Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, today presented its first next-generation, or 3G, handset to be available in stores next year. But analysts remained sceptical of the new phone, calling it a '3G light'.
The Finnish group's shares shot up almost 10% on the Helsinki exchange today following the launch and a forecast of 10-15% growth in global handset sales from Nokia's North America director Kari-Pekki Wilska.
Wilska said the current average replacement cycle of two-and-a-half years meant that global handsets sales would grow to 440-460 million next year, up from the 400 million forecast this year.
Nokia's new phone, dubbed 6650, will reach consumers in the first half of next year. It features a colour screen and low-resolution digital camera, and can send messages containing sound and images, including short video clips.
Analysts noted that the phone presented today was very similar to the 3650 phone Nokia recently launched. But unlike the 3650, the 6650 also features 3G network access, and can send data and make calls at the same time, Nokia said.
US group Motorola, one of Nokia's main competitors, introduced its 3G phone with similar capabilities last spring, analysts pointed out.
