Nokia Taking Chinese Route for Its Windows Devices

Nokia plans on launching Windows Phone 7 handsets through China’s largest mobile phone carrier as the handset maker tries to fend off competition from Android devices and Apple’s iPhone.

The smartphones would operate on China Mobile’s 3G network using the TD-SCDMA standard, said Nokia executive vice president Colin Giles during a speech in Beijing on Friday. China Mobile has more than 600 million users or about two-third of the country’s total mobile phone subscriber base.

Giles, however, did not give a specific launch date, and only said the phones would be introduced some time in the future.

Nokia reigns as the top selling handset manufacturer in China. But the company has struggled to maintained that position as sales for Android devices and Apple’s iPhone grow, according to analysts.

Nokia’s move to launch smartphones through China Mobile will allow the company to tap a vast user base, said C.K. Lu, an analyst with research firm Gartner. But the devices may not appeal to most customers given their estimated high price.

“Nokia’s strategy is to use Windows Phone to position its smartphones as higher-end devices,” Lu said. “But if you want the mass market, you have to drive down the price.”

“I think this Windows Phone 7 will help them, but I don’t think it will have a big effect,” he added

Originally Posted at PC World.