Nokia Dieing Slowly

[lomatopo]

Due to their great hardware, I think Nokia will do well with the Windows 7 operating system especially in the US.

Nokia has a new U.S. VP of Sales/Marketing, Chris Weber, ex-MSFT. His plan...

http://www.bgr.com/2011/08/13/nokia-to-undercut-android-prices-to-gain-u-s-market-share/

Flood the market with different phones. Nokia plans to release Windows phones in many forms at lots of price points -- including some that will undercut the cheapest Android phones out there, which is "the quickest way to gain market share." Weber reiterated that Nokia hopes to have a Windows Phone out this year, but won't really begin shipping them in bulk until 2012.

Weber isn't starry-eyed about Nokia's chances -- he admitted that the company has a lot of hard work and could still fall apart on execution.

-------------------

[lomatopo]

A more positive global picture...

http://blog.inner-active.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/inneractive_infographic1.jpg

[lomatopo]

Nokia 500

Not sure, 6800 INR? ~ 150 USD?

Quad-band 3G

http://www.techieask.com/2011/08/nokia-500-price-and-specifications/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24xPEo0FFlY

[lomatopo]

Nokia 600

It's affordable and LOUD.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Nokia-600_id5682

~ 250 USD?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMrWJSC7jhc

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Nokia has a new U.S. VP of Sales/Marketing, Chris Weber, ex-MSFT. His plan...

http://www.bgr.com/2...s-market-share/

That blog site you posted above also has a link to a video of a supposed future Nokia smartphone running (at the time of the video) Windows Phone Mango OS. From the exterior, it's a nice looking, attractive handset that looks very Nokia-ish.

http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/19/nokia-sea-ray-windows-phone-spotted-in-video-leak-video/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm well past overdue for a new smartphone... But for now, I can't find anything that is right...

Apple - overpriced hardware, locked down OS, not an Apple fanboy

Android - new OS version every month (almost), terrible OS updating policies by manufacturers, typically weak battery life

Windows Mobile - dead OS

Nokia Symbian - dead OS

Windows Phone - pricey new release handsets, initial OS release has flaws and limitations that haven't been resolved. Unclear upgrade path for future OSs.

Other Proprietary OSs - no thanks

What's a smartphone buyer to do????

[Gary A]

I think it's relatively simple. Buy a reasonably priced phone that you like and when you are ready to upgrade again, things will have shaken out some. The next time you can have more confidence in buying a more expensive upscale phone.

A year or two from now, it's hard telling what will be available.

[Phil Conners]

Battery life is abysmal on most Androids - people carry spare batteries as often battery life is less than one day.

iPhones are acceptable, but normally need recharge every night.

Symbian devices are much better, due to better OS tuning and lower processor needs.

But WP7 will top them all.

Battery life on Androids is no worse than on Iphones. The display is by far the biggest offender, simply because it's a huge display.

I bought a couple of extra batteries with a standalone battery charger for less than 500 baht from Hong Kong for my HTC Desire. I don't carry the spares around, but I usually pop a fresh battery in the morning and/or before going out.

If I use the phone for something that both uses screen and is heavy on the CPU such as for example games, the battery lasts less than a day, but with my general average use I have about 30-40% battery life left after 24 hours. At which point I just pop in a fresh battery. (Sorry Iphone users).

[Phil Conners]

I'm well past overdue for a new smartphone... But for now, I can't find anything that is right...

Apple - overpriced hardware, locked down OS, not an Apple fanboy

Android - new OS version every month (almost), terrible OS updating policies by manufacturers, typically weak battery life

Windows Mobile - dead OS

Nokia Symbian - dead OS

Windows Phone - pricey new release handsets, initial OS release has flaws and limitations that haven't been resolved. Unclear upgrade path for future OSs.

Other Proprietary OSs - no thanks

What's a smartphone buyer to do????

Buy an Android phone with support by the OSS community. I installed OxygenROM on my HTC Desire already many months ago, and am currently running the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. It was a little scary installing it first, but now I have AlphaRev and MUCH more internal memory capacity than the very limited stock HTC Desire configuration.

Regarding "weak battery life" see my previous post.

[endure]

Perhaps Nokia are going after a different, larger, market. These phones will be sold in Europe too at about 30 Euros (25 quid).

http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/08/25/launch-nokia-101100-single-and-dual-sim-phones/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Buy an Android phone with support by the OSS community. I installed OxygenROM on my HTC Desire already many months ago, and am currently running the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. It was a little scary installing it first, but now I have AlphaRev and MUCH more internal memory capacity than the very limited stock HTC Desire configuration.

