Nokia is considered one amongst the leading manufacturers of mobile phones and accessories for the past two decades. Nokia initially set up shop in collaboration with Siemens. They carried out huge productions in the telecommunication field and started to rule the global market with elan. They have been known for launching different ranges of mobile phones and telecommunication accessories.
Currently, Nokia is in talks to be bought over by Microsoft and has a much smaller presence in the smartphone market. But the Nokia Lumia range dominates the Windows Phone market and Nokia has even progressed into creating the first Windows 8 phablet and will soon have a Windows 8 tablet to its name as well.
The Lumia Story So Far
Since the launch of the Lumia series, consumers have a solid conduit of smartphones that run on the Windows platform. Lumia devices are available at affordable prices and have carved out a niche amidst strong competition from brands like Android and Apple. The sensors fitted with each of the models like light sensors, orientation sensors and touch sensors are very user friendly as well, in line with Nokia’s traditional persona.
With this Lumia series, Nokia have again tried to establish themselves as a mobile phone manufacturing giant. And if they carry on this way, providing new technologies and applications, they won’t be far from achieving that goal, whether it’s under the Nokia or Microsoft brand name.
Why Nokia Should Aim For Affordability
It’s clear that the higher end Lumias like the 920 haven’t made a huge splash in their target segments. Even with affordability, new-age hardware and the backing of a brand name, the Lumia series is held back by the infancy of the Windows platform. Most experts believe this entire scenario hinges on the unavailability of popular applications and the overall strength of the Windows app store, which is low.
However, the sub-$200 or INR 10,000 range of smartphones is an area where the Lumia series can really make its presence felt. This even trumps the Nokia Asha series, as the Windows 8 platform is still battling it out with the greats, whilst the Asha series’ derivation of the Symbian operating system is a dead end.
Nokia can offer the same benefits to the end-consumer in terms of value, especially with beefed up hardware configurations that are backed up by a widely trusted brand.
How Other Platforms Are Faring In This Bracket
The smartphone market is dull around the INR 10,000 mark. When it comes to Android, consumers are forced to choose between smartphones that don’t score very well on brand presence but have powerful (yet sometimes faulty hardware), and branded smartphones that are limited in scope.
Apple, on the other hand strays far from the segment in itself and there are currently no fresh smartphones being manufactured by Apple that are available in this segment.
Blackberry is another smartphone brand out there, but their presence in every segment has thinned to a trickle. And with brand loyalty for the manufacturer at an all time low, they can be seen as easy pickings for a brand like Nokia.
Case In Point: The Nokia Lumia 520
Seeing this market trend, Nokia recently launched its first low-priced Lumia series smartphone, the Lumia 520. The model comes at an affordable price and possesses special features. The [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]Nokia Lumia 520 price[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]Nokia Lumia 520 price[/tp] is around $110 or INR 8,000 at all leading stores. The model has already got positive comments from different experts. The Nokia Lumia 520 has 8 GB of inbuilt memory and 512MB of RAM. This means browsing and surfing will be much faster and simpler. Memory can be expanded up to 64 GB with a micro SD card slot.
Along with this the model has great display and picture resolution. This makes your images and videos look much brighter and clearer. The phonebook storage is unlimited, with all messaging and messenger options. There are also features like call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, Skype call, conference call and many more. You can stay connected with your friends anytime and anywhere. All the social networking applications are pre installed and it comes with Internet explorer 10. Another great feature of the model is that it can tether eight devices to a hotspot. This particular model has received rave reviews from the general public, which have been favourable. Due to the, a big chunk of the market has begun adopting the platform and it’s become an on-ramp to Windows Phone on its own.
Will affordable Lumia’s turn Nokia’s fate around? Fact is, come 2014, the Lumia brand may disappear altogether if Microsoft decides that it’s for the best. And financially, the margins on lower-end phones are thin. But what Nokia will establish is a following for an oft neglected platform, which will translate into better results across the board.