There have been some early signs that Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s Windows Phones are beginning to edge out BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). Now that HTC Corp (TPE:2498)’s latest quarterly results are out, it looks like Nokia is beginning to edge that company out too.
Nokia edging out HTC
HTC Corp (TPE:2498) said in its second quarter results that it could post its first quarterly operating loss since it went public on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 2001. HTC has been having major supply chain problems, and its margins are falling as it tries to expand into the mid-range smartphone market because sales of high-end devices are slowing. Things just don’t look good for the handset maker, which once was second only to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V), on the other hand, already offers a variety of devices at different price points, including the newly launched Asha 501, which is the first refresh of the line in quite some time. Even the new Lumia 625 handset, which is the biggest Lumia with a 4.7-inch screen, is priced toward the lower end of the segment’s mid-range. It’s also the least expensive 4G handset.
Nokia tries to turn things around
Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) has been in the midst of a turnaround for years, and it’s betting on the Lumia Windows Phone line to be its lifeline. Rapidly growing Windows Phone sales suggest that things are going well for the company in spite of some bearish concerns about slumping feature phone sales. The company’s next earnings report will be especially interesting because it noted in its last report that feature phone sales started to show signs of recovery toward the end of the quarter. The new Asha 501 handset could be a big part of that recovery.
With all the problems HTC has been having, there’s a chance it could stop producing the Windows Phones it has made and focus all of its efforts on the open source Android platform. Of course there’s a chance no one would miss those Windows Phones since Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is the clear leader in the platform.
In fact, Nokia’s Windows Phones are doing so well that the company stood up to big boy Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently in an attempt to coax the company into broadening its app offerings. Only a company that’s helping transform the view of Windows Phones into a positive one would be able to make such public comments and get away with it, so to speak.
