The success of Nokia’s latest device, the Lumia 800 continues with news the phone is to be launched in Russia before the end of December. The device will be available in Cyan and Black for 20,990 roubles. At the same time, the smartphone’s “little brother” device, the Lumia 710 will launch in Hong Kong for $3000 yuan or $ 470.
The launch of the new smartphone around the globe is sure to follow areas where Nokia and Microsoft know the device will sell well. The Lumia 800 is the first handset produced after the partnership between the two firms was announced in February. Running Windows Phone 7.5 the device has already exceeded sales expectations in Europe. In the UK, the sales start of the Lumia 800 was the best ever first week for a Nokia smartphone in the country. The Finnish manufacturer hopes it means they are securing extensive share in the mobile phone market in the UK.
One of the carriers for Lumia 800 contracts in the UK, Orange said pre-order figures for the smartphone were more than they had ever received for another Nokia phone. Anyone upgrading to the new handset on Orange has been offered a free Xbox 360 console. The carrier’s parent company French Telecom, says there have also been strong sales on the other side of the Channel. They estimate the handset will top the sales charts a few days into its release.
The launch of the Lumia 800 in the UK has seen great energy and gusto in ensuring it makes a splash in the smartphone market. In London, Nokia used the Millbank Tower and hosted a special free 4D gig outdoors featuring DJ Deadmau5. Many reported it was one of the biggest promotional displays they had seen for a mobile phone release. Yet much rides on it. The Lumia 800 is Nokia’s first Window’s Phone and it comes at a time when WP has fallen behind its other competitors in the market, namely the iPhone and Android devices from Samsung, HTC and Sony. Running WP 7.5 and coupled with a fast processor a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm, new apps, a 16GB mass memory and 512 MB onboard with an 8 megapixel camera and 1280 pp video the Lumia 800 can more than compete with other top smartphones on the market. Both the Finnish manufacturer and Microsoft are hoping the new device will be able to carve a strong position for Windows Phone in the marketplace and help it gain the ground it has lost.
Positive sales around Europe and particularly in the UK have provided a good launching pad for the new device around the world. Good reviews as well as notifications from fans on social networking sites have given the Lumia 800 excellent results online for those researching what smartphone to buy next. By expanding their launch and sales markets to those where there is already a strong Nokia brand and a solid audience shows neither Nokia nor Microsoft are taking any risks with sales. They simply want the device to do well.