While we were already a bit hesitant to accept the glorious package that is the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone, it seems that our gut feeling wasn’t completely wrong.

The too-good-to-be-true price tag and full-featured device has limited availability for 2008. Nokia has announced that the 5800 XpressMusic phone will only be released is 7 countries for this year with an undisclosed date for the rest of the world in 2009. Nokia said that they have an advantage in emerging markets, which why they decided to release it in those regions first. Countries that have a more mature mobile industry such as the greater part of Europe, North America, and Australia will have to wait their turn.

Nokia has a peculiar marketing strategy. If they’re so concerned about making an impact with the 5800 XpressMusic phone, then why not release it in both emerging and mature markets at the same time? Anyway, I’m sure they know by now how things work in the biz because they wouldn’t be at the top spot if they weren’t doing anything right, right? Let’s just hope that they rethink their current position on this matter, and maybe we can get our hands on one before the year ends.

[source]