Can Nokia Lumia take on Apple iPhone – MWC 2012 – Nokia’s budget Lumia 610 for India ?

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012 event @ Spain is just round the corners and handset manufacturers across the globe are expected to showcase their next generation smartphone devices. Here are some facts on smartphones sales  for the year 2011 (source: Gartner) –

1. 472+ million Smartphones sold for the year 2011

2. 149+ million Smartphpones just in the last quarter of 2011

3. Apple sold over 37 million iPhones in the year 2011, there by grabbing 19% market share

4. Apple’s iPhones sales sky rocketed in the last quarter of 2011, grabbing 23.8% market share

5. Apple was the top smartphone vendor for the year 2011

Apple:

Well, Apple has just closed a record quarter, finishing the book with $46.3 billion revenue and $13.1 billion profit. Mind blowing isn’t ? Fueled by the increased sales of iPad and iPhones, Apple was able to attain this mammoth figure.

Apple is very optimistic of continuing its winning spree for it has more advanced versions of iPad and iPhone lined up for this year as well. Apple won Best Mobile Device award at MWC 2011 event for its iPhone and it is rumoured that Apple will bring in its 3rd version of iPad for this MWC 2012 event.

With the best designs in the world, Apple gadgets are selling like hot cakes even though they are priced at premiums compred to peers. 

Nokia:

On the other hand, Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia has been continusouly losing its market share across the globe and its taking every possible step to regain its lost market. Its recent tieup with Microsoft for adopting its Windows Phone mobile OS seems to be paying off. Research reports are predicting postive outcomes of the synergy between Nokia and Microsoft and by year 2015 it is projected that Windows Phone mobiles will have significant share of the smartphone market.

Nokia is prepping its Lumia model which is touted to be the best windows martphone model ever and to be the strong competitor for Apple iPhone (iOS) and Samsung Galaxy (Android) models.

The more interesting news is that Nokia is planning to take on the smartphone market in the developing nations with new budget Lumia devices.  Rumour is that Nokia is about to launch Lumia 610 along with few other devices in the upcoming MWC 2012 event.  

These Lumia 610 Tango (Windown Phone OS) based handset will not only be the most affordable of the lot but will also be the most cheapest one.  The key differentiator is pricing. Nokia’s plan to take on Smartphone market in the developing nations is by pricing its handsets at very affordable rates. Budget Android smartphones have already created their own niche in our country. And on top, chinese smartphone manufacturers have sneaked into our market with copycat models and dead cheap prices. 

In developing countries like India, Nokia is predicting that its Lumia 610 and its other budget Windows smartphones devices will be able to takeover any competition just with its brand name and affordable rates. Can it take over ? I do believe so. Its just a matter of time, Nokia should be able to catch up in the smartphone market, at least in India if not in other countries. Whats your take ?