Nokia 222 and Nokia 222 Dual SIM Feature Phones Launched

Microsoft has launched the Nokia 222 and Nokia 222 Dual SIM budget phones.
Both the smartphones will be available in select markets starting September and will come at $37 (approximately Rs. 2,450) before local taxes and subsidies. The Nokia 222 is the successor to the Nokia 220, launched last year.
Considering that Microsoft India now lists the Nokia 222 Dual SIM, we can expect the company to launch the dual-SIM variant of the feature phone in India soon.
Both the new Nokia 222 and Nokia 222 Dual SIM phones come with the same set of specifications except that the latter supports dual-SIM functionality. Both the handset support Micro-SIM cards, and both run Nokia Series 30+ OS.

Microsoft touts that the new Nokia 222 and Nokia 222 Dual SIM can offer FM radio playback of up to 45 hours and MP3 playback of up to 50 hours. The handsets also come with a built-in MP3 player. Some of the preloaded apps on the new feature phones include GroupMe by Skype, Facebook, Messenger, and Twitter. Both the handsets support Slam technology, which allows sending and receiving files with another Slam-enabled devices.
The Redmond giant has also announced that consumers will be able to download one free Gameloft game per month for a year, and that both handsets come preloaded with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood or Midnight Pool 3. The Nokia 222 and its dual-SIM variant also sport the popular flashlight feature for budget phones.
The Nokia 222 features a 2.4-inch QVGA (240x320 pixel) LCD display offering a pixel density of 166ppi. It bears a 2-megapixel rear fixed-focus camera and also supports expandable storage up to 32GB via microSD card. Connectivity options on the phone include GPRS, Bluetooth v3.0, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Microsoft has packed an 1100mAh battery on the handsets that it claims delivers up to 20 hours of talk time; up to 21 days of standby time (dual-SIM model) and up to 29 days of standby time on single-SIM model. The Nokia 222 measures 116x50x12.9mm, and weighs 79 grams. The Nokia 222 and Nokia 222 Dual SIM will both be available in glossy Black and White colours.

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Nokia Seeks 'World-Class Partner' to Re-Enter Mobile Business

Nokia on Monday issued a statement clarifying its plan to re-enter the mobile device business by late next year. As before, Finnish company noted that one of the possible ways to get back into mobile business was through brand-licensing model. Further detailing, Robert Morlino, spokesman for Nokia Technologies, added that Nokia was looking for a partner that could take responsibility for all of the manufacturing, sales, marketing, and customer support for the product.
Saying the reentry into the mobile business was "complicated", Morlino gave the example of the Nokia N1 Android tablet, which was launched last year with a brand-licensing agreement with Foxconn that made the established Chinese OEM responsible for manufacturing, distribution, and sales of the tablet.
"If and when we find a world-class partner who can take on those responsibilities, we would work closely with them to guide the design and technology differentiation, as we did with the Nokia N1 Android tablet. That's the only way the bar would be met for a mobile device we'd be proud to have bear the Nokia brand, and that people will love to buy," said Morlino.
The company clarified that the partner they are looking for should able to do all "heavy lifting" and should be able to work closely with Nokia to deliver a product. Nokia as a company currently exists in mobile network infrastructure, mapping services, and technology development and licensing segments.
Talking about a possible timeline for the launch of its smartphone, Nokia, which was once the world's largest mobile manufacturer, revealed that it will be only in Q4 2016, when the restrictions in place from the Microsoft acquisition end.
"We will look for the right partner who can take on the heavy lifting and work closely with us to deliver a great product. As we agreed with Microsoft, the soonest that could happen is Q4 2016 - so it's safe to say Nokia won't be back (at least in phone form...) before then," added Morlino.
To recall, the terms of the Microsoft-Nokia deal had stipulated the Finnish company couldn't use the Nokia brand on smartphones till Q4 2016, and on feature phones for 10 years.
Last month, Nokia's CEO Rajeev Suri had also revealed plans to re-enter the mobile phone business late next year.

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Nokia N1 listed in Zauba, India release imminent

Nokia N1 - the Foxconn-made slate and the first Nokia device from the post-Microsoft era - was sold exclusively in China since the beginning of this year. It was just a month ago, when Nokia managed to finally release the N1 in Taiwan - the second market to get the tablet.