Thanks for the suggestion Phil... But how/where does one identify what particular models of Android phones/OS versions can be flashed with Oxygen and upgraded in that manner?

[FarangBuddha]

Buy an Android phone with support by the OSS community. I installed OxygenROM on my HTC Desire already many months ago, and am currently running the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. It was a little scary installing it first, but now I have AlphaRev and MUCH more internal memory capacity than the very limited stock HTC Desire configuration.

Thanks for the suggestion Phil... But how/where does one identify what particular models of Android phones/OS versions can be flashed with Oxygen and upgraded in that manner?

Yes Jack...I've got a Desire too with maxed out internal memory and would like to get off some of the HTC crapware that came pre-installed and cannot be uninstalled normally. Can you provide some links for flashing an Android phone with other ROMs and deleting crapware.

[lomatopo]

Perhaps Nokia are going after a different, larger, market. These phones will be sold in Europe too at about 30 Euros (25 quid).

http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/08/25/launch-nokia-101100-single-and-dual-sim-phones/

See post #59. Again, indicative of a scatter-shot strategy. The margin on these phones will be miniscule so you'll need to sell a billion or so.

[Phil Conners]

Buy an Android phone with support by the OSS community. I installed OxygenROM on my HTC Desire already many months ago, and am currently running the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. It was a little scary installing it first, but now I have AlphaRev and MUCH more internal memory capacity than the very limited stock HTC Desire configuration.

Thanks for the suggestion Phil... But how/where does one identify what particular models of Android phones/OS versions can be flashed with Oxygen and upgraded in that manner?

Yes Jack...I've got a Desire too with maxed out internal memory and would like to get off some of the HTC crapware that came pre-installed and cannot be uninstalled normally. Can you provide some links for flashing an Android phone with other ROMs and deleting crapware.

It's really a little off-topic for this thread, so I've started a new thread for it here.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Phil, thanks for the very clear and specific suggestions above...

[lomatopo]

Apple Could Beat Nokia in Smartphone Shipments This Year

September 7, 2011

Assuming Apple launches an iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S this year, it could finally oust Nokia as the world's largest smartphone manufacturer. Apple is expected to ship 86.4 million iPhones this year, up 82 percent from 2010, according to a report from Taiwan's DigiTimes Research division.

Nokia's smartphone shipments will tumble to 74.4 million units this year, down 25.8 percent from more than 100 million last year, DigiTimes reports. Among the top 10 cell phone manufacturers in China, Nokia will be the only one to experience negative growth (see chart below).

Samsung will experience the most shipment growth this year, up 191.3 percent to 67 million units. This means that by the end of the year, Samsung will displace RIM as the third-largest smartphone maker in the world. RIM is expected to ship 49.4 million phones this year, growing at a less impressive 12.8 percent.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392552,00.asp

[lomatopo]

Mai Bpai?

Nokia's N9 MeeGo phone to hit S'pore

Thursday, Sep 08, 2011

By Kenny Chee

SINGAPORE will be getting Nokia's N9 smartphone - presumably the Finnish company's first and last phone running the MeeGo operating system - even though major markets like the United States, Britain and Germany are not.

The 3.9-inch touchscreen N9 phone will be available from authorised Nokia retailers and all three telcos "within a month", said Mr Vlasta Berka, general manager for Nokia Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei yesterday.

Unlike HP's TouchPad slate, which was discontinued about a week after it hit stores last month, Nokia said it will continue to provide hardware and software support for the N9 in Singapore "in the next few years".

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20110908-298321.html

[lomatopo]

Nokia chief outlines Windows Phone strategy; warns of Android 'uncertainty'

By Zack Whittaker | September 9, 2011, 11:00am PDT

Summary: Nokia’s Stephen Elop discussed at an event in China the possible difficulties for Android that the Motorola-Google deal may bring, while defending Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.

Nokia chief Stephen Elop, in a speech in China, outlined the release strategy for the upcoming Windows Phone-powered Nokia smartphones.

Elop, who shortly after he was appointed soon after leaving Microsoft, steered the Nokia smartphone ship from Symbian to Microsoft’s next-generation mobile operating system, discussed the rumours that Microsoft would eventually acquire Nokia.

