Nokia to launch Nokia 808 phone first in India and Russia (India, Russia)
Finland based mobile maker Nokia will launch the first Nokia 808 phone with a 41 megapixel sensor camera lens in India and Russia this month, according to a report by ET. A Nokia spokesperson claims that this is the highest resolution level that any phone camera has.
Nokia has induced PureView technology in Nokia 808, which focuses on enhancing image capturing and related processing feature in the phone. As per the company, the Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology.
The price at which the phone will sell in India could not be ascertained. However, the report claims that with a 41 MP, the phone is able to shoot images that Nokia claims can be printed in poster size.
A Carl Zeiss lens shoots in continuous focus HD video, at 1080p. Mary McDowell, the firm’s executive vice president for mobile phones, said the company’s engineers had been working on the product for years.
Nokia to begin rolling out Nokia 808 PureView in May (Finland)
Nokia confirmed that the Nokia 808 PureView will start rolling out in select markets in May. The Nokia 808 PureView is the first smartphone to feature Nokia’s award-winning PureView technology. PureView represents Nokia’s highest level smartphone imaging experiences, bringing together high-performance sensors, exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, and Nokia developed imaging algorithms. The first markets to begin selling the Nokia 808 PureView include Russia and India.
Since its launch in February, the Nokia 808 PureView has received multiple awards, including Best Mobile Device at Mobile World Congress 2012, as well as an award for Best Imaging Innovation for 2012 from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA).
Jo Harlow, Head of Smart Devices at Nokia, said that PureView has completely raised the bar on imaging performance for the whole smartphone industry – and Nokia is not stopping here. They are going to carry on developing PureView for their future smartphones in ways that will again revolutionize the imaging experience.
The Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology. At standard resolutions (2/3, 5 and 8 megapixels) this means the ability to zoom without loss of clarity and capture seven pixels of information, condensing into one pixel for the sharpest images imaginable. At high-resolution (38 megapixels maximum) it means the ability to capture an image, then zoom, reframe, crop and resize afterwards to expose previously unseen levels of details. With superior low-light performance and the ability to save in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS, and on social networks, the Nokia 808 PureView makes it possible for anyone to capture professional looking images in any conditions.
In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView also includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X lossless zoom and the world’s first use of Nokia Rich Recording. Rich Recording enables audio recording at CD-like levels of quality, previously only possible with external microphones. The Nokia 808 PureView also features exclusive Dolby Headphone technology, transforming stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any headphones and Dolby Digital Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback.
Nokia looking to sell luxury division Vertu (UK, Finland)
Finland based handset maker Nokia is in advanced talks to sell its UK subsidiary Vertu to private equity group Permira, according to a report by FT. As per the report, it is expected that the deal will raise $265.19 million for Nokia.
The report claimed that people familiar with the talks were cited as saying Goldman Sachs was advising to oversee the sale, but said the outcome was not yet certain.
As reported by Wireless Federation earlier, Nokia first hinted at a potential sale of its luxury division in December. The companies Vertu and Permira are yet to make an official statement regarding the same.
Samsung overtakes Nokia for the first time in 14 years
South Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics has taken over Nokia’s leadership position in the global phone market in the first quarter of the year, for the first time, according to a report by Reuters.
According to the report, analysts expect Samsung to have sold 88 million mobile phones in January through March, surpassing the 83 million which Nokia sold in the quarter. Samsung’s smartphone such as the Galaxy Nexus have proved to be a big success for Samsung, enabling the operator to maintain a command over the market.
The exact number for Samsung’s quarterly sales is still awaited, while Nokia released the same last week. As per the report, while Nokia has been losing out to rivals Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market, it has been able to maintain its dominant position by selling lower end mobile phones to the masses.
Analysts believe that while this would have little impact on their turnover, the number change would be a big blow for Nokia. On the other hand, the same would be a cause for celebration at Samsung.
AT&T to sell Nokia Lumia 900 from 8 April (USA)
Mobile operator AT&T will sell the Nokia Lumia 900, which is powered by Windows Phone software, in the US market. According to reports, the phone will go on sale on 8 April, with customers allowed to pre-order the same on Friday itself.
The Nokia 900 is expected to be sold at $100 with a contract of two years. With rival manufacturers Samsung and Apple controlling majority of the market share, Nokia has been actively working to establish itself in the smartphone arena. The Finnish maker hopes to target the US market with its new Windows Phone, as previously, Nokia phones powered by Symbian versions were unable to make a place amongst the iOS and Android smartphones.
The price has been kept much lower than that charged by Apple and Samsung in a bid to appeal to a larger market segment. The 4G enabled phone will use AT&T’s LTE network to offer users faster download speeds and better internet connectivity.
As per reports, the Lumia 900 comes with a display screen of 4.3-inches and an 8-megapixel rear camera. The phone also offers a front facing camera to enable video calling.
However, industry analysts remain skeptical regarding Nokia’s ability to enhance its market share over the other giants. The low price may attract certain customers but customer loyalty towards brands like Apple and Samsung is extremely high and may be tough to break.
