Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) just unveiled the Nokia 225, which is company’s slimmest smartphone to date. The new model features a 2.8 inch display with Nokia’s Xpress browser.
A closer look at Nokia’s latest phone
The new phone also features a 2-megapixel camera, and microSD support up to 32GB. It is a small phone with a slim 10.4 mm body and it comes in five color choices: red, yellow, black, white, and green. It also comes pre-loaded with social media apps Facebook and Twitter, as well as games like Real Football 2012, The Avengers, Asphalt 6, Block Breaker 3, and Assassin’s Creed 3.
This phone will ship starting the second quarter of this year in select markets. The low cost phone will retail for about EUR39 or $54.
In other Nokia news, the Finnish tech company recently got Chinese approval for its Microsoft licensing deal. Although the deal was signed seven months ago, the deal now has approval from the European Commission, United States Department of Justice, and China. The deal is expected to close later this month.
The approval from China
Getting approval from China was necessary for closing this deal, which was designed to help Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) compete better against major rivals like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930). China’s antitrust authorities are often put into the spotlight thanks to the merger enforcement activities. Although the regulator is short-staffed, it is still considered a key player in the world market. It is a significant mandate which includes several deals held between multinational companies.
Thanks to the approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce, Microsoft can now make their standard-essential patents that meet certain conditions. These patents will be incorporated into larger technologies in various industries. The deal also includes non-exclusive licenses for Android-based smartphones. These phones rely on about 200 patent families that are Microsoft property. Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) already stepped into the Android market with their first Android-power smartphone this year. However, the company will still keep their focus on Windows phones.
