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Perhaps other "non-first first-world" (Russia?, Spain?) HN readers can help me, but it seems to me that Nokia has got the pulse of markets like India, Africa, e

by Surio 13y ago

Perhaps other "non-first first-world" (Russia?, Spain?) HN readers can help me, but it seems to me that Nokia has got the pulse of markets like India, Africa, et al very well mapped. I can definitely see phones like these gracing people's pockets soon in places like India. Plus value for money is a big thing, in such markets over features or other riff-raffs. While colour preference is a highly personal thing, those colours are definitely going to be popular in India or Africa...

captn3m0 13y ago
In India, Nokia is still a juggernaut, but it is struggling to catch up with Android. Cheap android phones are flooding the markets, and they are eating into Nokia's S40's shares. The slightly better Symbian Bella, while still being sold on market, is not under active development anymore, and since no one is buying the Lumia, Nokia is still facing issues. If Nokia could just build an android phone, that would be the end of my dreams.
- Surio 13y ago
  Thanks. Interesting angle... nokia juggernaut vs. Android juggernaut. >> and since no one is buying the Lumia Oh... I was under the impression they did okay on that count in India sales? I even heard that BB Z10 is doing very brisk business in India as well. Maybe CK Prahlad had a point on this pyramid market idea after all.
fakeer 13y ago
>>Nokia has got the pulse of markets like India, Africa You are right, they have. Mainly because people in these regions do not buy a phone just because everybody else is buying it even though many features either shall not be any use of them or will not be available for lack of infrastructure. Another big reason(maybe biggest) is that they don't have that kind of money. >>Plus value for money is a big thing I doubt it's not a big thing everywhere. It is and it's good. It just depends on person to person. >>those colours are definitely going to be popular in India or Africa These colours are what? Just colours and shall be good to go anywhere and as you rightly said "is a highly personal thing". Then, could you care to state why they are going to be particularly popular in India or Africa, if not everywhere or anywhere else - considering you bothered to made this point?
- Surio 13y ago
  >> I doubt it's not a big thing everywhere. Yes. However, elsewhere (developed markets), value for money vs. extra features vs. keeping up with latest tech. is the variables for trade-off. You yourself said it here: Mainly because people in these regions do not buy a phone just because everybody else is buying it even though many features either shall not be any use of them or will not be available for lack of infrastructure But, in markets like Africa/India, disposable income to spend over phones is not that high; so the trade-off variables in terms of what is perceived as "value for money" will be very different. So value for money dominates this demographic more powerfully. >> could you care to state why they are going to be particularly popular in India or Africa Anecdotal evidence and anecdotal observation of people's tastes and choices and approach, etc., etc.. There you go. :) Hardly rocket science stuff, and hardly something to defend on any forum (especially, this forum) ;) If they are popular elsewhere also, well, Go, Nokia, go :D!
  - fakeer 13y ago
    >>and hardly something to defend on any forum (especially, this forum) It was not about defending, I genuinely was curious because it was a totally absurd observation and now as you have already stated it is(i.e. a personal statement of choice made in a generic way). >>f they are popular elsewhere also, well, Go, Nokia Another whatever or you really believe Nokia is not "go go go" because of the colour of phones it makes? Because it made similar diverse colour phones when it was popular as in ruled! Anyway, choices - it's clear to know that it was your own very very personal opinion without any solid background or study.
Zigurd 13y ago
It's not so much that Nokia has product formulation right for those markets, it's that they dominate distribution in some markets. Trouble is, that's hard to defend.
- Surio 13y ago
  This is a very different angle to the others. >> they dominate distribution in some markets. I didn't know that. And others? not so much? Someone mentioned Samsung. I thought they were also quite dominant in India, yes? And we also hear about the home grown phones (some names.. the names escape me) and the "great chinese cellphones influx". These haven't affected Nokia yet. Is that what you're saying?
  - Zigurd 13y ago
    Competition in India and other markets for Asha phones is already intense, and Asha sales have dropped sharply, despite a lot of effort in new features and new devices. There is not much good news about Nokia.

by Surio 13y ago

captn3m0 13y ago

In India, Nokia is still a juggernaut, but it is struggling to catch up with Android. Cheap android phones are flooding the markets, and they are eating into Nokia's S40's shares. The slightly better Symbian Bella, while still being sold on market, is not under active development anymore, and since no one is buying the Lumia, Nokia is still facing issues. If Nokia could just build an android phone, that would be the end of my dreams.

Surio 13y ago
Thanks. Interesting angle... nokia juggernaut vs. Android juggernaut. >> and since no one is buying the Lumia Oh... I was under the impression they did okay on that count in India sales? I even heard that BB Z10 is doing very brisk business in India as well. Maybe CK Prahlad had a point on this pyramid market idea after all.

fakeer 13y ago

>>Nokia has got the pulse of markets like India, Africa You are right, they have. Mainly because people in these regions do not buy a phone just because everybody else is buying it even though many features either shall not be any use of them or will not be available for lack of infrastructure. Another big reason(maybe biggest) is that they don't have that kind of money. >>Plus value for money is a big thing I doubt it's not a big thing everywhere. It is and it's good. It just depends on person to person. >>those colours are definitely going to be popular in India or Africa These colours are what? Just colours and shall be good to go anywhere and as you rightly said "is a highly personal thing". Then, could you care to state why they are going to be particularly popular in India or Africa, if not everywhere or anywhere else - considering you bothered to made this point?

Surio 13y ago
>> I doubt it's not a big thing everywhere. Yes. However, elsewhere (developed markets), value for money vs. extra features vs. keeping up with latest tech. is the variables for trade-off. You yourself said it here: Mainly because people in these regions do not buy a phone just because everybody else is buying it even though many features either shall not be any use of them or will not be available for lack of infrastructure But, in markets like Africa/India, disposable income to spend over phones is not that high; so the trade-off variables in terms of what is perceived as "value for money" will be very different. So value for money dominates this demographic more powerfully. >> could you care to state why they are going to be particularly popular in India or Africa Anecdotal evidence and anecdotal observation of people's tastes and choices and approach, etc., etc.. There you go. :) Hardly rocket science stuff, and hardly something to defend on any forum (especially, this forum) ;) If they are popular elsewhere also, well, Go, Nokia, go :D!
- fakeer 13y ago
  >>and hardly something to defend on any forum (especially, this forum) It was not about defending, I genuinely was curious because it was a totally absurd observation and now as you have already stated it is(i.e. a personal statement of choice made in a generic way). >>f they are popular elsewhere also, well, Go, Nokia Another whatever or you really believe Nokia is not "go go go" because of the colour of phones it makes? Because it made similar diverse colour phones when it was popular as in ruled! Anyway, choices - it's clear to know that it was your own very very personal opinion without any solid background or study.

Zigurd 13y ago

It's not so much that Nokia has product formulation right for those markets, it's that they dominate distribution in some markets. Trouble is, that's hard to defend.

Surio 13y ago
This is a very different angle to the others. >> they dominate distribution in some markets. I didn't know that. And others? not so much? Someone mentioned Samsung. I thought they were also quite dominant in India, yes? And we also hear about the home grown phones (some names.. the names escape me) and the "great chinese cellphones influx". These haven't affected Nokia yet. Is that what you're saying?
- Zigurd 13y ago
  Competition in India and other markets for Asha phones is already intense, and Asha sales have dropped sharply, despite a lot of effort in new features and new devices. There is not much good news about Nokia.