Nokia N8 is Late

6:45 AM -- Stephen Elop isn't having a great first day at work today. It's day one of his reign as CEO of Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) and the Finnish phone maker's share price took a knock this morning from news that deliveries of its flagship smartphone, the N8, will be delayed by a few weeks. (See Nokia Dumps CEO, Hires Elop.)

The N8 is not just any new smartphone for Nokia. It's regarded by some as a make-or-break device for the company and seen as a challenger to Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL)'s iPhone. So, any whiff of a delay is a big deal, no matter how short. (See Does iPhone 4 Dash Nokia's High-End Hopes? , 'Nokia Is Back!', Nokia Unveils New Smartphones, and Nokia's 'Fightback' Man Quits .)

The N8s were supposed to be delivered to those who pre-ordered the device by the end of this month, but now Nokia says it expects customers to receive their smartphones in October.

Nokia said in a statement:

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile