Nokia Introduces New Low Cost And Music Phones For Pakistan
Nokia has been working hard to strengthen its leading position in emerging markets such as Pakistan and India. I am impressed by how Nokia stays at top for both high-end phones and low-cost handsets. This week, at a special event in Karachi, Nokia introduced new phones for Pakistan. Nokia executive from Finland and the country GM were present, which is evidence of Pakistan’s importance for Nokia. The new models include Nokia’s lowest cost handset to date, as well as its first handset for Pakistan market with an integrated digital music player and email.
The models, to be available in early 2009, are:
- Nokia 1202
- Nokia 1661
- Nokia 5030 XpressMusic
- Nokia 5130 XpressMusic
The Nokia 1202 and Nokia 1661 target low-end phone buyers but promises to offer exceptional value. The Nokia 1202 is said to be Nokia’s lowest cost mobile device to date. Developed specifically for people in rural areas, the Nokia 1202 includes standard features like a flashlight (I think the flashlight feature will be very popular in Pakistan where load shedding is so prevalent), extended battery life, loud ringtones and a phone book for up to five users. The Nokia 1661 is Nokia’s lowest cost color phone including an FM radio and a large color screen. The Nokia 1661 also supports flashlight, loud ringtones and multiple phonebooks.
Nokia 5130 XpressMusic also supports image sharing through Share on Ovi, as well as the Mail on Ovi email service. I previously wrote about the XpressMusic series here. This is in line with another strategy of Nokia, which is to dominate the mobile web trend. I wrote about this here.
Here’s more information from Nokia. You can also see more at this press release.
Speaking at the occasion, Marko Keskinen, Director of Strategy, Business Development and Industry Marketing at Nokia said “Nokia is well aware of the needs of emerging markets and we are executing a strategy to provide exceptional quality products and services to our consumers. Wider industry collaboration among vendors, service providers and regulators enables affordable mobile communication. In the past five years we have been creating efficiencies to bring the cost of mobile devices lower but due to taxation and duties we have not been able to bring the total cost of ownership to a level affordable for lower income consumers.”
Nokia 1202
“In 2002, Nokia unveiled a strategy to lower the cost of owning and operating a mobile phone and to bring the benefits of mobile telephony to people in emerging markets. Today, we are expanding that vision by introducing a number of devices that aim to bring the power of the Internet to these markets as well,” says Imran Khalid Mahmood, Country GM Pakistan, Nokia “we believe that our entry portfolio is for everyone who wish to get connected via basic voice communication while on the go. The mobile device and the Internet are a powerful combination in connecting people with each other, accessing information, news, entertainment and sharing. By introducing products that are affordable, relevant and easy-to-use, we believe Nokia can fuel the growth of the Internet in Pakistan through mobility.”
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