For some reason I really do not know why would the seller be "setting up country specific locale" before sending the device away. Also for the device to arrive at your doorstep battery flat.

In most cases, devices with batteries that are not charged up usually are deemed as D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival). Normally one could get their devices replaced with a device that is equivalent to the one that was D.O.A. (or better). Furthermore, it is never good to have a flat battery as it does not do the battery any good (nor would it benefit the device retaining flat battery).

A brand new N900 straight from the shops would have been:
- Charged at least 50% so that one can use their device immediately. Though they will need to charge their device once they could access to a power source. The manual would most likely document the same thing as well.
- Been factory reset (most likely via flashing). The device would show you a welcome screen asking you to set time/date/location/etc.
- Have a black "matte-like material" covering the screen portion of the device to prevent any dust gathered on the screen itself.

Your N900 seems to miss all three of those categories. That's not really what a real N900 was meant to be let alone the proper experience of what N900 was meant to be.

I'm seriously hoping its just the battery issue/defect and that your replacement battery works. When the replacement battery you get works, see if you can boot N900 normally. Also I'd ask the seller as to why the seller gave you a flat battery. That is really misleading.

N.B.: Ok the linked video wasn't exactly the same as what I got. The video featured the US version. Differing from the video and my retail box, etc are:
- No nokia sticker to open the case. I don't even have DHL/EMS packaging, mine was straight from a phone shop.
- No stop pamphlet, etc. Mine just had get started booklet.
- The theme colour is slightly different, the author of video has green texts at welcome screen. Mine is blue.

The rest remains true as to what a proper N900 experience should have been.

I recently re flashed by mistake to PR1.1 (I think it was that) and the texts in the welcome screen were green. I didn't remember that.

@Lithdk
whats the colour of the box?? is it "pitch black or grey n black color combination pack??

all original N900's have the later box..

check this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xd7IVCV3Jg

I have seen that video and mine is definately the fake one. However, as he says:


itsmeeseeme:
so the fake still running maemo 5 ?

ottoflux
Yes. I didn't say it's a non-operational unit, they just aren't manufactured by Nokia, or they are refurbs, but that wouldn't explain the knock-off packaging and accessories.


He says elsewhere it's fully functional and in his about section he also says "The fake *will* take a flash from flasher-3.5," so Im just hoping it works or Im gonna file a paypal dispute. Atleast you'll all have some info on it :P

YES OH YES OH sorry tiny orgasm. It booted! I set the language and the time and date etc. Now tell me what test you want me to do with it. From the looks of it it seems like maemo5 but as this is my first smartphone and first n900 I have no idea.

I'd be leaning on to doing the dispute now. A genuinely new N900 would have 50% battery charge. Yours does not have that. A genuinely new N900 would not have its sticker on the retail packaging box torn, yours was torn. Last but not least, a genuine N900 would have that black "matte-like" material covering the screen, yours doesn't (at least not featured in the video).

What I'm actually really surprised about is that a fake N900 can even take flash from flasher-3.5 seems like the cloned N900 are getting more sophisticated these days. I was watching a few youtube videos on fake N900 but they all seem to run on symbian-look-a-like OS. I wonder what do you actually see if the battery was functional.

Nonetheless, the product is not as stated. It came as D.O.A. with flat battery forcing the owner to buy another battery. That is simply a big no-no.

Apparently it's not fake. It's refurbished. Still cheeky to sell it as new.

Even more cheeky to offer/provide a flat battery in which one cannot even boot the device up.

Though yeah I guess the OP is reporting the device is working as expected and it also seems like it appears to be running on maemo 5 (according to what was mentioned).

I got a brand new one in the US from this seller: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?ie...A1QNBY8CONX05H

Not refurbished, brand new, made in Korea works great.

the 'fakes' are not really fakes.
They are salvaged and repaired from real broken N900s, they get new plastic and digitizet, often a cheap LCD too.
So while the new part is a lie there are only real but old failed Nokia system boards currently running Maemo5.
I think they salvage chips to make a barely working phone by hot air gun removal. Mine had a FILTHY system board and failed in under a week unable to enter flash mode.