Nokia puts out low-end 1110 and 1600 phones for developing markets

Nokia's rolling out a pair of low-end handsets aimed squarely at the African growth market: the 1110 (pictured, right), which has an inverted monochrome screen (white text on a black background) and the 1600 with color screen. Both are basic, no-frills phones designed for low-cost delivery to developing markets, with the 1110 clocking in at about $80US and the 1600 coming in at $104.

[Barry @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Colour screens are useless in hot countries and are mono screen are fast dissapearing on the market.

[ragnar @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

... What is left after not having mono or colour screens? Duotone screens? Sepia?

[portwineboy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

$80-$100?

How is this affordable for people in developing countries? Sounds more like a profitable way to get rid of old stock that no "developed" country wants and still make a profit.

The average annual income of someone in say, Cameroon, is about $600.

[DM @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

It will sell, believe me.

Im from India, and a LOT of people here buy the entry level Nokia 1100 (very similar to 1110 IMO).

Why?
Because its the cheapest phone available from Nokia here.

And if Nokia is just clearing stock, all the better cause then its a win-win situation for both Nokia and the consumer.

[Gary @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

What is wrong with this thing? I wish we had more basic phones to choose from. My wife carries a phone in her purse for emergencies. This would be perfect for her.

[Hon Mai @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

With inverting the display, they messed up their brand-picture with the 2 hands. Surely, the hands now look a bit darker, which might been their thinking with "Africa", but the hands are just wrongly lit now: On the edges and inside the hands, as if both hands had some hidden light bulbs inside. Perhaps they should re-invert their brand-picture to make it even, again. Or - why even inverting the display in the first place?

[kyrkesmith @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I've recently come back from Burkina Faso, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. Mobile phones are incredibly popular there in towns where there is network coverage, and also people are generally richer than in villages. Yes, some people earn less than $60 per month, but they might save up for a phone, and don't tend to change them every 6-12 months. Also, they actually bother to repair things when they break.

[Greg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Thats the kind of phone I have now and I want to keep. I may be the only person in the USA that wants a phone just to make phone calls. I dont want it to take pictures/play MP3's/store videos/play polyphonic ringtones/crappy games/etc etc.

I just want a quality phone at a decent size and price that does what a phone should do.

I would buy that.

[santosh @ Nov 24th 2007 12:44PM]

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