Nokia, the world’s top cellphone maker, plans to launch its own mobile phone service in Japan next year to break into a market dominated by three domestic companies, a report said yesterday.
The Finnish firm will become the first handset manufacturer to provide cellphone services in Japan, the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun said. The market has been dominated by NTT Docomo Inc, KDDI Corp and SoftBank Mobile Corp.
Nokia is in talks to rent wireless communication networks from Docomo, the daily said.
It plans to sell handsets for the service in February — initially high-end Vertu terminals to boost its brand image — and start operating it in March, the report said.
Nokia, which sold 437 million mobile phones last year and accounted for a 37.8 percent global market share, will later provide cheaper mass-produced phones for the service, the Yomiuri said.
Vertu makes handsets that are often embellished with titanium, gold, jewels and crystal.
In Japan, NTT Docomo and Softbank Mobile Corp sell Nokia-made handsets. But Nokia’s market share is limited as many Japanese consumers are accustomed to models offered by domestic manufacturers.
In New York, Verizon Wireless, the second-largest US wireless carrier, reported long lines and sellouts for the new BlackBerry Storm smartphone, which went on sale on Friday.
Some East Coast stores drew lines of as many as 150 people, with customers showing up as early as 5:30am, spokeswoman Brenda Raney said in an interview. More stores may sell out in other time zones as the day goes on, she said.
Verizon is counting on the BlackBerry Storm to draw holiday shoppers, even as the recession and credit crunch stifle consumer spending.
The device, designed to compete with Apple Inc’s best-selling iPhone, has a media player and a clickable touch screen that lets users press down when they type on a virtual keyboard.
Customers who didn’t get a phone on Friday could place an order and receive it in four to five days, Raney said. Sold-out stores will be replenished as soon as possible, she said.
Toni Sacaro, who works in marketing in New York, couldn’t buy a Storm on her lunch break because the lines outside a Verizon store on Third Avenue were too long.
“I guess anything with a touch screen and a sleek look will cause a crowd these days,” Sacaro said.
The Storm, built by Research In Motion Ltd, costs US$199.99 with a two-year contract and a rebate.
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