Thump in the Stock Exchange for the Nokia title, which today on the Helsinki list is losing more than 17%. The shares are trading at 3,17 euros, the lowest in 15 years. The crash came after the profit warning launched by the leaders of the Finnish telephony giant: sales went worse than expected and the company was forced to downgrade its forecast for its first-quarter financial performance. In any case, the official publication of the results will arrive only on April 19th.
Nokia reported a worsening outlook for its devices and services division. The flop would be due to a "multiplicity of factors", as stated in a press release. In first place, of course, the very fierce competition in the mobile world (with Samsung and Apple acting as bugbears), which has affected the company's sales especially in the emerging markets of India, China, the Middle East and Africa.
In order not to risk drowning, Nokia is painstakingly trying to relaunch itself in the segment of smartphonemore and more vital. But precisely on this front the company has just undergone a sensational image damage, moreover on the most prestigious commercial center in the world. In the United States, due to an unfortunate software flaw, the new jewel "Lumia 900" has serious problems connecting to the internet.
The adventure of Nokia together with Microsoft thus begins with a nasty faux pas. The Lumua 900 is the very first smartphone equipped with the Windows Phones operating system and its launch should have celebrated the recent global alliance between the Finnish and Californian multinationals.
But instead of a triumph, it was a giant gaffe: American customers who have already purchased the product will have to wait until Monday, April 16 to be able to connect. Only then will a software update finally be available via “Zune”, Microsoft's software product portal.
Alternatively, Nokia customers will be able to get a new phone with updated software. In addition, those who have already purchased or will purchase a Lumia 900 by April 21 in the US will receive a $100 credit from telecommunications operator AT&T.
