Nokia 8 takes its first bite of Oreo™

Nairobi, Kenya 29 November 2017 - HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, is excited to announce that Android™ 8.0 Oreo™ is now available for the Nokia 8. If you own a Nokia 8, you can enjoy a truly pure and secure version of Android Oreo, packed with the latest features to make content creation and sharing even more fun. 

Patrick Henchie – Head of Product, Sub-Sahara Africa, said:

“We’re proud to deliver our pure and secure take of Android 8.0 Oreo on the Nokia 8. We always want to give our fans the best possible Android experience. That’s why we’ve taken the time to test, optimize and refine the platform.

“Working together with our fans under our newly setup up Nokia phones beta labs, we’ve created a pure version of this highly anticipated mobile platform, delivering all the exciting new features with none of the unnecessary clutter paired with great performance and even better battery life. Android 8.0 Oreo is packed with new features that make communicating, creating, gaming and exploring even more fun.”

Always pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience

Nokia 8 delivers a pure version of Android 8.0 Oreo with no skins and no changes in the user interface. And with no pre-installed apps you don’t need or hidden processes that eat up battery life, it guarantees a snappy experience every time you pick up your smartphone. Monthly security updates come as standard to keep your smartphone safe, and give you real peace of mind in the palm of your hand.

Super powers that give you the best real-life experiences

Android 8.0 Oreo update on Nokia 8 enables fans to enjoy new features that will enhance their day-to-day experiences with none of the gimmicks:

-          Picture-in-Picture mode gives you the power to multi-task while processing power of Nokia 8 ensures the smooth operation of even the most demanding apps. Watch a YouTube clip while catching up with friends or check your bank balance while ordering from Amazon – the Nokia 8 processor ensures smooth operation.

-          No unnecessary apps come pre-installed on Nokia 8 and with Android Instant Apps, you can de-clutter your software even further. Just go to the supported link on Chrome and you’ll be able to use new apps without having to install them. Google Play Protect works to keep your device and data safe from misbehaving apps by scanning over 50 billion apps per day, even the ones you haven't installed yet.

-          Smart software helps the Nokia 8 power up even faster, letting you create content quicker than ever as moments unfold in front of you. Exclusive to Nokia smartphones, Dual-Sight™ mode means you can also stream your reaction to events on social media in real time, using both the front and back cameras simultaneously.

-          Android Oreo smart features limit background activity on the apps you use least, maximising battery life so your Nokia 8 will be ready for action when you are.

-          Because Nokia 8 stands for self-expression through content creation, fans can now visualise their emotions better than ever before thanks to the fully redesigned set of emojis on Android 8.0 Oreo – more than 60 of them being brand new!

Your Nokia 8 will automatically update with Android Oreo. You will receive a notification on your smartphone when it becomes available in your country.

Android Oreo will be coming soon to other Nokia smartphones, stay tuned for updates.

Nokia Lumia 2520:Why Windows 8.1 Tablet's Are Your Best Pick !

Without doubt Android based Tablets are the majority and most used Tablets in the market but if you are used to your Windows based personal computer(pc) and would like to engage the same functionality on other devices any tablet or phone that runs the Windows 8.1 is your best pick. Locally the Nokia Lumia 2520 may be your best pick .

This is not a review of the tablet as there is already much written on it especially since  its launch in 2013 (please watch the video for specifications and hands on demo)  but rather its my opinion as to why running the Windows 8.1 operating system by Microsoft is a game changer in the mobile devices market.

Most of us  have used windows desktop software for much of our social ,academic and business activities.We find it relatively easy to navigate Microsoft Office tools and platform.It therefore makes much sense that we would prefer having these functionality across our different devices.

It so happens that some of us have customized software  for different functions perhaps its research , business, tracking or other software and we find it a tad bit hard engaging a developer to generate an app that can run on our hand held devices.This is where Windows 8.1 devices become readily convenient.The guys up at Marketing at Nokia/Microsoft should actually take advantage of this and run with it ! but so far as yet their approach is down.!

Surprisingly Microsoft after purchasing the Nokia franchise have not been aggressive enough in pushing /advertising their Windows based Tablets in the emerging markets which is their largest consumers.For example just searching for the availability online of the Nokia Lumia 2520 Windows 8.1 Tablet will reveal just press releases by a number of bloggers and news websites.

Their is hardly any review of the gadgets, scant information as to its availability in Kenya, East Africa or the Sub Saharan Region.All price quotations are in anticipated Dollar price rather than Kshs. A search on Midcom East Africa facebook page reveals that many people want  to know how much the device goes for and where to purchase it but there is hardly  any response, just a deafening silence.That's how a good product gets buried under in all the noise that is tech products!

Nokia announces availability of Asha 210 in East Africa

A fast and responsive QWERTY phone - the most social Asha yet

Nokia today announced local availability of the Nokia Asha 210 across East Africa, bringing consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in both single and easy swap dual-SIM variants, features a distinctly Nokia design, smart imaging and Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less.

