Analyst Labels Latest Lumia Launch as 'Tepid'

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK)'s new Windows Phone 8 smartphones are "me too" devices that are unlikely to tempt users away from their iPhones and Android devices. (See Nokia Lights Up Windows Phone 8 Devices and Nokia's Lumia 920: Will It Support US LTE?)

That's the opinion of experienced telecom sector analyst Mike Genovese at MKM Partners , who described the launch of the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 devices as "disappointing" in a research note issued following the Finnish handset vendor's presentation.

He said that the devices lacked much in the way of differentiation from smartphones already available, and knocked Nokia for "a lack of specific details about launch timing, carrier partners and pricing."

He added: "We maintain our negative outlook on Windows Phone demand, as we see little happening to make high-end consumers want to own Windows Phone products … Today's tepid announcement will quickly be overshadowed by next week's highly anticipated iPhone 5 launch." (See Here Comes the 4G iPhone and Will the iPhone 5 Be a North American Roamer?)

Genovese expects Nokia to report grim results for the third quarter, as market data from component suppliers suggests that sales of the vendor's feature phones have been weak.

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading