KARACHI:
Following the failure of its smartphone operating system Symbian, Nokia is eying a comeback in the smartphone market using Windows-powered devices. The move, say officials, is aimed to challenge global market leaders Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone.
Windows platform will takeover Apple’s iPhone by 2015, said Nokia Pakistan and Afghanistan Head of PR and Communication Adeel Hashmi citing a 2011 report by Gartner – one of the world’s leading information technology research and advisory companies.
“This means there would be more Windows Phones in 2016 than Apple’s iPhone,” Hashmi said while speaking at the launching ceremony of Nokia Lumia smartphone device range at a hotel on Thursday.
Nokia’s first-ever Windows Phone smartphone was launched in October last year. Powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone, Nokia Lumia series devices will be its first ever Windows Phone smartphone in Pakistan, Hashmi said.
The Finnish mobile phone giant launched Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 900, which have been priced at Rs26,000, Rs40,000 and Rs52,000 respectively. The smartphones will be available in the market by next week.
The new Lumias provide a more advanced experience to their predecessors, with high-definition video recording capability at 720p.
Talking about the shift in Nokia’s strategy from Symbian to Windows Phone Hashmi said “It was in February 2011 when we decided to completely shift our smartphones from Symbian to Windows Phone.”
People back then were saying Nokia is dead and it cannot make a name for itself in smartphone market anymore, Hashmi said, adding analysts even criticised Nokia’s decision to choose Windows Phone when the market was dominated by Android and iOS.
Gartner’s report is based on the recent performance of Windows platform, Hashmi said.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone, according to the latest survey by Canalys, was the fastest-growing operating system in the world in the second quarter of 2012, recording an increase of 227% devices as compared to the same quarter of 2011.
Symbian’s sales, on the other hand, dropped by 64.6% to 6.4 million units – reducing its market share to only 4.1%, according to Canalys.
“With the launch of Nokia Lumia portfolio, we have come back in the smartphone arena,” Hashmi said. “Now people are seeing the value of Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft,” he added.
Nokia is the biggest hardware provider for Windows Phone, Hashmi said. With Windows Phone 8 smartphones to be launched later this year, he said, there is lot hype about its success.
“There are predictions by analysts about the adaptability of Windows Phone platform,” Hasmi said, adding, “In the smartphone world, it is just one phone that changes the entire market. We expect the same.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled "Miscrosoft" and "smartphone". The error is regretted.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (13)
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The Lumia family late launch, and the related comments are disappointing for a company with the most loyal market, consumer in the world. Despite the loyal Pakistan consumer to Nokia being the No.1 brand of Finland. Its disappointing the Finnish Embassy, Mission offices in Pakistan are permanently closed. I have no idea whether Pakistan Embassy in Helsinki still functioning. Yes the Embassy of Finland is normally operating in Afghanistan. Being an astute fan of Nokia, devotion of developers of Pakistan burning mid night oil for the Apps., their hopes, dreams, expectations all I hope may be well all with Nokia. Microsoft is not faithful to Nokia. Windows 8 will be licnesed to whoever want to package the handset hardware with Windows8. HTC, Samsung, and many others will have Windows 8 handset shortly. If existing Lumia set hardware is not upgrade able or compliant to Windows 8 which will be launched in this quarter. Microsoft abandoned Acer partnership as it announced its own hardware tablet under the name of Microsoft Surface to be available in October 2012. Would Microsoft compensate Nokia Lumia handset subscriber for purchase of Nokia Windows 8 handset after two months. I endorse most comments as valid.
I myself was Nokia user from quiet a longtime. But now switched to I phone 4GS. The loopholes I want to pinpoint for Nokia to win the race over Android & i Os are :
The applications not working in Pakistan. Lack of availibilty of different colours of cell Phones. Mainly, the prices are very very high as compared to the options. The Nokia Lumia 710, Lumia 800 and than 900 are not very much upgraded in applications rather than prices. I suggest Nokia not only lower their smartphone prices but also upgrade than more to compete the market with i phone and Samsung. Pakistani Customers really want to see Nokia high among others.
Samsung S3 and HTC one X are still a better option than this one. i just dont understand y dint they switch to Android?? had that been the case, i beleive in Pakistan no other smartphone would had market enough to compete wid Nokia. Nokia had been the market leader for years but u got to change wid the changing demands of ur customer. This mobile phone is still a good option for those who only use Windows phone but Android still rocks!!
@Raheem Bukhsh: They are available in Black too. Some of them have Pink and White versions. So do not worry about the color.
Furthermore, this could have been an excellent move earlier this year but now, NO! Look at the quality stuff from Samsung and HTC.
Are they serious? I bought my Lumia 800 this April from a local online store. The price at that time was 41,500 and they are currently selling the same phone at Rs, 34,000.
Anyways, they got too late. It would be unwise to invest any money in currently available Lumia sets, specially the pricy 900 as they would not upgrade to Windows Phone 8. Nokia is already working on WP8 devices which will be available later this year.
As far as experience is concerned, I am a happy customer. Windows Phone is a sleek, reliable and high performace operating system. The phone itslef is very good and literally solid as a hammer.:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf1fRu9YgfE
Android may have outnumbered Apple and WP, but it does not compare with them in performace and quality.
Change the color of NOKIA LUMIA because with this color you cant sale any operating system with any specs.
No point...Too late now....Apple and Android are miles ahead...
How long has it been since nokia launched its own maps service? And yet still no maps for Pakistan. Get your act together if you are really serious! I dont think anybody has an excuse especially looking at the quality of Google Maps on Android or iPhone. And to top it all off Bing is heavily integrated in Winphone and half of its services also do not work in Pakistan.
Dear Writer..
Thanks for your article.... seems like this article has been copied from another link (http://www.livenewsarticles.com/business/smartphone-wars-nokia-looks-to-create-a-comeback-with-lumia-series/) and pasted as it is... I was surprised to see how good the coping pasting was done that you have not even ran the spell check.. Please find Microsoft Spelling 4th paragraph, 2nd line.
Thanks. Regards, Aziz.
That's not true. By 2015, Nokia would not be around. Lumia can't be upgraded to Microsoft new Windows 8. and with horrible Nokia Care support, it has no hope.
Android all the way!
a bit toooooooo late!!
a dual core S4 htc one s is available in the market in 48k, htc one x with massive specs is available in 52-55k.
why would anyone buy last years phones? that too when windows phone 8 is expected to come in two months?
4th para 2nd line, the word should be 'Microsoft'.
2nd last para 2 line, the word should be 'smartphones'.
Hashmi sahb..................good luck...do something more to catch the train