STRUGGLING MOBILE phone maker Nokia has unveiled its first full touchscreen phones aimed at the budget end of the market, as it looks to fill a gap in its product range and catch up with rivals, particularly in emerging markets.
Nokia has lost out badly to Apple and Google in the smartphone market and last quarter also lost its position as the world’s largest volume mobile phone maker to Samsung.
While fighting back with a new range of smartphones that uses Microsoft software, the group is also eager to tap the booming market for basic phones with full touchscreens.
Analysts at Strategy Analytics estimate that 105 million such handsets were sold globally last year, with demand particularly strong in emerging markets.
Nokia said yesterday its Asha 305 model would go on sale this month for €63, excluding subsidies and taxes. The Asha 306 and Asha 311 models will go on sale next quarter for €68 and €92 respectively.
Shares in Nokia, which have lost over half of their value over the past year, were 3.54 per cent higher at €2.22 in late trade. – (Reuters)
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