Nokia Plays It (Not Too) Smart

Why try to outcool Apple? There are billions to be made in midlevel smart phones

RAVI S. SAHANI / INDIA TODAY / GETTY

Nokias retail reach across India is a key advantage.

Cast your mind back for a second to 2005, when the forecast for Nokia was as sunny and clear as an endless Finnish summer day. The world's biggest cell-phone maker had just launched the Nseries, a clever new range which packed a Web browser, video, music and pictures into a single phone. The devices moved Nokia a generation ahead in the race to build the first real smart phone, and were selling out from Dubai to Denmark. Then came a product called the iPhone. With its clever touchscreen and snazzy software and services, Apple's phone — launched in 2007 and dismissed...

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