Unveils Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600, affordable, easy-to-use mobile phones, and Nokia Prepaid Tracker
Nairobi, Kenya – At a press conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, Nokia outlined its strategy to bring the benefits of mobility to new growth markets. Today, Nokia also introduced the Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 – two new mobile phones aimed at first time users and consumers in growth markets like Africa. At the same time, Nokia unveiled the Nokia Prepaid Tracker, the world’s first completely networks-based solution that enables prepaid users to monitor their account balance on the handset display after each call. The Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 join Nokia’s range of entry level phones which emphasize ease-of-use, reliability and affordability, and contain technological features which reduce the total cost of mobile ownership for consumers. Both models are expected to be commercially available during the third quarter 2005.
"The number of new mobile users in fast growing markets continues to rise dramatically and nowhere is the rate of growth more evident than in Africa. By the end of this year, Nokia anticipates Africa will be home to 100 million subscribers and expects the African subscriber base to double to 200 million by 2009. Nokia has been instrumental in propelling the industry towards the goal of 3 billion people connected globally by 2010 because mobility offers so many benefits, such as creating employment, opening new channels of communication for social services and even helping to stimulate economies," said Juha Pinomaa, Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia.
"At Nokia, we firmly believe the key to success in new growth markets like Africa, is to work closely with mobile operators to reduce the overall cost of mobile phone ownership for consumers. It is equally important for us to work closely with government bodies to overcome possible barriers that are preventing forward momentum. With the right combination of mobile phones, network solutions services and a regulated environment, we envision a mobile landscape where operators can profitably offer mobile services to consumers for as little as USD 5 per month. When the cost of mobile services becomes this affordable, we foresee the growth curve in growth markets accelerating sharply. "
Vertu the world?s first and only manufacturer of handcrafted, luxury unveils a new exuberant colour variant: Vertu Ascent Pink. Ultra feminine, ultra classy, ultra sexy, the Vertu Ascent Pink is set to become the hottest accessory of 2005.
Call to Protect is a charity campaign that collects cast-off mobile phones to put in the hands of victims of domestic violence. They also sell the phones (although it’s not clear where, exactly), using the proceeds to fund similar organizations. If you’ve got an old phone you’d like to get rid of, it’s a nice alternative to trying to sell it for a few dollars.