Nokia has sold a landmark 1.5 billion Series 40 phones since first introducing the range in 1999.
A 21 year old Brazilian woman is credited with buying the Asha 303 unit that tipped Nokia’s total shipments over the 1.5 billion mark, in a move Mary McDowell, executive vice president of Nokia’s mobile phone division, says brings the vendor’s goal of connecting the next billion subscribers a step closer.
“Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products,” McDowell notes.
Nokia unveiled the Symbian-based Asha range in November at the same time it launched its first Microsoft Windows Phone 7 smartphones. Ovum analysts note the feature phones are essential to maintaining the firm’s strength in the mid-tier segment, but believe Nokia must evolve Series 40 into something more akin to a smartphone operating system to fend off competition in the high-end of the market.