After a few delays, Nokia Pakistan finally had their most-awaited Switch to Lumia event in Karachi on 12th February 2013. This event marked the official launch of the current Lumia series of devices by Nokia in Pakistan — and it is safe to say Nokia has been the only manufacturer in Pakistan to officially bring Windows Phone 8 devices.
Nokia launched the new high-end Nokia Lumia 920, the mid-range Lumia 820 and the budget model Lumia 620 in an amazing event held in Karachi. Several media representatives and bloggers from all over Pakistan (including us) were invited to attend the launch ceremony. The last time we were invited, it was the very first global launch event by Nokia from Pakistan. The new Nokia Lumia series has been launched in partnership with Moblink, and is now available across Pakistan on selected stores. More on this after the jump.
This grand event had an amazing set up, along with an equally impressive lineup of speakers for the evening. Let’s take a brief look at what was discussed at the launch event. For those interested, the official press release has been attached in the end.
Alessandro Lamanna
Alessandro Lamanna (Vice-President, Marketing – IMEA at Nokia) explained how confident he was with the Lumia products and how important these products are for Nokia. He explained how Nokia and Windows phone 8 together made perfect sense: optimization, pleasing built quality and attractive screen. He made sure Nokia is committed to Pakistan and this is why they are launching not two, but three Lumia products with all the accessories – most importantly, wireless charging.
Dunia Othman
Then came Dunia (Marketing Manager, Nokia Near East) who mainly talked about the new flagship product by Nokia, the Lumia 920. She explained the features and how the new WP8 takes usability to a whole new level. She emphasized how smooth its UI was, and we totally agree with her. Our first reason to fell in love with Windows Phone 8 was its simple and fluid UI which no other smartphone OS offers so far. According to Dunia, Nokia engineers made sure that during scrolling and browsing through different menus in Lumia phones did not lag.
Next, she gave a quick demo of the new sensitive touchscreen of the Lumia 920. She presented herself by using hand gloves with the Nokia Lumia 920 and showed the phone is capable of being used easily in cold conditions.
Nokia Lumia devices will be available to Pakistani market in various eye-catching colours and briefly mentioned other compatible devices.
Arsalan Zia Qureshi
Head of Mobilink Corporate Sales, Arsalan Zia Qureshi, came up the stage to announce introduction of Nokia Lumia devices in specific Mobilink Business Centers across Pakistan. Mobilink has always planned and brought pleasing and attractive smartphone devices at amazing prices for its customers. We have already seen that with Mobilink introducing several smartphones from Samsung, HTC and BlackBerry. They are confident having a partnership with Nokia.
Salman Siddiqui
Salman Siddiqui (Country General Manager, Microsoft Pakistan) came next and added how Nokia is glad with the new product line and expect it to be a success amongst other smart phones. He explained, Nokia with similar aesthetics and technology in their new line up would give a unique, uniform and easy access to information across computers, tablets (hint: Nokia tablets might be next!) and Nokia phones. He mentioned that Nokia has done exceptional job by introducing Windows Phone 8 which works with strong hardware specifications.
Event Gallery
Our interview with Anca Ventura (Senior Manager Portfolio, Planning & Analytics, Nokia) will be published soon. Keep checking back! And like we mentioned earlier, here is the official press release of the Nokia Lumia event:
Nokia Launches its Amazing Range of Windows Phone 8 Devices in Pakistan
The new Lumia range delivers distinctive experiences through its revolutionary technology and gear accessories
Karachi – 12th February, 2013: Nokia Pakistan introduced the highly anticipated Lumia range powered by Windows Phone 8 in the country today. The device portfolio which was unveiled here consists of flagship device Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 820 and Nokia Lumia 620.With the latest range of Lumia Windows 8 devices, Nokia Pakistan is all set to lead the change for the Windows Phone ecosystem with its Lumia differentiators.
