Nokia, the largest wireless handset maker in the world, has unveiled a slew of smartphones at its annual event, including devices that incorporate Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system.
At Nokia World, the company introduced two Windows Phone-powered smartphones: the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 710. Nokia also launched four devices that the company said “blur the line between smartphone and feature phones" with QWERTY and touch-screen capabilities, Internet access, integrated social networking, messaging and other apps.
Neither smartphone powered by Microsoft’s operating system appears headed for North America, at least anytime soon. The Nokia Lumia 800 is available in select countries for pre-order online and is scheduled to roll out across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the U.K. in November. Nokia also plans to release the device in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan before the year’s end. The Lumia 800 will be available in other markets early next year. As for the Lumia 710, Nokia said the phone would be available first in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan near the end of the year.
Nokia also announced plans to introduce a portfolio of products into the United States early next year and into mainland China in the first half of 2012.
The phone giant has seen its global handset market share shrink in recent quarters. But many analysts expect its new partnership with Microsoft to give both Nokia and the Windows Phone operating systems a big lift moving forward.
