WP8 Nokia phones to debut at Nokia World
updated 07:39 pm EDT, Mon August 6, 2012
Nokia to unveil new phones before iPhone
Nokia is reportedly planning to announce its new Windows Phone 8 handsets in the week before Apple debuts its newest iPhone. This according to Bloomberg, which dropped the timing detail in the midst of a lengthy piece exploring the Finnish handset makers declining fortunes. The report cites sources familiar with Nokia's plans, but Nokia has so far declined to comment on future phones.
Next month could see the introduction of any number of Nokia handsets under the Windows Phone 8 banner. Many observers expect that the Lumia 1001 will be among Nokia's offerings for the new version of Microsoft's phone operating system.
As of late, Nokia's chief difficulty is not even so much to compete with other manufacturers, but to get its phones displayed prominently in carrier stores. The Windows Phone platform does not have a considerable install base, and carriers have been more likely to give valuable shelf space to Android and iOS phones, leaving potential Nokia customers to have to seek out the Lumia line.
While Apple, Samsung, and others have thrived, Nokia has seen its market share and revenues decline dramatically over the last few years, culminating in a $1 billion loss last quarter. The company's Lumia handsets have sold relatively well, but not nearly well enough to reverse Nokia's fortunes.
Nokia's newest offerings will likely debut on September 5, as the company opens up the 2012 edition of its Nokia World conference. Nokia's next smartphones will likely have a tremendous impact on the company's future, and their success will hang partly on whether or not Microsoft can convince consumers that Windows Phone 8 is a viable platform. Should WP8 underperform, though, Nokia executives have said that they do have a backup plan.
