Nokia rolls out first Windows smartphones

New Nokia Window smartphones

By Prince Osuagwu

World mobile phone maker, Nokia at the Nokia world congress in London on Wednesday, launched two new smartphones based on Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7.5 operating system.
The phones, Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710 may begin Nokia’s  fight back against Apple's iPhone and rivals using Google's Android software.
Nokia's new boss, Stephen Elop, had previously warned that the company was stuck on a burning platform but with the launch of the new phones he said the the "rebirth" of Nokia has just happened.
The company promised to start shipping the Lumia 800 range almost immediately and potential buyers  in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands could as well satisfy their appetites by November.
However, Nokia also introduced another four new basic phones which are also targeted at developing countries.
According to Elop, the phones would dampen the boundaries between feature phones and smart phones, just as they would also bring the internet "to the next billion people".

ASHA
Nokia calls the new range of phones Asha, perhaps using it to identify its target market since the name derives from the Hindi word for "hope".
Although the phones will be relatively cheap, they will sport features like touch screens, 5 mega pixel cameras, bright screens, 32GB storage for music and long battery life.
Profit margins in the market for basic phones are razor thin, and so Nokia's main focus will be on its new smartphones.
Mr Elop acknowledged that the Lumia 800 was a design development of a previous Nokia phone, the MeeGo-based N9. He said the Lumia is the first real Windows phone and predicted the company would be the leader in smartphone design and craftsmanship.
The Lumia 710, which comes in a range of funky colours, will be pitched as the affordable Windows phone.
The phone's product manager, Kevin Shiels, said the new phones would have integrated cameras with high-end Carl Zeiss lenses. He demonstrated how Windows Phone shows information and updates directly on the first screen, without having to tap into applications.