Is Nokia Targetting Apple With Lumia 900?

Nokia is taking the iPhone head on with its newest ad campaign.

(Image Source: Nokia )   BY JIM FLIN K ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO Nokia — taking on the iPhone — head to head?  Kinda looks and sounds like it. Nokia’s campaign for the Lumia 900 suggests smartphones up to now have been “beta” devices. Y’know, not quite ready for primetime? Take a look at the not so subtle swipe at iPhone. “If you’ve ever had the nagging suspicion that your smartphone was actually a borderline defective glorified prototype in some type of secret product test -- you may have been on to something.” Ok, so you didn’t hear the A word.  Fact is, you didn’t hear Nokia’s name. But — most critics say, it’s pretty obvious. Windows Phone Central points out.. it has all the markings of Nokia, and if so.... “...there is no mention of the Lumia 900 just yet, but we know it’s them.” ...and if it is... “….they will directly be picking a fight with AT&T's former ‘hero’ device, Apple's iPhone (in addition to possibly any other ‘beta’ phones, which for us brings to mind Google’s Android). It is certainly a risky move but if any company can do this, it would be Nokia.” The campaign is the first to drum up interest for the 900.  How do we know that?   CNET notes... “... a countdown clock ticks down to April 6, or two days ahead of the Lumia 900's launch at AT&T.” And CNET also says, Nokia has a little bravado, here-to-fore being coy about its targets. “It also shows Nokia isn’t afraid of going after direct comparisons with the iPhone, still the top-selling individual smartphone. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop hasn't been shy about his goals of taking market share from Google's Android platform, but hasn’t referenced the iPhone as much.” According to CNET, AT&T is planning to sink the most time and money ever into this campaign, with training for store employees and a full television campaign timed with the release of the Lumia 900 on April 8. Want a little more flavor of the campaign? This one is called — fragile. “Durability.  We know its an issue.  What are we gonna do about it.” “Geez.  Why you have to be such a baby.” “I just think the phone is fragile.” “You know what’s fragile?  You are.” Not everyone is chuckling along with the campaign. PC World says it might be good for chuckles, but Nokia better have more than an anti-Apple campaign up its sleeve. “...in these first videos, I think Nokia misses the mark. The iPhone 4S doesn’t have the antenna issues found in its predecessor, so bringing up antennagate seems like an out-of-touch attack. As for screen brightness and fragility, I've never known those to be huge complaints about the iPhone.   Hopefully Nokia has better arguments in favor of the Lumia 900--and more from Chris Parnell--on April 6.” #####