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Nokia set to unveil low-priced Lumia 610 Windows Phone at MWC

Feb 15, 2012 2:21 am by damaster | 4 comments

After we reported a rumor yesterday about a potential Nokia Windows Phone to be launched at Mobile World Congress (MWC), another rumor surfaces today about more devices that Nokia is set to unveil at MWC. Pocketnow.com first got words that Nokia is set to unveil six devices at MWC – three Nokia Asha-series S40 phones, one Symbian device, as well as two Windows Phones. Specifically, Pocketnow reports that the Nokia Lumia 610 will be unveiled during the event, together with a global version of the Lumia 900:

The six devices are supposedly split evenly among smartphones – two Windows Phones and a Symbian – and three S40 feature phones. Specifically, we’re now expecting the global version of the Lumia 900, an entry-level handset dubbed the Lumia 610, and the Nokia 808 PureView, which has been rumored as a full touchscreen successor to the camera-centric N8. Also tipped were the Asha 302, Asha 203, and Asha 202.

Now another source has confirmed the Nokia Lumia 610 device. TechRadar also got words from sources indicating that the Nokia Lumia 610 will debut at MWC:

Nokia’s forthcoming Lumia 610 is set to tread new ground for the Windows Phone platform and enter the market as a pay as you go only offering … sources close to the matter have confirmed to TechRadar that the budget model will be priced very aggressively in UK shops.
With the Nokia Lumia 710 already only costing £199.99 on PAYG with O2, and further price drops anticipated in the near future, it’s not a great leap to think that the Lumia 610 will be cheaper still if we follow Nokia’s numbering strategy.
Definite pricing for the Nokia Lumia 610 has yet to be confirmed for the new phone as yet, but the idea of a Windows Phone handset for under £100 should surely start getting the budget Android manufacturers a little hot under the collar.

TechRadar also said that the Lumia 610 will also run on Windows Phone “Tango”, which is expected to be announced by Microsoft at MWC, and explains the low pricing for the Lumia 610. Forbes reported previously that the device Nokia is set to announce at MWC has “an unusual software feature normally found only on high-end smartphones”, possibly hinting at an upcoming feature in “Tango”.

Whatever the device is going to be numbered, all sources seems to indicate that Nokia will be targeting the lower price ranged smartphone market to make Windows Phones more affordable to the masses – which is consistent with Microsoft’s strategy with Windows Phone “Tango”. With less than two weeks to go, we can’t wait to see what is coming at Mobile World Congress 2012.

This entry was posted in Mobile and tagged Mobile World Congress, Nokia, Windows Phone. Bookmark the permalink.

From our Gallery:

Nokia Lumia 610

Display: 3.7 in TFT WVGA

Processor Size: 0.8 GHz

RAM: 256 MB

Storage: 8 GB

Front Camera: None MP

Rear Camera: 5 MP

http://withwindows.com Ricky Shah
Is it Nokia 610 or 601? Too much confusion with the numbers…
- Damaster – LiveSide.net
  Seems like 610 is more credible, and is what is quoted in both Pocketnow and TechRadar.
  The 601 number only came from a device mockup image leaked late last year, but it seems like some websites have mistakenly used this for the same news.
  - http://withwindows.com Ricky Shah
    Yeah…That’s why I have refrained from covering the same news again. To be frank 601 and 610 screenshots looks quite different. A closer-look may help in differentiating it.
    See http://withwindows.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/nokia-lumia-610-1.jpg and http://liveside.net/wp-content/images/2012/02/Nokia-Lumia-610.jpg
    The speaker position is somewhat different, but it could be due to backcover. What do you say?
    The distance of ‘Nokia’ logo in 610 screenshot is very next to speaker while in 601 the distance is more.
    - Damaster – LiveSide.net
      First, regarding device names: There’s no source indicating there is in fact a “Nokia 601″ (besides from a backcover mock-up that seems to have been photoshopped). On the other hand, the “Nokia 610″ is backed up by various sources, and even passed certification in Indonesia.
      Second, regarding the device render images: The blue looking one (http://liveside.net/wp-content/images/2012/02/Nokia-Lumia-610.jpg – front only) is actually from Nokia’s official YouTube video last year, so it has some credibility of being an actual device. The one from NokUS (http://withwindows.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/nokia-lumia-610-1.jpg) has no credibility, and could potentially be photoshopped (I could be wrong though).
      So based on the credibility of the information, all we know at the moment is that:
      1. There is a “Nokia 610″, and
      2. There *may* be a device that looks like the blue one.
      But no one knows for sure if they are one and the same.