Nokia's Focus on Emerging Markets

Today, Nokia's talking about bringing smartphones to the "next billion" at their Nokia World conference. Calling them "young and aspirational" and living in "high-growth economies" with a median age "below 25." In other words, to put it bluntly, it appears as if Nokia's giving up in the developed world. Apple and Google have completely destroyed Nokia. By being excited about developing markets (a good thing, do not get me wrong), Nokia has given me the appearance that they're done here. "It's gotta be about affordable, it's gotta be about irresistible, it's gotta be about easy to use, it's gotta be about inviting, it's gotta be just great." They marketing to people who don't have "a hell of a lot of disposable income." She gets the Asha 300 touch/type phone.

They're showing off people in developing countries and telling their stories to show how Nokia's new phones fit these users. And the boy in Nairobi supposedly is "fantasizing" about a dual-SIM phone so he can have two phone identities. Thus the Asha 200 phone. This lady is seriously a little over-enthusiastic about phones, more than Steve Jobs got. And Steve Jobs was introducing products that "change everything." These are low-end Series 40 Nokia phones (NOT the new Windows Phone devices). And the big draw is that Nokia's bringing Angry Birds to Series 40. Seriously.

We shall see what comes later in the presentation, but so far, I'm thinking this is death to Nokia...