Smartphones may comprise a majority of mobile-phone shipments worldwide, but a sizeable number of handset users still prefer basic feature phones.

Nokia catered to the latter market on Wednesday by debuting two 3G-capable feature phones — the 207 and 208 — that are specifically designed to provide users with quick Internet access.

Available in red, cyan, yellow, white and black, the handsets have Nokia's traditional "candybar" design. They offer Internet-connection sharing, and come pre-installed with Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.

"The Nokia 207 and Nokia 208 are designed for people who like a classic phone and traditional keypad, but don't want to miss out on smartphone experiences, like staying connecting to social media and accessing the Internet," Timo Toikkanen, executive vice-president of the Finnish company's Mobile Phones division, said in a release. Read more…

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Nokia’s latest top-end Windows Phone is set to be unveiled in less than a week’s time.

But despite a 27 per cent jump in Lumia sales in the first quarter of 2013, all is not well at Espoo.

Investors are up in arms about CEO Stephen Elop’s insistence on sticking with Microsoft’s struggling mobile platform, with one complaining that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

The same shareholder, speaking at Nokia’s AGM in Helsinki, told Elop that while he was “a nice guy”, he needed to be aware that “results matter”.

This is the most damning assessment of the former Microsoft man since he became the first non-Finn to run the once-great mobile maker.

Elop, though, is not for turning. His response was simple.

Quoth Elop: “We make adjustments as we go. But it's very clear to us that in today's war of ecosystems, we've made a very clear decision to focus on Windows Phone with our Lumia product line.

“And it is with that that we will compete with competitors like Samsung and Android.”

That last line is particularly telling.

To Elop, Google and its software is as much a rival as Samsung and its best-selling hardware.

Couched in these terms, it’s easy to see why investors are unimpressed.

Android’s free availability makes it a cheaper option for Espoo, even if it would stymy its chances to build on the likes of its superb Nokia Maps.

While Windows Phone is a very sharp operating system, it just doesn’t have the traction of Android.

If Elop wants to boost sales and hence Nokia’s bottom line, his first move should be to begin work on a Nokia Android phone.

His company’s hardware pedigree is undeniable and a skinned Android handset would surely be lapped up.

As it is, Elop is beginning to sound like his predecessors, obsessed with fighting it out with rivals on an ailing platform despite being left for dust by Apple and Samsung.

He once described Symbian as a ‘burning platform’, and while no one would ever say Windows Phone has the same dated feel as that old-school OS, it’s certainly beginning to look like a dead end.

Going to Google might be a bitter pill for Elop to swallow, but it doesn’t have to be.

He can always release both Google and Microsoft-backed handsets, just as HTC and Samsung do.

This option allows both to appear not to favour one over the either, even though the Big G’s OS is clearly where it’s at in terms of sales.

If he doesn’t, then it’s evident that investors will show him the door.

Either way, a Nokia Android phone is clearly the fix that Finns with a stake in the company are desperately seeking.

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Nokia has debuted a new Lumia challenger, packing 4G support and a PureView camera.

Set to land first in the US, where it’s exclusive to Verizon, the Lumia 928’s main sell is its 8.7 megapixel camera.

That doesn’t sound like much compared with the 41-megapixel camera from the original PureView phone. And in truth probably isn’t so good that we can throw our SLR’s away, whatever Nokia claims.

But augmented by Carl Zeiss optics, a xenon flash and other features from on earlier PureView-branded kits, the snapper is certainly the standout spec here.

Elsewhere, the Lumia 928 packs a 4.5-inch OLED Gorilla Glass screen, the latest Windows Phone 8 version of Microsoft’s OS, 32GB of internal storage and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor to keep things ticking over.

Nokia is also making much of the phone’s audio capture smarts, which it claims keep distortion to a minimum, and loudspeakers that are purportedy capable of playback at 140 decibels.

Matt Rothschild, vice president of Nokia North America, said: “Whether you’re attending a party, a concert or a sporting event with friends, the Nokia Lumia 928 excels at capturing high-quality video, audio and blur-free photos of life’s most share-worthy moments.”

