Nokia invades SA again

Even as news of Nokia’s purchase by Microsoft sinks in, the Finnish company unveiled a wide range of its latest devices in South Africa today.

Today Nokia announced local availability of the Nokia Lumia 925 and Nokia Lumia 625, with both smartphones expected in South Africa next week along with the latest addition to the Asha range, the Nokia Asha 210. Joining the new devices locally in October will be a new classic mobile phone, the Nokia 208.

“We are innovating across our portfolio,”” said Gerard Brandjes, vice president for Nokia in South and East Africa. “”And this innovation is translating into real results, not only in South Africa, but also across the African continent. Nokia Asha and Lumia are taking great strides, and recent results in South Africa’s top two brand awards, show that consumers really identify with our brand. We will continue to connect with our consumers, and will continue to bring products and services to market that South Africans love.””

A new interpretation of the Nokia Lumia 920, the Nokia Lumia 925 includes advanced lens technology and imaging software. These advancements ensure even more detail can be seen thanks to clearer and sharper pictures and video, in addition to outstanding low light images.

The Nokia Lumia 925 features the Nokia Smart Camera app, offering an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.

The Nokia Lumia 925 also introduces metal for the first time in the Lumia range, bringing broad appeal and benefits like increased robustness. The polycarbonate back comes in white, grey or black. In South Africa, the Nokia Lumia 925 will also ship with a wireless charging cover and a wireless charging plate.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is an accessibly priced 4G smartphone that enables people to see more of what they love with the large 4.7-inch super-sensitive LCD screen. Building on the award winning Lumia design language, the Nokia Lumia 625 will be available in South Africa in white and black with a range of other exciting colours available as changeable rear shells.

With its big screen and super-fast connectivity, the Nokia Lumia 625 delivers a richer and easier to use smartphone experience at a competitive price. In addition to all the benefits of Windows Phone 8, the device also offers SD memory card support, allowing up to 64GB of additional content storage.

Leading Nokia services such as the HERE suite of integrated location and navigation services and Nokia Music for unlimited streaming of free music playlists, add to the great experience offered by Nokia’s latest smartphones.

Bolstering Nokia’s collection of affordable Asha QWERTY devices is the new Nokia Asha 210.Featuring distinctly Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart, this stylish and compact device packs a punch with more convenience and speed than users might imagine. The Nokia Asha 210 has a high quality keyboard and a dedicated Facebook button, as well as access to all the world’s leading messaging apps including WhatsApp, WeChat and Line.

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey, even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options, including self-portrait. People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia’s innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.

The Nokia 208 combines the familiar candybar design with Nokia’s signature bold colors and 3.5G Internet speeds. Popular social apps, smarter imaging and productivity features such as Internet-sharing and Microsoft Exchange mail support make this device one of the most versatile at this price point: offering so much more than might be expected and perfect for people balancing work and play.

The Nokia Lumia 925 is expected to be available at an estimated retail price of R8999 including the wireless charging shell and plate in box, while the Nokia Lumia 625 is expected to be available at an estimated retail price of R3499.

The Nokia Asha 210 is expected to be available at an estimated retail price of R999 in a range of colours including white, black, yellow, cyan and magenta. The Nokia 208 is expected to be available in October at an estimated retail price of R899.

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