Nokia hints that there will be touchscreen devices
The following article is from Yahoo. It is an interesting read especially the last 5 lines. Bring on the touchscreen devices!!!
Nokia sees Africa as next major mobile market
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nokia (Xetra: 870737 - news), the world's biggest mobile phone maker, is investing in Africa to make the region its next big wireless market, Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said on Friday.
He noted that Nokia became the No. 1 mobile phone maker in China because it invested in the region early, creating strong distribution channels there.
"We are doing that exactly as I speak in Africa, coming to the new markets earlier than the competition," Kallasvuo said during a Webcast of an investor conference.
"Things are also starting to happen in a major way in Africa." he said. "We are seeing things in Africa now that we saw in China seven or eight years ago."
The executive did not say which African countries Nokia saw as the biggest opportunities.
Research firm Gartner (NYSE: IT - news) said earlier this week that growth in countries such as South Africa and Egypt as key drivers behind a 6 percent increase in phone sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa in the first quarter.
Nokia's U.S. shares were up 64 cents, or more than 2 percent, at $28.02 in early afternoon New York Stock Exchange trade.
Kallasvuo said that while Nokia's biggest rival, Motorola -- which lost market share in the first quarter -- was going through a difficult period, it was still a strong competitive force.
"People ask when will Motorola (NYSE: MOT - news) be back," he said. "I'm saying they never went out. They are definitely competing and having an influence on the market dynamics."
Kallasvuo said he was "paranoid" about being ready when Motorola makes a comeback.
It would be difficult for a mobile phone maker to compete on the global market without at least a 15 percent market share, he said. Motorola's share fell to 18.5 percent in the first quarter from 20.3 percent a year earlier.
Kallasvuo said the entry of Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL - news) . into the mobile phone business this month, with its widely anticipated iPhone, marks the first time in years that a major new rival joins the highly competitive market.
When asked how the iPhone, which has a touch-sensitive screen, would change design trends in the industry and at Nokia, Kallasvuo hinted that the company would offer more phones with touch-sensitive screens in the future.
"I definitely believe touch screen will be something that will have increasing relevancy in the mobile phone," he said, "and we definitely are working on that."
Nokia sees Africa as next major mobile market
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nokia (Xetra: 870737 - news)
He noted that Nokia became the No. 1 mobile phone maker in China because it invested in the region early, creating strong distribution channels there.
"We are doing that exactly as I speak in Africa, coming to the new markets earlier than the competition," Kallasvuo said during a Webcast of an investor conference.
"Things are also starting to happen in a major way in Africa." he said. "We are seeing things in Africa now that we saw in China seven or eight years ago."
The executive did not say which African countries Nokia saw as the biggest opportunities.
Research firm Gartner (NYSE: IT - news) said earlier this week that growth in countries such as South Africa and Egypt as key drivers behind a 6 percent increase in phone sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa in the first quarter.
Nokia's U.S. shares were up 64 cents, or more than 2 percent, at $28.02 in early afternoon New York Stock Exchange trade.
Kallasvuo said that while Nokia's biggest rival, Motorola
"People ask when will Motorola (NYSE: MOT - news) be back," he said. "I'm saying they never went out. They are definitely competing and having an influence on the market dynamics."
Kallasvuo said he was "paranoid" about being ready when Motorola makes a comeback.
It would be difficult for a mobile phone maker to compete on the global market without at least a 15 percent market share, he said. Motorola's share fell to 18.5 percent in the first quarter from 20.3 percent a year earlier.
Kallasvuo said the entry of Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL - news) .
When asked how the iPhone, which has a touch-sensitive screen, would change design trends in the industry and at Nokia, Kallasvuo hinted that the company would offer more phones with touch-sensitive screens in the future.
"I definitely believe touch screen will be something that will have increasing relevancy in the mobile phone," he said, "and we definitely are working on that."
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