Will Nokia debut a new phone at MWC?

For the first time in at least a decade, Nokia will not unveil a new device at the annual Mobile World Congress trade show, according to a Bloomberg report citing an unnamed source close to Nokia's show planning. The show is scheduled to start next week in Barcelona, Spain.

Indeed, Nokia has already staked out a new stance regarding the event; the company is not exhibiting this year (though it has events scheduled nearby). Nokia's infrastructure joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, will be exhibiting.

Instead of focusing on handsets at the show, the report said, Nokia will try to pivot more toward its services offerings. Nokia has made services--such as Ovi Maps and its Ovi application storefront--a key theme in its efforts to separate itself from the competition.

However, despite the Bloomberg report, there have also been rumors that Nokia will unveil a new device called the N8, running on the latest version of Symbian. The device is rumored to have a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen and a 12-megapixel camera.

A Nokia spokesman declined to comment.

Beyond Nokia, the Mobile World Congress event likely will showcase many new handsets. According to a pre-MWC report from CCS Insight, there will be more than 50 Android devices on the show floor from a variety of manufacturers. Microsoft also is expected to show off its long-awaited Windows Mobile 7 platform.

For more:
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this Electronista post

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