else comes out, swap the SIM and use the Booklet 3G over WiFi, or tethered, lol. I don't get it when folks quote the $1740 price – that's for the optional data plan. You can buy the laptop for $600 without it, but if you're already going to get a data plan anyways, I don't see how that's a factor.
Ya but the fact that without the subsidy it's 600 also is a turn off.. There are similar spec'd netbooks for a third less, and there really isn't anything super compelling about the booklet to warrant the premium.. Once again you are paying the Nokia tax for no reason.As for the sim card being user accessible, fair point but you can get a subsidized netbook with internal 3g and similar specs for anywhere from free to 200 bucks, so you STILL pay an unwarranted premium for the booklet.Not to mention the fact that an external modem allows use across multiple devices a) without swapping the sim, and b) even on devices that don't have an internal sim slot. The netbook by it's definition is supposed to be a companion device, not a primary device, so in theory you'd have another laptop that most likely DOESNT have a sim slot. So ya, you can yank the sim out but if you want to use it on any other device, you'd need to buy an external modem anyway, which unsubsidized would be another couple hundred bucks.The point is that by buying an internal 3g device you cripple the flexibility of that 60 bucks a month you are paying for, and by buying the nokia unsubsidized you are paying more without any real justification for paying it. Hell even the Apple tax gets you OSX which at least is somewhat of a differentiator.In my opinion ISP's would be smart to offer a discount on internal 3g per month, say 40 vs 60, to compensate for the lack of flexibility. And as for Nokia, they need to seriously examine thier pricing structure — but that's nothing new.Matt–Sent from my mobile.
There are no other netbooks that I'm aware of that have a 16-cell battery (with an advertised 12-hour battery life), 720p display, HDMI-out, and built-in GPS receiver. If none of those features matter to you, then clearly you're not the target market for the Booklet 3G (since it *does* have those features), and this conversation is moot. If they do, then you can't say there are 'similar' netbooks for a third of the price. No more than you could say the Samsung Highlight is 'similar' to the Nokia N97 and 1/3rd the price.
Just to be clear, I said a third LESS, not a third of the price ;)You are right about the 720p, I'll give you that – but only for now given that Dell, Lenovo, Asus, etc all have 720p displays announced, and all of them for cheaper (ranging from 75 bucks to 200 bucks cheaper). HDMI-out is available on quite a few netbooks at the moment – again all cheaper. As for battery life, most of the newer netbook batteries are announcing 7hr and up battery life, and I'd say that once you get to the 7 or 8 hr mark, you're playing in the same ball field. So yes, the Nokia adds GPS to the mix, and if GPS on your netbook is worth the premium, then sure, it's a good deal. But you'll still never convince me that having a built in sim is a good idea over an external modem, given the flexibility argument.
There are no other netbooks that I'm aware of that have a 16-cell battery (with an advertised 12-hour battery life), 720p display, HDMI-out, and built-in GPS receiver. If none of those features matter to you, then clearly you're not the target market for the Booklet 3G (since it *does* have those features), and this conversation is moot. If they do, then you can't say there are 'similar' netbooks for a third of the price. No more than you could say the Samsung Highlight is 'similar' to the Nokia N97 and 1/3rd the price.
Just to be clear, I said a third LESS, not a third of the price ;)You are right about the 720p, I'll give you that – but only for now given that Dell, Lenovo, Asus, etc all have 720p displays announced, and all of them for cheaper (ranging from 75 bucks to 200 bucks cheaper). HDMI-out is available on quite a few netbooks at the moment – again all cheaper. As for battery life, most of the newer netbook batteries are announcing 7hr and up battery life, and I'd say that once you get to the 7 or 8 hr mark, you're playing in the same ball field. So yes, the Nokia adds GPS to the mix, and if GPS on your netbook is worth the premium, then sure, it's a good deal. But you'll still never convince me that having a built in sim is a good idea over an external modem, given the flexibility argument.