Nokia Announces Its First Windows Phones

At its Nokia World conference this week in London, struggling cell phone giant Nokia announced a new portfolio of phones, including two Windows Phone handsets that it will target at the high end of the market. Nokia's Windows Phone devices will be marketed under the Lumia brand and will ship in Europe starting this quarter.

"Eight months ago, we shared our new strategy and today we are demonstrating clear progress of this strategy in action," Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop said. "We're driving innovation throughout our entire portfolio, from new smartphone experiences to ever smarter mobile phones. We are bringing compelling new products to the market faster than ever before. I'm incredibly proud of these new devices, and the people of Nokia who have made this happen."

Nokia announced two Windows Phone handsets, the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 710:

Nokia Lumia 800

The Lumia 800 will ship soon in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and further markets in early 2012, and it very closely resembles the company's only Meego-based phone, the N9, which shipped recently in limited markets. It features a 1.4GHz processor, a 3.7" AMOLED ClearBlack curved display that appears to float above the device, a superior 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and 16GB of internal storage. The unsubsidized price is 420 Euros, Nokia says.

Nokia Lumia 710

The Lumia 710 will ship soon in Europe, followed by a worldwide release, in early 2012. It features a 1.4GHz processor, a 3.7" TFT screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and 8GB of internal storage. It will cost 270 Euros unsubsidized. It features a white form factor, but the back panel can be removed and replaced with colorful covers.

Nokia pledged to bring both devices to the United States in early 2012.

Both handsets include a "signature Nokia experience" with the Nokia Drive turn-by-turn navigation system and Nokia Music with MixRadio music streaming. The company is also offering a pair of Monster-created mobile headphones, including the Nokia Purity HD Stereo Headset and the in-ear Nokia Purity Stereo Headset.

In addition to its new Windows Phones, Nokia also announced a new line of Nokia Asha-branded phones for the lower end of the market. Nokia says these phones "blur the line between smartphones and feature phones"; they provide QWERTY and touchscreen keyboards, Internet access, social network integration, messaging, and various Nokia applications.