It would not come as a shock to many, since Google acquired the handset-making arm of Motorola, but appears to have been ruled out — for now.

But Elop said that Nokia would make its own way “independently”, as the phone giant is set to release its first Windows Phone 7-powered phone before the end of year.

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Regarding the Google-Motorola tie-up:

“It creates a great deal of uncertainty for the Android ecosystem. I’m sure it is of great concern for many of the Android participants”, he said in the speech.

Clearly one could say the same of the Microsoft-Nokia relationship, but maybe this guy is clueless?

[lennois]

Clearly one could say the same of the Microsoft-Nokia relationship, but maybe this guy is clueless?

Like Jobs is clueless with his 'reality distortion field' ?

Not clueless, just spinning it how he likes.

Nokia shares up about 20% after the google announcement btw

[lomatopo]

Nokia shares up about 20% after the google announcement btw

Dead-cat bounce?

Seriously, most attribute the uptick in NOK to the potential for a buy-out, although this seems remote as any patent trove was "off-shored" in the Mosaid deal? Or maybe this was a takeover defense? And those lows might even have been below book?

But yes, maybe Google will make some more strategic moves which help elevate the NOK share price.

[lennois]

delete

Edited September 10, 2011 by lennois

[lomatopo]

The following article is representative of the majority views regarding the uptick in NOK shares.

The Finnish mobile giant's shares have jumped as Motorola Mobility bid rekindles M&A hopes.

By Reuters, 15 Aug 2011 at 15:09

Nokia's shares jumped by over 10 per cent today following news of Google's offer for Motorola Mobility Holdings, rekindling speculation of a bid for the Finnish mobile phone company.

Nokia's shares have fallen around 45 per cent since the start of the year, prompting some speculation the stock could be getting cheap enough to tempt a bidder. The company, once the leader in smartphones, has been losing market share in both high-end devices and cheaper phones.

Google said it was paying around $12.5 billion in cash, or $40 per share, a 63 per cent premium to Motorola Mobility's closing price on Friday.

"This price should ring bells on how low Nokia shares currently are. And if you think of patents, now Nokia is the one with a really strong patent portfolio," said Swedbank analyst Jari Honko. "I'd expect this will boost the speculation whether Nokia would be a takeover target too."

Nokia shares shot up by 8.7 per cent at by lunchtime today, with one Swiss-based trader saying the Google/Motorola deal gave the Finnish mobile company's shares a "huge sentiment boost."

Both Microsoft, which is partnering with Nokia for its new phones, and Samsung, have been mentioned as possible buyers.

Nokia officials were not immediately available for comment.

[Crushdepth]

Investing in Nokia would take a lot more courage than I could muster.

[MJo]

I never claimed to be an analyst, or an "analyst"? I'm not sure what telecomms industry analysts like IDC and Gartner have to do with "multinational investment banks"? Whatever are you prattling on about?

I mean if you have some positive news about Nokia please post it, or share your insight. Feel free to sample opinions from open internet forums (that's what this is, by the way), or relevant news articles, or 3rd-party market analysis. That's how we form ideas, generate feelings and decide, in this case, if Nokia is dying or not.

The declining sales figures, loss of market share, dearth of products and Nokia's own public financial disclosures certainly indicate that the company is in a precarious position. I'm not sure any analyst, armchair or otherwise, could put lipstick on this pig and still not end up with bacon? Certainly some companies have come back from this type of situation, although I'm hard-pressed to remember one, in the tech field, right now. IBM weathered several upheavals by adapting and re-orienting, but most have not.

Post #83 by Lomatopo

"People here need to try not to take personal offense as we, and just about every analyst in the world, questions Nokia's future, just because you own a Nokia handset. "

[lomatopo]

Some positive news...

Nokia Earns at Least One Win Against Apple

Finnish mobile phone maker seeing more app downloads than the App Store

Sep 9, 2011, 1:00 pm EDT | By Anthony John Agnello, Consumer and Technology Writer

Times have been better for Nokia (NYSE:NOK). Shares in the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer, while up from lows around $4 in August, currently are trading around $6 — the last time the stock traded around $6 for an extended period was 1998, before the mobile phone market was more than a fast-growing business service niche.

Still, more Nokia phones are in consumer hands around the world than any other brand, but Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) left the company in the dust in terms of earnings from mobile phones back in January. Even with its anticipated partnership with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) likely bearing fruit in the form of new high-end smartphones targeting the U.S. mobile market in the next six months, it’s questionable whether the company can escape the gravity from the black hole that is the dying feature phone market.

