Nokia hopes Netflix promo and other deals will jolt Lumia sales

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is hoping a promotion to bundle free Netflix service with its Lumia smartphones in the UK, along with other promotions and deals, will help boost sales of its smartphones running Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone software.

Vodafone UK said customers who purchase a lower-end Lumia 625 or mid-range Lumia 925 between now and the end of the year will get a free six-month Netflix subscription, and customers who buy a high-end Lumia 1020 will get a 12-month subscription. UK retailer Phones 4u is giving Lumia customers six months of free Netflix.

"Nokia's Free Netflix Subscription promotion in conjunction with Vodafone and Phones 4u in the U.K. is just one example of a sustained program of marketing activities for the rest of year," a Nokia representative told AllThingsD. "Nokia will continue to invest significantly in promoting its Lumia 1020 flagship devices in all media channels as well as working closely with our operator and retailer partners to deliver campaigns and propositions across our entire portfolio."

AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) is selling the 1020, and Nokia has been highlighting the imaging capabilities for the device, which sports a 41-megapixel camera and is equipped with a backside illuminated sensor that is unique to the 1020. Nokia said that the 41-megapixel camera also comes with Zeiss optics and a 6-lens design. AT&T now sells the device for $199.99 with a two-year contract, down from $299.99 when the gadget was first introduced at the end of July.

According to the Financial Times, Nokia is running similar campaigns in other markets with Netflix, including in Finland, where it was giving away six months of Netflix with Gigantti as part a deal with the Lumia 625.

The promos come a week ahead of a Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi, where the handset maker is expected to unveil as many as six new devices, including a 6-inch phablet and a tablet running Windows 8 RT with LTE connectivity. Some of the rumored devices that Nokia is prepping include the low-end Lumia 525, a higher-end Lumia 929 that could land at Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), the aforementioned a 6-inch Lumia 1520, which could head to AT&T, and a 10.1-inch tablet, which may be dubbed the Lumia 2520.  

Microsoft just announced several advancements to its Windows Phone 8 platform, including the ability to support larger screen sizes, which will open the door to new Windows Phone "phablet devices" of between 5 and 7 inches. The company is launching Windows Phone 8 Update 3, a software update for all Windows Phone 8 devices that will bring several tweaks to the platform and allow it to support new hardware, such as 1080p displays and the Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor. That will let Nokia and other Windows Phone hardware partners support devices with higher-resolution displays.

For more:
- see this FT article (sub. req.)
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this The Verge article
- see this CNET article

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