Nokia is set launch the European version of the phone on Tuesday, when we’ll also learn which UK carriers are offering the phone.

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Nokia has officially raised the curtain on its latest flagship challenger, the Lumia 925, as it plots its slow but steady comeback to the smartphone top table.

The Lumia 925 is a direct sequel to the Lumia 920, featuring a 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display with ClearBlack technology, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and an 8.7-megapixel PureView camera with optical image stabilisation – all rolled into a slick and slim metal chassis – for the first time in the Lumia range.

Elsewhere, it’s home to an all-new feature called Smart Camera which introduces a range of editing options and shooting modes to further augment the handset’s imaging capabilities, plus a host of Nokia’s best apps and services pre-installed, such as Nokia HERE Maps with free navigation and Nokia Music for unlimited streaming of free playlists.

"We keep innovating," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. "We're advancing experiences on the Nokia Lumia portfolio whether that means great new benefits for an existing Lumia owner, or bringing new showcase devices like the Nokia Lumia 925."

The Lumia 925 also comes with Microsoft’s mobile Office suite out of the box and wireless charging support though compatible back covers and charging docks, which can be purchased separately.

Vodafone UK has already confirmed it will be offering the Lumia 925 on its Red tariffs when it launches sometime in June and will have exclusivity over the 32GB edition of the handset.

Phones 4u has also revealed it will be ranging the 925 on contract through various networks and will reveal pricing and availability details in the near future.

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O2 and Three have officially confirmed they’ll be on board for the impending launch of Nokia’s latest flagship smartphone, the Lumia 925.

The networks join Vodafone, which has already thrown its support for the 925’s UK debut in June. Customers can currently register their interest on the networks’ official websites to be informed as soon as the handset is available to pre-order.

High street retailers Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4u have also confirmed they’ll be ranging the handset and are accepting registrations on their sites to notify punters when deals become available.

Announced this week, the Lumia 925 is the first handset in the Lumia range to feature a metal casing and houses a 4.5-inch ClearBack display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon chipset and an 8.7-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and optical image stabilisation.

Powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, the 925 also comes with some new software features, namely the Smart Camera mode that offers built-in photo editing and a host of shooting modes.

It’s also preloaded with Nokia HERE Maps with free driving navigation, the Nokia Music app that lets you enjoy unlimited streaming of free playlists and a mobile edition of the Microsoft Office suite for working on the move.

The Nokia Lumia 925 goes on sale in June. Pricing details are still under wraps but we expect free-phone contracts to be in the region of £30-35 per month.

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On Tuesday, Nokia chief Stephen Elop fielded questions from irate shareholders at his company’s annual meeting in Helsinki. When, they wanted to know, would he do something about Apple and Samsung? In London next week, Nokia will announce its new high-end flagship product, whatever it is.

But Elop’s launch of the Nokia’s new Asha 501 in India this morning is worth watching more than the ailing manufacturer’s battle at the top end of the market. At a recommended price of $99 (before taxes) and near-enough full smartphone functionality, this is Nokia’s big push to capture the growing market for cheap smart devices. Elop wants to sell 100 million of them over the next few years. By way of comparison, that’s one in seven of every smartphones sold last year. Read more…

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Nokia is reportedly working on a true PureView Windows Phone, which will include a sensor similar to the one found on the company’s 41-megapixel 808 handset.

According to The Verge, the phone will be made out of aluminum rather than the polycarbonate typically found in Nokia’s Lumia line. Slated to launch on AT&T later this year, the handset –- code-named EOS — will be one of several Lumias sporting a new design. Nokia is also reportedly working on its own Windows 8 tablet to debut later this year.

The Lumia 920 also bears the PureView name. Arguably one of the best smartphone cameras available on the market today, the 920 has a backside-illuminated sensor and fixed f/2.0 aperture, which makes for some astounding low-light photos. Read more…

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