China Telecom and Nokia have launched the first CDMA Windows phones in China. The Nokia 800C will be available for purchase in April at 3599 RMB (S$718) without contract; while the more affordable Nokia 600C will be available sometime in Q2 2012.
Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia; and Wang Xiaochu, Chairman of China Telecom at the launch.
The Nokia 800C will be Nokia’s first Lumia phone for China – the world’s largest smartphone market. It is the CDMA variant of the Windows Phone-based Lumia 800.
China will see sales of up to 140 million smartphones this year. This is an increase of more than 80%, propelling China past the U.S. as the world’s largest smartphone market, according to researcher Gartner Inc. The Nokia 610C (CDMA variant of Lumia 610, price to be announced) will target more youthful audience and will provide a perfect introduction to Windows Phone with access to the same core signature experiences as the rest of the Lumia range
China Telecom is offering the Nokia 800C in black and cyan.
Nokia is also working on phones for networks operated by China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. and
China Mobile Ltd, reported Bloomberg.
The smartphone features a 3.7″ AMOLED ClearBlack curved touchscreen display.
With a 1.4 GHz processor, hardware acceleration and a separate graphics processor, it also features an instant-share 8 Mpx camera with Carl Zeiss optics, HD video playback, 16GB of internal user memory and SkyDrive storage for accessing pictures and files from anywhere.
Android enjoys more than half the market share of smartphone platforms in the 4th quarter, while the iPhone accounts for nearly 25 percent, with Windows Phones (from all manufacturers) capturing 1.9 percent. – according to Gartner.Exclusive applications and services for a uniquely local experience
China Telecom and Nokia are targeting young people by integrating music, games, videos, and integrated reading apps right onto the Nokia 800C home screen.
To reach this target market, the Nokia 800C will be featured prominently in Tianyi FlyYoung shops, a distribution arm and new, youth-centered sub-brand of China Telecom.
People purchasing Nokia Lumia smartphones in China will have access to applications such as magazines from Trends and special offers for free downloads of popular gaming titles such as Fruit Ninja and PVZ.
Trends, a provider of highly interactive fashion magazine applications, will launch Cosmopolitan first for Nokia Lumia smartphones and provide people using a Nokia Lumia phone with free access to For Him Magazine (FHM), Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire magazines in Marketplace, opening today.
| Top 3 phone makers in China in the 4th quarter (Gartner) |
| Samsung |
24.3% |
| Nokia |
19.6% |
| Apple |
7.5% |
As an added incentive for people using a Nokia Lumia smartphone in China, Nokia will soon offer 100,000 free downloads of the hit gaming titles Fruit Ninja and PVZ through the Nokia Collection in Marketplace.
Nokia and Microsoft also announced the Be Top program, which is designed to encourage and support developers in creating great new applications on Windows Phone specifically for people in China.
Nokia will offer Lumia users access to all major Internet services in China including Sina, SOHU, Tencent and Renren as well as a choice of nearly 20,000 apps available for download through Marketplace.
The Nokia 800C comes with the Nokia apps that are available only on Lumia smartphones:
The Nokia 800C is the CDMA variant of the Nokia Lumia 800.
Nokia Maps
Quick-access, three-dimensional maps in China and over 190 countries worldwide, as well as the ability to discover the top places nearby with local content support from Fantong, Jiepang, Ctrip, Qunar and Soufun.
People can easily click on the places to see photos, recommendations and information, and quickly dial restaurants to make a reservation.
Nokia Drive
Delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device with free, voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation for over 100 countries including China.
It has a dedicated in-car user-interface, free offline navigation and speed notifications.
Nokia Music
Offers a single hub experience for discovering the latest music, including unlimited free music for 12 months for consumers in mainland China.
It also includes MixRadio, a free, global, mobile music-streaming application that delivers hundreds of channels of locally-relevant music, including the ability to listen to music offline and build personalized mixes for listening to favourite music from any location.
