Unperturbed by yesterday's news that Microsoft will buy Nokia's mobile phone business, the mobile company this morning expressed its excitement at bringing the Lumia 625, Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020 to the South African market.
VP for Nokia South and East Africa, Gerard Brandjes, noted at a showcase event in Johannesburg today that Nokia was recently recognised as one of the top five brands in SA in the Sunday Times brand survey, which he says shows Nokia is relevant to South African consumers.
The Lumia 1020 garnered the most attention at the event as Nokia's self-described flagship device. The company invested heavily in the handset's imaging capabilities, which it says offer "more than the eye can see". The phone features a 41MP camera, image stabilisation, high-resolution zoom and the ability to adjust ISO and shutter speed. There is also a range of camera apps on offer.
The smartphone allows for a 1080p video recording and up to six times zoom without losing quality. It sports Nokia Rich Recording, which allows for distortion-free stereo sound. The audience was shown a video clip of National Geographic photographer, Stephen Alvarez, who swapped his camera for the Lumia 1020 on a trip to the Grand Canyon to test its imaging capabilities. "The Nokia Lumia 1020 performed like a DSLR under every condition, from low light to moving airplanes," said Alvarez.
On the software side, the Lumia 1020 comes with Windows Phone 8, as well as built-in Microsoft Office. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 32GB mass memory, 2GB RAM, is LTE enabled and offers wireless charging.
More to offer
Nokia also announced its Lumia 925 and Lumia 625 will be available in SA from next week, along with the latest addition to the Asha range, the Nokia Asha 210.
"We are innovating across our portfolio, and this innovation is translating into real results, not only in South Africa, but also across the African continent," says Brandjes.
Ifi Majid, head of product marketing for North America, says the Lumia 925 "pushes the boundaries of design" by introducing metal for the first time. The handset features a metal ring which increases antenna performance. The polycarbonate back comes in white, grey or black.
The Nokia Lumia 925 will ship with a wireless charging cover and a wireless charging plate, and is expected to be available at an estimated retail price of R8 999.
The Nokia Lumia 625 is a more accessibly priced 4G smartphone featuring a 4.7-inch LCD screen, and will be available in SA in white and black with a range of other colours available as changeable rear shells. In addition to running Windows Phone 8, the device offers SD memory card support, allowing up to 64GB of additional content storage. The device will come at an estimated retail price of R3 499.
Not forgetting the lower end of the market, Nokia also showcased the Asha 210. Forming part of Nokia's range of affordable qwerty devices, the device comes with a 2MP camera, a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options, and built-in voice guidance to take a "selfie". The Nokia Asha 210 is priced at R999 and available in white, black, yellow, cyan and magenta.
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