14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia, the Finnish handset maker is very thoughtful when it comes to its brand image. The company has just announced an impressive milestone, 1.5 billion Nokia Series 40 mobile phones sold.
It appears the landmark Nokia Asha 303 handset has been purchased by a 21-year-old Brazilian woman who goes by the name of Mayara Rodrigues. According to Nokia, the Asha 303 feature-phone was bought from a Magazine Luiza store in São Paulo, Brazil.
Although the Finnish handset maker is trying to emphasize the innovative character of its S40 Series of mobile phones, there doesn’t seem to be too much innovation integrated into any of them.
Debuted in 1999 with Nokia 7110, the Series 40 phones have been the bread and butter of Nokia’s sales in emerging markets.
“We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products," said Mary McDowell, executive vice president for Mobile Phones at Nokia.
Even though the company is trying to improve its Series S40 phones by adding more powerful hardware, there’s nothing ‘revolutionary’ about these feature-phones, as Nokia claims.
However, there’s no doubt about it, Nokia Series 40 mobile phones are among the cheapest on the market, and this is the main reason that people are buying these handsets.
The ‘cheaponary’ Series 40 mobile phones kept Nokia alive when the company couldn’t bring a competitive smartphone on the market. They will probably continue to sell very well all over the world, given their recognized branding and low price.
“At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world - it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people's lives for the better,” concluded McDowell.