Nokia wants to set itself apart not only as a Windows Phone manufacturer, but a software maker as well.
At the official US launch party for the flagship Nokia Lumia phone, the thing I consistently heard from T-Mobile representatives was how surprised they were to see Nokia taking such a bold step in the software side.
So there are a few apps that you’ll only get if you have a Nokia Windows Phone, like a proprietary GPS system that even works offline called Nokia Maps, and a seamless Contacts Transfer app, to name a couple.
The other three, less notable, apps are WRC Live, TuneIn Radio, and App Highlights – which lets users see a curated selection of Windows Phone apps in a more palatable way than the default WP interface.
All these apps are now grouped together in a new section of the Windows Phone Marketplace entitled Nokia Collection, suggesting that the manufacturer will continue to develop new and exclusive apps for the Microsoft platform.
Nokia is working hard to ensure its new partnership pays off. The flagship Lumia 710, set to debut in the US next month, will launch at a very market-friendly $100, with a mail-in rebate that makes the final effective price $50.
Of course, Nokia lost its footing in the US because it became complacent and refused to move forward in a market that was in the middle of a paradigm shift, so as long as it can avoid doing that again, perhaps it has a chance at success.
