Nokia is staging a big comeback with its new Lumia 900, an AT&T exclusive here in the U.S. (at least for now). But the Finnish company is finding resistance on its home turf in Europe, where carriers think the handset doesn't stand a chance against the iPhone or Android.
Reuters is reporting that cell phone carriers in Europe seem to be lukewarm on Nokia's new Lumia 900, which appears to finally be putting some much-needed spotlight on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform here in the U.S. Unfortunately, Nokia is having an uphill battle persuading Europeans to give the platform a try.
"No one comes into the store and asks for a Windows phone," explained one executive at an unnamed European carrier than handles Nokia's 710 and 800 handsets, released in December prior to the Lumia 900 this month.
"Nokia have given themselves a double challenge: to restore their credibility in terms of making hardware smartphones and succeed with the Microsoft Windows operating system, which lags in the market," the same executive adds.
The report claims that four major telecom operators in Europe apparently feel the same way, claiming the Lumia line is "overpriced for what is not an innovative product." The carriers also complain that Nokia has not invested in the marketing of the line, particularly in the wake of widely publicized battery troubles for the Lumia 800, which was not released here in the U.S.
However, the carriers do want an alternative to the iPhone and Android, which have a stranglehold on the wireless market in Europe much in the same way they do on American shores. "It's good for operators if we can reduce the dominance of Apple," explained another unnamed executive.
"The operators say to Nokia: 'We will try to bail you out if you and Microsoft come with the marketing money,'" reveals telecom consultant John Strand. "But even if the operators start to give away the Nokias for free, it will not make Nokia a success."
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