It’s going to be a busy end of the year for Microsoft

Jun 25, 2015 11:46 GMT  ·  By

We know that Microsoft is prepping new Lumia flagship models that are set to be launched after Windows 10 has had a chance to make its official debut into the world.

It is expected that the Redmond giant will unleash the Lumia 940 and Lumia 940 XL (also known as Talkman and Cityman) into the wild at some point this year. But not so long ago, a few other Lumia Windows 10 Mobile codenames also leaked online revealing the existence of such handsets as Guilin, Honjo, Saana and Saimaa.

It’s pretty evident that Microsoft has a lot in store for the upcoming months, and a recent Wall Street Journal article citing the company’s head of mobile devices in India, Ajey Mehta, gives us a better glimpse into what the future might bring about.

Mister Mehta says that, if Microsoft wants to build a strong consumer brand in the country, it needs the support of a high-end flagship model. So, to that end, he adds that the company is planning to release a premium Lumia model locally, later this year.

Microsoft is betting on emerging markets

Microsoft’s business has been seeing an increase in India thanks to the budget smartphone lineup. For example, the company is offering the Lumia 430 in the country, its cheapest handset to date which sells for $83 / €74.

While in India Microsoft has seen some rise in market share, things are quite different on the international market. That’s why the Redmond giant is making big investments in India.

The company has re-branded more than 9,000 Nokia stores across the country, transforming them into fully-fledged Microsoft stores, where customers will be able to purchase other products under Redmond’s banner, like the Xbox devices.

Nokia was a powerful presence in India, where it had grasp over a vast distribution network and a strong after-sales service network. This is a legacy Microsoft must continue, if it has any hopes of staying relevant in the country.

A premium Lumia model will certainly help consolidate Microsoft’s name in the country, but at this point, we don’t know whether Mehta was referring to the Lumia 940 or Lumia 940 XL when he talked about flagships or to another Lumia top-tier devices altogether.