Nokia N8 hit by power down problems

Limited number of devices affected, claims manufacturer

Nokia has confirmed that a limited number of its N8 smartphones suffer from power problems, in yet another blow to the company's hope of challenging other high-end devices.

Some customers have reported that N8 handsets are switching off and are not able to power back up. Nokia was made aware of the issue through its customer care helpline.

"We have traced [the source of the problem] to the way we assemble the N8. When we identified the problem, we took the precautionary measure across the range," said Niklas Savander, executive vice president of Nokia, on the Nokia Conversations blog.

"Any dissatisfaction of an individual consumer with a Nokia product is always a source of concern."

However, Savander remained tight-lipped about the number of affected handsets and which regions are experiencing problems.

"If you look at the total number of N8s we have shipped, it is a small number. However, where it is not working is a significant issue," he said. " Across the larger group of Nokia N8 consumers, there are lot of happy customers. "

Product quality is a top priority for Nokia and immediate action has been taken to address this, the firm said in a statement sent to V3.co.uk.

"In a limited number of Nokia N8 devices, there appears to be an issue relating to power management. As with any product performance issue, this is covered by Nokia’s warranty. Any affected consumers should contact their local Nokia Customer Care ," Nokia noted.

The N8 finally started shipping on 22 October through various retailers and networks after numerous delays, which Nokia blamed on a record number of pre-orders rather than technical or hardware problems.

V3.co.uk's Nokia N8 review described that smartphone as a valiant effort, but awarded it just three stars owing to the disappointing Symbian^3 operating system.