Telefonica exec: Nokia Windows Phone devices "too expensive"
updated 09:45 pm EST, Mon November 7, 2011
Carrier CEO calls for lower price points
An executive from global cellular provider Telefonica has reportedly blasted Nokia's new Windows Phone lineup as prohibitively expensive. Head of devices for the carrier's European division, Simon Lee-Smith, casts doubt on the Finnish phone maker's immediate strategy, which still relies on high-end devices in many European countries and other international regions.
“If Nokia wants to sell in volume, they need to bring out devices which are cost-competitive,” Lee-Smith told Telecoms.com.
The executive does not restrict his criticism to Nokia alone, however, claiming that "all device manufacturers" consider a "€400-plus device" to be normal.
Nokia's flagship Lumia 800 handset retails for €420 (~$585 USD), while the Lumia 710 carries cheaper price tag of €270 (~$375 USD). The company suggests it will send only entry-level Windows Phone devices to the US market, where nearly all postpaid cellphones are sold with some form of subsidization.
Outside of the US, Lee-Smith suggests Nokia is finally starting to consider carriers' demands. He expects cheaper devices to arrive sometime in 2012.
