Nokia's strategy of launching a new smartphone family based on Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system is still in question after some statements today by Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop. News.com reports that as part of the company's quarterly financial results, Elop said:
We have launched four Lumia devices ahead of schedule to encouraging awards and popular acclaim. The actual sales results have been mixed. We exceeded expectations in markets including the United States, but establishing momentum in certain markets including the UK has been more challenging.
Elop added that part of the reason why Nokia has had more success in the US is that it has been able to focus its marketing energies on one particular carrier. T-Mobile is the exclusive carrier for the Lumia 710 while AT&T handles the Lumia 900, which launched earlier this month. Employees at those carriers are able to be trained to use the smartphones and sell them to customers.
However, in markets such as the UK, consumers don't pick a smartphone just because of the wireless carrier. As a result, Nokia has been unable to put as much emphasis on marketing and training with the Lumia products in those territories. Elop said today that Nokia is learning from its US experience and will put that to work in other markets such as the UK, saying, "We take a step and learn. And keep pushing forward."
Elop says that Nokia plans to launch a second wave of advertising for the Lumia lineup and will also work with Microsoft to add new features to the smartphones.
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