Today we have some good news - the Nokia N1 has been listed in Zauba - India's import/export database. As it turns out the tablet is already imported in India for testing and hopefully it will make it to the retail shelves soon enough.
The Nokia N1 became popular the minute it was announced and its stock in China was depleted in just minutes. Foxconn had some hard time meeting the demand, apparently it didn't anticipate the high interest.
Nokia N1 looks really great on paper - it has a 7.9" Retina-grade IPS display, runs on the powerful Intel Atom Z3580 with a quad-core 2.3GHz processor and 2GB of RAM, there is 32GB storage and 8MP rear cam. The slate runs on Android Lollipop skinned with Nokia's Z Launcher and bets on aluminum unibody.
The best part about the Nokia N1 is that it is priced at about $270.
While Nokia N1 isn't available with Google Services in China, those come pre-installed in Taiwan and we guess India will get the same treatment. Here is hoping Foxconn manages to push the slate to even more market in the upcoming months.

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Nokia Lumia 930 Specifications

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Nokia 105 (2015) Specifications

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Microsoft Launches Refreshed Nokia 105 With Dual-SIM Variant

Launching a refreshed version of the very popular Nokia 105 feature phone, which was launched in 2013, Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled the Nokia 105 (2015) and Nokia 105 (2015) Dual SIM. The handset (and its dual-SIM variant) comes with several minor upgrades over its predecessor. Priced at $20 (roughly Rs. 1,300) before taxes and subsidies, the device will reach only select markets in single and dual-SIM versions.

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Nokia officially denies plans to re-enter smartphone market

Nokia has no plans to re-enter the smartphone market after all. The Finnish giant released an official statement, which denied recent rumors that suggested the opposite.


Here is the full text of Nokia’s short statement:
Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive. Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets.
The above statement is as straightforward as it is concise. It is worth noting that, under the terms of its deal with Microsoft, Nokia isn’t allowed to launch any phone bearing its name until the second half of next year.

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Nokia to make Android phones in 2016, R&D moves to China

Recently we heard rumors about alleged Nokia plans for re-entering the phone market in 2016. We are happy to report those plans are indeed true and Nokia will be marking its return next year with an Android smartphone.
Nokia sold its device business to Microsoft a year ago and it signed a non-compete clause preventing the company from producing smartphones under the Nokia brand until December 31, 2015 and feature phones under the Nokia brand for a decade.

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Facebook, Uber Amongst Companies Interested in Nokia's Here Maps Unit: Report

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Nokia's maps business has drawn interest from at least four potential acquirors, including Facebook and a consortium of German carmakers BMW, Audi and Daimler, a German magazine reported on Wednesday.

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Nokia Bets Software Revolution Will Help Avoid Past Merger Errors

Nokia's acquisition of smaller rival Alcatel-Lucent may avoid the pitfalls that befell earlier telecom network equipment marriages, thanks to a revolution over the past decade in how products are launched and developed.

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Nokia Might Be Looking To Sell Its Maps Business

t definitely looks like Nokia is in the midst of a major business restructure. After the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent was made official today, new information hints at an uncertain future for the Finnish company’s maps division.

The fact of the matter is, that in recent years Nokia has centered its business around network equipment and the respective research and development. And while the new tech orientation leaves a lot of nostalgic mobile fans in sorrow, the venture has been mostly profitable for Nokia and it is doing fairly well in the network realm.
The acquisition of rival Alcatel-Lucent constitutes another major move in Nokia’s business restructure and as a result, the fate of its HERE maps software and the team behind it is not entirely certain. To quote a recent company statement:
The Board of Directors of Nokia believes this is the right moment to assess the position of HERE within the proposed new Nokia business
There’s no decision to sell or not sell yet, but different estimations put the value of HERE maps between $4.68 billion and $7.34 billion, so this could very well be a lucrative transaction for Nokia and a strategic investment for a lot of companies of the mobile front.
What is your take on Nokia’s ongoing restructure and do you see the Finish company giving up its maps business any time soon?

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Nokia is reportedly in negotiations to acquire Alcatel-Lucent

According to reports in Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Nokia is “in advanced talks” to acquire its telecommunications equipment rival Alcatel-Lucent. A deal between the two industry giants could be announced as early as this week.

Details on the negotiations between the two companies are said to be “scarce” for the time being. The Finnish giant could acquire only part of Alcatel-Lucent, or go for a full merger. The latter will lead to an industry heavyweight with roughly $40 billion of market value, which will compete with the likes of Ericsson and Huawei.
A deal of such magnitude will mark a major transformation for Nokia. The Finnish giant has rediscovered himself as a solid telecommunications equipment player after it sold its once mighty mobile phone business to Microsoft.
Last week, a word got out that Nokia is contemplating a sale of its HERE maps business. The company is reportedly planning the move in order to use the funds towards the Alcatel-Lucent deal.

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