Nokia Plans Cheaper Smartphones for Mobile World Congress

Apple’s smartphones still dominate the smartphone marketplace in the United States with a 48.4 percent share, according to Kantar Worldpanel, but Google’s Android isn’t far behind with 42.6 percent, according to Apple Insider. Microsoft’s smartphone technology is way down at 2 percent with Nokia’s Lumia filling up most of that percentage.

Now, a year after they announced a mobile partnership, Nokia and Microsoft are about to make a move that they’re hoping will help improve those numbers. On Monday, the company is expected to unveil the Lumia 610 and a new version of the Lumia 900 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Reuters reports.

The word is that Nokia “will next week unveil a new, cheaper smartphone using Microsoft's Windows Phone software, targeting a wider market.” Analysts tell Reuters that going cheaper will be a key component to the Finland-based Nokia moving up in market share.  As a result of its partnership, Nokia scrapped its smartphone system lin favor of Windows Phone and has been positioning the Lumia Windows Phone as a competitor to Apple's iPhone.