Nokia to reveal new line-up at Mobile World Congress?

It is traditionally the place where the major mobile manufacturers announce their big releases. Mobile World Congress is one of the largest trade shows for the technology community in the world. A gathering of peers, journalists, manufacturers and designers it is a huge shop window to get a glimpse into the gadgets and goods that will be on the market over the coming months.

This year all eyes will be on the mobile phone market. 2011 was a big year for smartphones. They are becoming more and more popular with UK shoppers and are an increasingly important source of revenue for manufacturers. In previous years it has all been about Apple and the iPhone. Instead, last year we saw Android and in particular Samsung with its Galaxy series make a bid to take the top sales crown, even though it was piped at the post by Apple right at the end of the year. More competition means the stakes are higher and the anticipation even greater to see what the manufacturers will release. 


Nokia has been the first where a possible line-up and some news has been revealed. Reportedly there are six devices the Finnish manufacturer will be unveiling at the Barcelona event. There will be two Windows Phones a Symbian and three s40 feature phones. It's likely this will include a worldwide Lumia 900, another entry level device to partner the Lumia 710, probably the Lumia 610, and the Nokia 808 PureView. The latter has been rumoured to be the follow up to the immensely popular N8 with its impressive 12 megapixel camera. 


The Lumia devices it is likely will run Windows Phone. Nokia and Microsoft announced a partnership last year and the first device to come from it was the Lumia 800.  A decent and solid first device the operating system of WP 7.5 Mango was heralded as probably its best feature, sitting neatly with Nokia's spec and strong design. Symbian devices had disappointing sales last year and the Lumia was only launched at the end of 2011, leaving it little chance to have a major impact on Nokia's sales figures. Widening out the range and offering more choice should challenge that.


The Lumia 900 was first unveiled as a US exclusive at Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show in January. There have been rumours the device will get a UK launch possibly during the summer. If the device is announced as a global version it will ensure the Lumia range can reach more consumers. Shoppers like choice. They like a range of devices that fit different price points and requirements. Nokia already has the Lumia 710 which is a more basic version of the 800. Another will widen it out and hopefully increase sales.


The other devices to be announced, it has been suggested, will be the Asha 302, Asha 203 and Asha 202.


2012 is a big year for Nokia. After those sales figures and the loss of several thousand jobs, much rides on what Nokia offers for the smartphone market and how it will take on its competitors. It still commands the lion's share of the mobile market but has failed to make a serious dent in the smartphone market. The Finnish firm will be hoping its Windows Phone partnership will really change that in 2012, and that it can continue to make inroads with its own operating system, Symbian.