By Sven Grundberg
STOCKHOLM--Nokia Corp. (NOK) Wednesday unveiled the Lumia 620
phone, the company's third device running the latest version of
Windows for smartphones.
Priced at $249 excluding taxes and subsidies, the Lumia 620 is a
more affordable addition to Nokia's latest range of Lumia
smartphones, running Microsoft's latest operating system for
smartphones. The phone will begin selling in January next year in
Asia, closely followed by launches in Europe and the Middle
East.
The device is aimed at a more "youthful" audience, Nokia said,
and will have seven different exchangeable shells in various colors
to choose from.
Moreover, with a 3.8-inch screen it's more compact than its
higher-end siblings, the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 820, which have
been receiving some criticism for being heavy and thick. The Lumia
920 flagship device that hit shelves last month, is 65% heavier
than Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone 5, and 40% thicker.
Given its low price, the Lumia 620 doesn't pack all the high-end
hardware features that the more expensive Lumia 820 and Lumia 920
offer, such as Carl Zeiss camera lenses and wireless charging
capability. The Lumia 620 has a camera with a five megapixel sensor
and runs a slower processor and has less internal memory than the
other new Lumias.
However, the device does support for Near Field Communication, a
wireless technology that makes it possible for phones to transmit
data merely by tapping or waving across terminals equipped with the
technology.
Although Nokia has beern tight-lipped on sales numbers for its
new range of Windows-running smartphones, several analysts and
industry observers have been optimistic about sales progress,
especially after Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chief Executive Steve
Ballmer last month said Windows Phone sales have quadrupled from
last year, at a meeting with Microsoft shareholders.
Separately on Wednesday, Nokia announced that it is launching a
new Windows-based Lumia handset in partnership with China's biggest
operator, China Mobile Ltd. (0941.HK). The Lumia 920T device will
be compatible with China's TD-SCDMA technical standard.
"People around the world are responding positively to the new
Lumia devices, and we're confident that the enthusiasm will extend
to China with the Lumia 920T," Stephen Elop, Nokia's chief
executive, said in a statement.
Write to Sven Grundberg at sven.grundberg@dowjones.com; Twitter:
@svengrundberg
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