Nokia unveils 7 phones for emerging markets

Nokia Oyj on Tuesday unveiled seven new phones as well as Internet services to shore up its position in emerging markets.

The new phones will include the Nokia 1202, a follow-up to Nokia's top-selling model 1200, which will sell for around 25 euros ($32.2) and two models with e-mail support priced at 40 euros.

Emerging markets are a stronghold for the world's top mobile phone maker, but it has lately seen increasing competition from vendors such as China's ZTE and Samsung Electronics.

Shares in Nokia rose on the news and were 0.87 percent firmer at 12.69 euros by 0906 GMT.

Handset makers are looking increasingly for opportunities to tap booming demand from emerging markets as slowing economies have started to hurt sales in developed markets.

"We continue to be in a very strong position in emerging markets," Alex Lambeek, head of Nokia's entry level phones, told Reuters in an interview.

"I would say we are changing the game. It's not only devices, it's also about services," he said.

Nokia has also started to look for new revenue streams from Internet services — like media sharing, games and music offerings — for which it could find a wide audience in emerging markets.

But in developed countries, the Finnish group is battling more established players like Flickr or Apple.