As a former Nokia software engineer, I can tell you the difference is that Nokia has a bigger focus on hardware at the expense of software and usability. Basica

As a former Nokia software engineer, I can tell you the difference is that Nokia has a bigger focus on hardware at the expense of software and usability. Basically, Nokia produces software the same way it produces hardware, using an internal methodology that follows a waterfall approach. For example, Agile practices are simply not taken seriously because most managers believe they won't fit in the grand scheme of things. Also, differently than Apple, Nokia releases a huge number of models every year, worldwide. Apple has the wisdom (and the balls) to focus all its energies on very few products per year. I also have a 5800, which is a huge improvement over previous Nokia phones. However, it's so far behind the iPhone that I don't even know how to begin describing it.