Nokia launches seven new handsets for second half

Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest mobile-phone maker, introduced seven new handset models to help maintain revenue growth and take market share from competitors including Motorola Inc.

Nokia introduced four phones that slide open, including the 6280 for so-called third-generation (3G) networks and the 6265 based on CDMA, or code division multiple access, technology, the Finnish company said at an event in Helsinki yesterday. The company also introduced two folding designs. All seven models will start selling in the second half of this year.

The company expects to gain ground this quarter after its market share slipped to 32 percent in the first quarter from 34 percent in the previous three months, chief financial officer Rick Simonson said on April 21. It's adding features such as higher-resolution cameras to challenge products such as Motorola's all-metal Razr.

"Whether it offers mobile music, mobile photography or 3G services, a handset must be easy to use in order to bring tangible benefits to consumers," Kai Oeistaemoe, senior vice president at Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, said in a statement distributed through Hugin.

Nokia also said yesterday it will use open-source software for a new mobile Internet browser on its 60-series phones. The browser will use the same components as Apple Computer Inc, the maker of the iPod music players, uses in its Safari browser.

The company yesterday reiterated a forecast that growth in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East will boost the total number of subscribers in the world to 3 billion by 2010.

Nokia, whose revenue fell in 2002, 2003 and last year, on April 21 predicted second-quarter sales will rise as much as 27 percent to as high as 8.2 billion euros (US$9.9 billion), helped by market share gains and stronger demand. Chief executive Jorma Ollila on June 8 said global mobile-phone unit sales may grow 15 percent or more this year, helped by demand in China and India.

Nokia, which has a long-term target of 40 percent market share, has said it plans to introduce 40 new models this year. Ten of them will be 3G handsets, with faster data speeds and videoconferencing capabilities.