Bloomberg Stockholm
Nokia, the world’s second-biggest maker of cellphones, unveiled cheaper handsets yesterday to meet consumer demand for fast connections to the internet.
The Nokia 207 and 208 are phones shaped like chocolate bars and allow users to connect to third-generation (3G) networks.
The company said they came with Nokia’s Xpress browser, which compressed data and would include social applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.
Both handsets would cost $68 (about R675) and were expected to start shipping this quarter.
A third model is a dual SIM version of the Nokia 208.
Nokia said the new models were its “most affordable 3G devices yet”.
As the Finnish company strives to catch up with Apple and Samsung Electronics in smartphones priced at more than $500, the company is also trying to boost sales of more basic handsets, which sell for a fraction of the price. This category accounts for most of its device business.
Nokia’s sales slumped 20 percent in the first quarter as competition from Asian manufacturers of phones that run Google’s Android software hurt demand for its cheaper models.
Of the 336 million handsets Nokia sold last year, only about 10 percent were smartphones.