But, where there’s a hope, there’s a way — and there’s at least one glimmer of promise in Nokia’s current mobile business. The Ovi Store — the equivalent of Apple’s App Store running on Symbian operating system Nokia phones — actually is a thriving environment for app developers. This is according to a new study conducted by German firm research2guidance (reprinted at BGR) that found that during the second quarter of this year, the average app in Nokia’s Ovi Store saw 160% more downloads per day than the average app in Apple’s App Store. Put another way: A business that sells its app in the Ovi Store will see its wares downloaded more times, more often than they will through Apple’s outlet.

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[lomatopo]

And maybe some not so good news... DSO high, and AR high means you've stuffed the channel. This can/will come back to haunt you. Only so much room under the rug.

Are Shorts Watching This Number at Nokia?

By Seth Jayson | More Articles

September 9, 2011 | Comments (1)

There's no foolproof way to know the future for Nokia (NYSE: NOK ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball

In this series, we use accounts receivable (AR) and days sales outstanding (DSO) to judge a company's current health and future prospects. It's an important step in separating the pretenders from the market's best stocks. Alone, AR -- the amount of money owed the company -- and DSO -- the number of days' worth of sales owed to the company -- don't tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can also suggest a desperate company that's trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

more

[lomatopo]

Nokia slips, Samsung catches up fast in market share in India

PTI | Sep 11, 2011, 11.05AM IST

NEW DELHI: Korean mobile handset maker Samsung is catching up fast with its Finnish competitor Nokia on the back of a strong growth in smartphones and feature phones in India.

Though Nokia remains the market leader in India with a 39 per cent share, its dominance is under pressure, say experts.According to industry sources, Nokia's market share has is 37.5 per cent in January-July this year. Its market share stood at 49.3 per cent in 2010.

Its competitor Samsung's market share has increased to 28 per cent in first seven months. In 2010, Samasung's had a market share of 20.1 per cent, sources said.

more

[Crushdepth]

I'm not surprised. Check out a rack of Nokia phones - what's changed in the last 7-8 years?

[lomatopo]

Ballmer: Windows Phone can win third place in mobile!

Going all-out for gold bronze

By Gavin Clarke • Get more from this author

Posted in Developer, 15th September 2011 11:58 GMT

Sales of Microsoft's smartphone operating system are lagging and Redmond needs to step things up to win third place, Steve Ballmer has said. Yes, that's right: not first, or even second... Ballmer is aiming for third. Microsoft's chief executive broke the news of disappointing sales and his strike for the bronze medal during his company's annual Financial Analyst Meeting (FAM) on Wednesday.

Ballmer told Wall St investors: "We haven't sold quite as many probably as I would have hoped we would have sold in the first year." He remains typically positive about Microsoft's chances and reckons Microsoft's got what it takes to become a "very strong third ecosystem" in the smart phone world. That would presumably mean being second to Apple with the iPhone and Google's Android.

This is the first indication from Microsoft how sales of Windows Phone 7 have gone in the 19 months since it was released. Tellingly, Microsoft has not broken out any financials on Windows Phone 7 sales. Nor has Microsoft been bragging about having hit millions of units shipped or licences sold, something it has done in the past with new versions of Windows to prove the new software's unbridled success.

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[lomatopo]

Nokia Dropped From Key Index

By ARILD MOEN

HELSINKI—Finnish handset maker Nokia Corp. is set to suffer another blow to its reputation Friday when it drops out of a benchmark index of Europe's biggest stocks following the sharp plunge in its market value in recent months.

The company has had a bad year, with its failure to compete with rivals in the fast-growing smartphone market leading to lost market share and lower profits. Apple Inc. took its crown as the world's biggest provider of smartphones and it has lost ground to rivals making phones based on Google Inc.'s Android platform. It responded by dumping its own Symbian operating system for smartphones in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp., which will provide Nokia with its Windows software. It has also been cutting costs and jobs.

A string of bad news and poor financial results, including a profit warning in February that preceded a second quarter loss, has hit the company's shares hard. The stock has fallen 42% so far in 2011, and is down 35% since the STOXX Europe 50 index was last reviewed in September 2010. Its market capitalization is down to €16.7 billion, from €25.6 billion last September, meaning it is no longer big enough to be included in an index of the biggest companies from the biggest sectors in the 18 largest economies in Europe.

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