Nokia has announced plans to extend high-end innovations to more people in more markets. The announcement was made Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Spain during the launch of four new devices designed to bring innovation to new price points, while Nokia’s HERE location suite becomes available for non-Nokia phones in the Windows Phone ecosystem.

Nokia also announced new developer partnerships that use Nokia expertise in imaging, location and entertainment to deliver exclusive application experiences. Finally, Nokia and Microsoft are combining their strength in the enterprise sector to bring more business customers to Windows Phone.

“The momentum behind Nokia is gathering pace. The launches today reflect our commitment to broadening our devices and services portfolio to meet the demands of people and businesses around the globe,” said Stephen Elop, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nokia.

“By offering better experiences at a more affordable price we are reinventing the battle for affordable mobile devices, and Nokia has to the building blocks to win,” he added.

Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 expand Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 portfolio. The Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high end camera performance at a mid-range price point. A large f/1.9 aperture and exclusive Carl Zeiss optics are designed to deliver bright, clear pictures day and night, while the HD-quality, wide-angle front-facing camera makes taking pictures with friends and video calling more enjoyable. The sleek and stylish smartphone comes with the latest high-end Nokia Lumia experiences, including Nokia Music, the HERE location suite, and the option to add wireless charging with a snap-on wireless charging cover.

The Nokia Lumia 720 comes in five colours, with an estimated starting price of EUR 249 before taxes and subsidies. Rollout is planned to start in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore in Q1 2013, before continuing into broader markets in Q2, including China as well as key markets in Europe, Asia, Africa and India.

The Nokia Lumia 520 is Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, delivering experiences normally only found in high-end smartphones, such as the same digital camera lenses found on the flagship Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Music for free music out of the box and even offline, and the HERE location suite. A four inch super sensitive touchscreen makes for

a more responsive and immersive content experience than can usually be found at this price.

The Nokia Lumia 520 comes in five colours, with an estimated starting price of EUR 139, before taxes and subsidies. Roll-out is planned to begin in Q1 2013 in Hong Kong and Vietnam, before expanding broadly in Q2 to markets in Europe, Asia – including China and India – Latin America and Africa. The Nokia Lumia 520 is also planned to roll out in the United States with T-Mobile.

Nokia also announced that following the launch of the Nokia Lumia 920T by China Mobile last year, the world’s biggest mobile operator would bring the Nokia Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520 to China. Further details on exact availability will be announced in due course.

Nokia’s official blog, Nokia Conversations, has additional information on the Nokia Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520.

•Photo: Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Elop.

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