Available in yellow, cyan and black at a recommended retail price of:

Kenya:          KES 6,499

Uganda:       UGX 225,000

Tanzania:     TZs 140,000

Your social life at your fingertips

The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated Facebook button for fast access to social networking. It also supports WhatsApp, Twitter and popular email accounts such as Gmail, to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.

Capture and share great images every time

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options, including: 

·         Self-portrait – for perfectly centred “selfies”, even without a front-facing camera. The built-in voice guides the user to ensure they are in the frame, before taking the shot.

• Fast editing of images directly from the camera app and easy sharing of images to social networks

People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia’s innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.

The new device also takes full advantage of the Nokia Xpress Browser which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90 percent, helping people enjoy more affordable Internet access. The Nokia Asha 210 also features Nokia Nearby, a web app that lets people discover points of interest such as restaurants, shopping and ATM machines close to their location.

“The Nokia Asha range has already gained popularity in East Africa, especially amongst the youth,” says Bruce Howe, general manager Nokia East Africa. “Consumers love the freedom of choice that Asha offers. The new Asha 210 expands the family and brings a fresh design and great features for those that value being socially connected.”

Other key features for Nokia Asha 210 include:

·         Social phonebook integration

·         Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming

·         Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations

·         WiFi On/Off control button

·         Long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM

Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM now available in East Africa

Nokia’s latest Asha device comes with a dedicated Facebook button and exclusive multimedia sharing feature, Slam

 

Nairobi, Kenya 17^th January 2013 – Nokia today announced that the Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM, is now available for purchase in East Africa. Nokia’s most affordable QWERTY phone is the newest addition to the Asha range and is the only Nokia device to feature a dedicated Facebook button, making it perfect for highly social consumers who want the fastest access to their Facebook profile. Combined with eBuddy Chat, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their social networks.

 

This latest addition to the Asha range is available in a range of eye-catching colours such as Orange, Cyan and Magenta* at selected retail outlets across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Estimated retail prices: 

 

Kenya – KSH 5,499

Uganda – UGX 215,000

Tanzania – TSH 120,000

 

The Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM is also one of the first devices to feature Nokia’s exclusive Slam feature. Slam allows consumers to share multimedia content like photos and videos with nearby friends almost instantly. Slam works with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones without the need to pair devices, and without the recipient needing to also have Slam**. In just a few clicks, people can ‘Slam’ their content to another device faster than with Bluetooth alone and without consuming Internet data.

 

“The Nokia Asha 205 with QWERTY keyboard and dedicated Facebook button is perfect for the vibrant youth market in East Africa,” says Bruce Howe, General Manager for Nokia East Africa. “Recent reports from Social Bakers indicate that there are now almost 3.3 Million Facebook users in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the majority of these are between the ages of 18-24. In Kenya alone, Facebook users grew by over 30% in the last 6 months, highlighting the importance of making Facebook access seamless”.

Other key features of the Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM include:

·         eBuddy screen notifications that keep users up-to-the-minute on new conversations

·         A comprehensive mobile entertainment package, including 40 free EA Games available for download, along with tens of thousands of other apps available from the Nokia Store

·         Nokia’s exclusive Easy Swap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device

·         The Nokia Asha 205 Dual SIM phone remembers the settings of up to five SIM cards making it easy to switch between making calls or using the Internet

·         Great standby time: up to 25 days

The new device takes full advantage of the Nokia Xpress Internet platform, which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90%, helping consumers enjoy more affordable Internet access. It also features Nokia Nearby, a web app that helps consumers discover points of interest such as restaurants, shopping and ATM close to their location.

 

*Phone colours may vary by country

**’Slam’ currently not compatible with iOS and Windows Phone devices

 

Nokia & Zynga Partnership Grows To Bring Blockbuster Games To Nokia Asha Touch Feature Phones

Draw Something and Zynga Poker Coming to Over 100 Million Nokia Consumers

Nokia today announced they will bring Zynga’s global hit games, Draw Something and Zynga Poker, to Nokia Asha Touch devices in Q3 2012 as part of their partnership announced recently. Nokia Asha Touch users can soon challenge their friends to a round of the popular social drawing and guessing game, or enjoy their own virtual poker match. Zynga’s Draw Something and Zynga Poker will both be free to download from Nokia Store.

The announcement reinforces Nokia’s commitment to delivering must-have app and gaming experiences to consumers of Nokia Series 40 devices, including the Nokia Asha Touch range. Nokia Asha Touch users already enjoy a variety of mobile gaming experiences enabled by global partners such as EA, Gameloft, Rovio, NAMCO BANDAI and now, Zynga.

