Nokia's Lumia to hit market in a week

Nokia is planning to launch its Lumia series - Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 - its first smartphones based on the Windows operating system, in a week's time in the Indian market. Lumia 800 is priced at Rs 29,999 and Lumia 710 at Rs 19,999 for the Indian markets.

“The move is expected to boost Nokia’s presence in the smartphone market, where the company has lost its share steadily,” Kannan Gopalakrishnan, director, retail, Nokia India, said.

The Lumia series is the outcome of Nokia's partnership with Microsoft in February this year. Lumia 800, the first offering following the partnership between Nokia and software maker Microsoft, was launched globally in October.

The smartphone market in India is expected to grow at 50 per cent in the next few years, with the penetration of 3G services and increased data usage. Currently, it is dominated by Samsung and Apple.

To boost the new launch, Nokia India has unveiled a new retail strategy. It has revamped the look of 5,000 Nokia retail outlets. It has rolled out a 360 degree campaign 'The Amazing Everyday' and trained its 12,500 staffs, who can sell Nokia Windows phone to smartphone buyers.