Speaking on the launch, Alessandro Lamanna, vice-president marketing – IMEA (India, Middle East, Africa) at Nokia said, “We are focused on redefining the future of smart devices and continue to invest towards delivering truly compelling experiences to consumers across price points. With the launch of Lumia Windows Phone 8 range, we aim to usher an era of unique innovations in the smart phone market. The announcement today is yet another giant leap in the remarkable progress we have made against our strategy announced in February 2011." He further added, "We are working with partners across the board to take the Lumia experience to more and more consumers faster. The roll out of not two, but three devices marks not just our intent and agility, but also reflects our commitment to our consumers in Pakistan. With a range of accessories and partnerships to bring wireless charging outside the home, we are also boosting wireless charging into the mainstream. All this innovation adds up to one thing – it's Time to Switch to Lumia!"
Commenting on the occasion, Salman Siddiqui, country lead – Channel Sales, Microsoft Pakistan said, "With Windows Phone 8 we created a new way to think about smartphones, one that puts people at the center. With the same look and feel, the same technology core and cloud service, Windows Phone is built to work seamlessly with Windows 8, you can learn it once and use it everywhere. From Tablet to PC to phone, it is all there for you whenever and however you want it. Nokia has done a phenomenal work to bring Windows Phone to life with truly stunning hardware, there is a phone for everyone, these phones are colorful, different and diverse."
At the occasion, Arsalan Zia Qureshi, head of corporate sales (South), Mobilink, added, "Mobilink continues to remain at the forefront of bringing the latest in cellular technology to our customers. The launch of the Lumia series together with Mobilink adds to the long range of Nokia handsets that our customers have been able to reliably purchase from Mobilink's selected business centers. Mobilink's partnership with Nokia ensures that our customers have access to the latest cellular technology at competitive prices and bundled with the most attractive offers."
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia Lumia 920 includes the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging innovation. Using advanced floating lens technology, its camera takes in five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to capture clear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night. It also introduces optical image stabilization for the clearest, brightest pictures and video even when shooting indoors or at night. Additionally, Nokia Lumia 920 is the first integrated wireless charging smartphone, with the technology built right into the handset.
All of these features won numerous accolades for the handset such as Gizmodo Australia – Best Mobile Phone of 2012, Readers Choice Award, International Forum Design, Germany – if Award for Outstanding Design, Mashable – Top 25 Tech of 2012, The Next Web – Best Smartphones of 2012 among others. Nokia Lumia 920 will be available in yellow, red, black, and white.
Nokia Lumia 820
Nokia Lumia 820 is a stylish, mid-range smartphone that delivers high-end performance in a compact package. Microsoft's unique productivity offerings also make Nokia Lumia 820 the obvious smartphone choice for any type of business. While the Nokia Lumia 820 has the same uni-body look and feel as the high end Lumia smartphones, it comes with exchangeable shell covers in a range of vibrant colors, including the option to add wireless charging. Like the Nokia Lumia 920, the Nokia Lumia 820 also boasts the world’s most sensitive touchscreen and Nokia ClearBlack display technology, ensuring easy visibility in the brightest sunlight. Nokia Lumia 820 will come in red, yellow, cyan, white and black.
Nokia Lumia 620
More fun and more youthful, the Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new dual-shot color technique to deliver a variety of striking color and texture effects. With five different exchangeable shells to choose from, people can adapt the look of their Nokia Lumia 620 to their own personal taste and style. With NFC support, the Nokia Lumia 620 can easily share and receive content by tapping with compatible devices. Nokia Lumia 620 will come in magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black.
Wireless charging
Nokia also announced a wide range of wireless charging partnerships and accessories, each designed to meet the needs of different people. These include:
- The quirky Nokia Recharge Pillow by Fatboy that provides the perfect place to lay down your Lumia for a power nap.
- The sleek and minimalistic Nokia Wireless Charging Plate and the Nokia Wireless Charging Stand that are extremely simple to use come in different colors to match your Lumia.
- JBL PowerUP for Nokia, the world's first wireless charging docking station featuring NFC and Bluetooth connectivity in old-fashioned retro styling.
- The JBL Play UP Portable, a portable speaker specially made to complement Lumia smartphones. It uses Bluetooth and NFC to wireless stream music from a Lumia.
All the Nokia Lumia WP8 devices come packed with signature Lumia features that deliver the best experience on the WP platform
Original post from: Nokia Brings Windows Phone 8 to Pakistan with Lumia
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