"It’s great to expand our offering of Zynga games to deliver more blockbuster titles across our portfolio of mobile devices, giving consumers great choice and tremendous value,” said Bryan Biniak, VP & GM, Global Partnering & Application Development, Nokia. “With premium design, powerful hardware and outstanding gaming capabilities, we’re redefining what consumers expect from today’s feature phone experience.”
Nokia Asha Touch devices have been designed to provide an incredibly rich, fast and engaging experience to consumers and are all available across East Africa:

• The beautifully crafted Nokia Asha 311 is a fast and fluid 3.5G capacitive touchscreen device, powered by a 1GHz processor to provide a great internet experience.
• The bright and edgy Nokia Asha 305 is a fun and affordable phone, featuring the exclusive Easy Swap dual SIM.
• Its sister, the Nokia Asha 306, is a single SIM model, and becomes Nokia’s most affordable Wi-Fi handset to date.
The devices feature the new, fully re-designed Asha Touch user interface, which combines proven ease-of-use from Nokia’s heritage with new, digital design innovations. The cloud-accelerated Nokia Browser 2.0 makes Internet surfing up to three times faster and 85% cheaper than comparable browsers, and is available to download for free from Nokia Store.

Recently, Nokia Store broke the five billion downloads landmark. From January to April 2012, 42% of all content downloaded from Nokia Store was delivered to Series 40 devices, including the Asha Touch range. To-date, more than 500 Nokia developers have apps which have achieved more than one million downloads, while India Games, Pico Brothers and Inode have all achieved more than 100 million downloads.
*data costs may apply

Nokia connects with the youth in Kenya through smart phones

Local research reports validate the value proposition of the Nokia Asha range

Nairobi, Kenya – Nokia today shared a number of key trends identified by local research reports on Kenyan youth culture. This follows the recent launch of the Nokia Asha mobile phone range, signaling Nokia’s intent to connect with the youth market. The Nokia Asha range provides smartphone features at more accessible price points attractive to this vibrant market segment. Research now indicates that this strategy is paying off.

The Institute for Economic Affairs estimates Kenya’s youth to be around 9 million strong. In fact, those under the age of thirty-four comprise a staggering 78% of Kenya’s overall population, and over 80% of that target group has mobile phones. In terms of mobile internet usage, social networking is the clear leader at almost 60% of usage, followed by internet browsing, other forms of communication such as e-mail and chat, and streaming or downloading music.

“The youth in Kenya are all about self-expression,” says Bruce Howe, General Manager for Nokia East Africa. “Whether through music, fashion, technology or design, the youth are searching for individuality while at the same time being part of a socially connected community, and mobile phones play a key role in this always connected lifestyle. In fact, research indicates that the youth spend more on air-time than on any other item, including clothing and transport.”

Recently, Youth Dynamix (YDX) conducted research amongst the local youth market to identify trends and insights. The topline report called out five key pillars of Kenyan youth culture - music, entertainment, fashion, technology and sport. This is consistent with research that Nokia has undertaken, as well as insights from Instant Grass youth agency.

While music tastes vary and provide opportunity for individualism, it is clear that local music is hugely popular amongst the youth, with Camp Mulla emerging as a firm favourite. When it comes to entertainment, the youth are discerning and expect this to be tailor made for their needs with gaming gaining in popularity.

Fashion is another important pillar within the context of youth, who spend 64 billion Kenyan Shillings a year on clothes. ‘Avant-Garde’ fashion is also growing in popularity as the youth seek to stand out from the crowd, and second hand markets are the place to be seen, as they offer more affordable access to high fashion items.

Technology plays a central role in the lives of Kenya’s youth. YDX estimates that young Kenyan consumers send an average of 250 text messages per day, and over 40% surf the internet from their mobile phone daily. They are also at the forefront of social networking with 76% having a Facebook account and 61% a Twitter account. Social currency is important to these consumers and they like to be the first to know and share information.

“If you look at the value proposition of the Nokia Asha range, it aligns perfectly to the needs of the youth market,” adds Howe. “Nokia Asha offers freedom of choice across design, colour, form factor, feature set and price point. It also offers a seamless music and entertainment experience with thousands of apps at your finger-tips, and Nokia Browser for faster, cheaper and more enjoyable web browsing.”

The first Nokia Asha phones to arrive in Kenya earlier this year – Nokia Asha 200, 201, 302 and 303, all offered a full Qwerty keyboard and integrated social networking for the best possible social and chat experience. This unique range was brought to life through the ‘Let’s Qwerty’ campaign, these phones created a buzz in the local market and quickly gained traction.

Now Nokia has extended the range with two new products, the Nokia 202 and the Nokia 305, which is the first full touch Asha product. The Nokia 305 has the additional benefit of coming to market with an exclusive-to-Nokia offer of 40 free* to download games from Electronic Arts (EA), featuring much loved titles like Tetris®, Bejeweled®, Need for Speed(TM) The Run and EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 12.

“Nokia Asha builds on our commitment to bring great mobile products to our consumers by truly understanding their needs. And the experience goes beyond the phones to the thousands of applications that are available on Nokia store, the innovation through Nokia browser, right down to our locally relevant marketing campaigns that are attracting the attention and admiration of the youth”, concludes Howe.

Nokia is currently running the “Don’t Break the Beat” campaign which is a search for East Africa’s top cypher from amongst the youth. Auditions in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have already taken place with several club battles now underway ahead of the national finals. This will culminate in early September with the East Africa finals, where the winner will walk away with 250,000 KES in prize money and a recording contract.

*data costs may apply