Nokia recently announced its strategy and updates to its targets and outlook.  The targets did not surprise me as a company like Nokia—in a transition face—has to come up with an emergent strategy periodically until the transit period end.  Even as Nokia is on right track with its Windows Phone strategy it is still struggling with “too little-too late” phenomenon when it comes to regaining market leadership.

I find it difficult somehow to agree with the first bullet point of Nokia plan:
“Invest strongly in products and experiences that make Lumia smartphones stand out and available to more consumers”.

No doubt Nokia is investing strongly in products and experience and its products are available to more customers yet, Lumia smartphones do not stand out when customers pull cards out of their pocket to buy smartphones. Design wise Lumia smartphones are impressive, and people do talk about them but when it comes to actual buying people choice is different.  I agree that Lumia smartphones need to be “available to more consumers” if it means breaking a certain price barrier but to consider it a universal remedy is like living in a fool’s paradise.

Smartphones are not luxury cars that many often only dream of buying as they are not able to afford them.  Smartphones are a matter of only a couple of hundred dollars.  I know two families personally who till recently were carrying phones like E63, C5 and C3 (all Nokia) in their pockets who are now happily carrying Galaxy S IIs and S IIIs in their hands.  There are two things to note here.  They do not mind even if their phones are no more pocket able.  Secondly, they moved from mid to low range phones to top-end smartphones.  They were not waiting for a mid to low range Lumia either.  Nokia could not provide them with a Lumia that would generate a shock and awe factor in their social circles.  They were dismayed that Nokia failed to tick all the boxes when compared to Galaxies.

A smartphone without a front facing camera is a big no-no in the social media world.  A lot of self-photographs that are available on social media are not shot with the main camera of the phone but the front facing camera regardless of its resolution as once a photo effects are applied with an app, it is the effect that matters and not the resolution.  Near field communication (NFC) is also gaining momentum where Nokia was once ahead of the time but is currently shunted out to a pit stop.  High-end Lumias need to aim at breaking the current benchmarks instead of imitating what iPhone started as.  To put it candidly, Lumias have just been a blip on the radar so far.

Similarly, smoked or blown by Windows phone is an attention catching novelty waiting to vaporise soon if not backed by a solid tick all the boxes hardware and a standout user experience.  No doubt Windows phone is fast and smokes its competition in many ways, but it cannot even enter the ring when it comes to Skype and Viber.  Browser personalisation.  Multi-tasking loopholes.  To name a few.

Smoked or blown by Windows phone campaign also needs to lift its game with a unique Nokia flavour. Call quality, navigation and camera have always been a hallmark of Nokia.  There is a need to emphasise Nokia-ness in these areas instead of speed testing of tagging a photo and uploading it on social media.

And they say charity begins at home.  It would be great if all the Nokia publications and web sites carry photos shot by Nokia only especially with the presence of PureView around.