PeterKay
Joined: Jul 08, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: The Ummah
PM, WWW
|
Carphone loses 7600 exclusivity
HARSH REALITIES are taking their toll on both Nokia and 3, the UK's dedicated 3G network operator. The pair have finally announced that 3 will be making the Nokia 7600 3G handset available to consumers via its own outlets. Until now, this handset had only been available through leading retailer, Carphone Warehouse.
3 disliked this particular handset as it lacked a video telephony capability. However, new Nokia UK MD, Mat Wolontis, said: "Nokia sees person-to-person video as a key 3G application that will be featured in Nokia's 3G offering in the future."
A bit late, eh?
Simultaneously Nokia has released the 6610i handset into the mid-range sector in an effort to combat its market share downward spiral.
Nokia describes the 7600's shape as "funky, unconventional and the shape of things to come."
Yet the 6610i is yet another candy bar shaped offering. Which means the 7200 is still Nokia's only 'clamshell' offering.
The weakness of this strategy was revealed last week when Samsung - famous for its clamshells - sold 20 million handsets in Q1 2004 - equivalent to 14 per cent of the global market.
By comparison Nokia's own mobile phone handsets fell 15 per cent dropping its sdhare from around 38 per cent to about 35 per cent while overall the Q1 2004 market had grown 29 per cent.
|
Posted: 2004-04-19 17:51
