Nokia hints at new form factors and a 'hero device' for Q2
Summary: After rumours emerged this week that phablets and a 41-megapixel device were in the works at Nokia, its chief exec has added more fuel to the fire.
Nokia is not publicly commenting whether it it's planning to launch a phablet or tablet, but the company isn't ruling out adding new form factors to its Lumia lineup in the near future.
Nokia announced its first quarter earnings on Thursday, which saw its Lumia shipments up by 20 percent quarter on quarter — rising to 5.6 million from 4.4 million in the fourth quarter 2012. It also set itself an ambitious target of growing Lumia sales by more than 27 percent over the current quarter thanks to the wider availability of its new Lumia models and the easing of supply constraints.
On a call with analysts today, Nokia chief Stephen Elop said that what's driving this "bullishness" is its next round of product launches, coming this quarter.
"Additionally, Nokia, Microsoft, and operators have agreed to increase the global Windows Phone marketing dollars towards Lumia," Elop said.
Nokia wants the next Lumia, at least for the US market, to reach "hero" status and says that in the next quarter people should expect to "see another hero move" by the company.
"Later this quarter, a new Lumia device is anticipated to have hero status with a leading US operator," said Elop, noting that Nokia had achieved this with AT&T and the Lumia 920.
Phablet in the works?
Earlier today, the Financial Times reported that Nokia was planning to launch a phablet, similar in size to Samsung's Galaxy Note, but with "more advanced" specs.
While Nokia declined to comment on the rumours, Elop told analysts today that the current Lumia lineup could be taken in two new directions in future: pushing down price points and "expanding that effort to broader form factors" — a hint perhaps that a tablets and phablets could indeed be on the way.
Elop added the company will continue to differentiate upcoming products through their imaging capabilities — similar to its strategy for the Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia 920.
"You should watch for us in the imaging area to continue to advance the state of the art, like what is the best experience on imaging on devices. But you should also watch from us is taking that experience and delivering a appropriate levels of that experience on lower price point devices through the range," he said, giving credence to recent rumours suggesting a flagship handset packing the 41-megapixel sensor last seen on the PureView 808 would be debuting soon.
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Talkback
41mp are still nonsense.
It's a load of bull. And it's just adding more fuel to that megapixel myth.
In terms of cell phone cameras I do like HTCs approach. 4mp, that's more than you would ever need. Add a smaller fixed aperature than what you have on other phones and you have something that works well for everyone. Plus the photos aren't bloody 13MB large so you can actually share them without shrinking them down first... Which is another problem, if you actually want to use those 41mp photos you pretty much have to shrink them down first anyway to about say 3000x2000 (resolution of a Nikon D40, 6mp. Remember that number? :P) for a decent filesize. And that makes those "glorious" 41mp completely useless again.
go...
Oh dear
You have no understanding of what you write about
Great news for Nokia ...
The last thing the mobile market needs is just two big players governing parts availability and features, limiting choice for the rest of us.
Honestly...
Not much of a factor? Think again...
You can bet that Apple and the Android makers are looking at the rising sales, even if they are comparatively tiny at this point.
Not much a factor in North America
I have a 920
And the camera ... Wow. Many writers have pointed out that the low-light capabilities are almost game-changing, and I can't disagree. I took some night time pictures at a harbor front a couple of weeks ago and the resulting images were stunning in their quality.
If Nokia can continue to identify areas of opportunity to add value, then they will see incremental success.
Now, about that "Windows-only" strategy. Uh....
Windows only strategy makes sense
Plus, would the 920 be the best handset you've owned without WP8? I'd have to say no. It could be Android, but then it wouldn't be as smooth and would require a larger battery and a faster CPU/GPU to do what it does today without issue.
I like my Windows Phone
Great Hardware!
Windows 8 Pro won't fit in there, so, they'll have to settle for the WP8,
;)