Changing Smartphone Market Leadership

I HAVE BOUGHT more Nokia handsets than any other manufacturer's and Nokia remains the world’s largest seller of mobile phones by volume. It's declining in terms of market leadership and revenues.

I'm watching online converstion about the new Nokia Lumia with interest because I think it needs to reach 10m in sales before the middle of 2012 if Nokia is to have any hope of reversing a severe decline in its market share.

Today's earnings call revealed a huge loss in the fourth quarter of 2011 but better-than-expected sales of its new Windows smartphones. Consequently, Nokia shares are up on the day.

Nokia's headline loss of €964 million is a big number but nothing like the billions Ireland has poured into the black holes of bad banks. The two entities are distinctly different and I have to say that I've more faith in Stephen Elop returning Nokia to past form than I do in Edna Kenny restoring prosperity to Ireland.

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Rafe Blandford explains Nokia's transition on the All About Symbian blog, January 27, 2012.

Kevin O'Brien -- "Nokia Reports a One-Billion Euro Loss and a Silver Lining" in the New York Times, January 26, 2012.

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