Nokia: Microsoft is giving us 'specific support' to compete with Android at even lowe

[wraggster]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/dsc1792-1339369629.jpg (http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/nokia-microsoft-is-giving-us-specific-support-at-low-end/)Nokia made mention of a broader Lumia (http://www.engadget.com/tag/Lumia/) phone range coming as part of its major strategy shakeup (http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/nokia-layoffs-vertu/), but it wasn't clear just where the Windows Phone line was heading. During a call discussing the nitty-gritty of the strategy shift, though, the company made clear that it was swinging towards devices cheaper than theLumia 610 (http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/nokia-lumia-610-review/) -- much cheaper. Plans had already been underway to drop the price lower, but Microsoft had given "specific support" to get to lower prices than Nokia "had a sight to." Executives dropped hints that "important catalyst dates" in Microsoft's Windows Phone timetable were instrumental to lower prices; we've got a few ideas (http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/microsoft-windows-phone-apollo-sneak-peek/) as to what Nokia might mean. The cost-cutting was considered vital to competing with the very low-cost Android smartphones that thrive in countries like China, as Nokia wasn't about to throw a mix of basic Symbian phones and Windows Phones against a pure smartphone platform like Google's. Along with narrowing the focus in product launches to fewer countries but more ambitious plans -- think of AT&T's Lumia 900 launch shebang (http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/07/nokia-lumia-900-launch-times-square-nicki-minaj/) -- Finland's phone giant thinks it can go toe-to-toe with Android-using rivals that can often compete solely on cost.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/nokia-microsoft-is-giving-us-specific-support-at-low-end/