Nokia: not dead yet

Latest results from troubled handset-maker Nokia show that things aren’t getting worse as fast as some had feared

There are few companies where reporting a billion-dollar operating loss is a mark of relative success. But today’s results from Nokia gave the markets a pleasant surprise: sales are only down 24 per cent, revenue is only down by 29 per cent and the company has more cash left than many thought – shares rose by as much as 15 per cent.

The company’s new Lumia handsets, running Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, have been well received, but they’ve sold just 600,000 in America and 4 million worldwide. This is what analysts had expected, roughly. But it’s nonetheless unfortunate that Microsoft recently chose to upgrade Windows Phone in such a way that the current flagship Lumias won’t be compatible with the new version of Windows Phone, just a few months after they were Nokia’s top products.

Retailers desperately want Nokia and Windows Phone to provide a viable counterpoint to Apple and Google's Android operating system - the hardware is beautiful and it deserves to do well. But without its rivals' momentum the project remains an uphill struggle. Even with Microsoft's backing, Windows Phone may yet end up being the mobile version of Windows on the PC, and that could leave users simply asking for apps that are compatible with both Windows and their existing phones. That's why, for instance, Microsoft already makes apps for the iPad.

These results may prove to be the inflection point for Nokia’s losses – if chief executive Stephen Elop has reshaped the company so that it has fewer, more efficient staff who will make better products, and also signeddeals such as those he trumpeted with car makers, then there could be some hope for the struggling company. Certainly, as things stand, Nokia looks like a much better bet than BlackBerry.

But the fact that Nokia beat market expectations today reflects primarily how low those expectations were, ratther than that the firm is back on the march.

Sourced: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/nokia/9412381/Nokia-not-dead-yet.html

Customers of O2 hoping for an upgrade to Nokia's new 41-megapixel camera phone, the 808 PureView, are out of luck: O2 has decided not to offer the handset in the UK.

A spokesperson for O2 confirmed the decision to Wired.co.uk today, although didn't cite specific reasons for it. T-Mobile, Orange and Vodafone have also informed us that they have no plans to offer the phone either. Three could not confirm whether it would or would not offer the phone.

Wired.co.uk has been led to believe by a source close to O2 that it was not the PureView's camera that disappointed the network, but Symbian, its outdated operating system.

Symbian has sorely lacked the innovations and features of its rivals in recent years, despite once being the darling of the mobile OS world -- Nokia even ditched the platform from its smartphones in 2012 in favour of Microsoft's Windows Phone OS.

The PureView appears to be a casualty left on the battlefield during this transition. In our testing thus far, its camera functionality is proving to be a commendable bit of innovation from Nokia, but it's struggling to excite networks from beneath the burden of the handset's last-generation software platform.

O2 explained that it is "continuing to work with Nokia on future products", however, and it's highly likely the camera in the PureView will surface in a future Windows Phone device.

The 808 PureView will still be available SIM-free, meaning O2 and T-Mobile customers can put their current SIM cards into the device, but may need to put up £500 for the privilege.

Nokia reported a loss of 1.3 billion euros (about £1 billion) in its Q1 2012 financial report. This was partly the result of a 52 percent decline in sales of its smartphones compared to Q1 2011.

Sourced: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/27/pureview-network-support

Review: Nokia Lumia 900

The Nokia Lumia 900 is one of the most exciting smartphones to hit the market yet, mixing the excellent Windows Phone operating system with a phenomenal screen that puts rivals to shame. It’s a great all-round package, and the first of the reviews are in. Read on to find out what the experts are saying.

CNET ’s Natasha Lomas points out that the Lumia 900 “looks big and bold in the hand.” It’s the huge 4.3-inch ClearBlack display that will attract most consumers, however, and Lomas adds, “the display generally looks bright and colourful, with blacks appearing velvety and deep.” “The touchscreen itself is nice and responsive,” says Natasha, “jumping around on cue to even light taps and swipes.”

Check out the NokNok.tv review of the Nokia Lumia 900 

Pocket Lint ’s Stuart Miles explains, “The Lumia design is different from the norm, is eye-catching and people will spot that and comment, so be prepared. The design is seamless with a clean curved look void of screws or panels.” We love the idea of watching films on the Lumia 900, but Miles highlights its ability as an eReader as well: “It’s perfect for reading a book via the Amazon Kindle app or watching a movie or TV show via Netflix.”

When compared to the Nokia Lumia 800, Stuart explains, “if you fancy the idea of a bigger screen this is the better of the two. It's more brash than the Lumia 800, but the experience is good. The screen's resolution is stretched to its limit at this size, but that's not enough to push it over the edge as in the Titan series from HTC.”

As with Lomas, Dave Oliver, from Wired , picks up on the sensitive touchscreen and deep blacks, adding, “it's beautifully sensitive, and Nokia's ClearBlack technology offers rich contrast with exceptionally deep, dark blacks offsetting the slightly oversaturated colours.”

Performance impresses, with Oliver pointing out, “it ain't slow, and the relative simplicity of the Windows OS certainly seems to be in its favour, since it whips through the apps with ease, even when you have a bunch of them open and running.”

“The latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango is the operating system,” explains Dave, “which is beautiful to look at, and easy to find your way around, even if you're a Windows Phone newbie.”

So far so good, then, and the positive reception continues over at Stuff , where the website says, “with beautifully bright Windows Phone live tiles to distract you, the AMOLED and ClearBlack screen is by far the most 'glanceable' of the 2012 pack so far.”

“It's perfect if you want to view all of your social feeds in one place or take advantage of excellent bespoke software, such as Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Music. Like the iPhone, the Lumia 900 lacks Flash support.”

But what do you think of the Nokia Lumia 900? Would you opt for this larger than life handset – with a screen that’s perfectly suited to watching movies on the go or browsing the web – over the excellent Lumia 800? Leave a comment and let us know.

Sourced:

http://www.noknok.tv/2012/05/30/nokia-lumia-900-review-what-the-experts-are-saying/