Nokia will announce Symbian developments April 12

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) will continue delivering new Symbian products and updates in the wake of its decision to move away from Symbian as its primary smartphone platform in favor of Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 7. The Finnish handset maker will reveal details April 12 that showcase "the latest developments" in its Symbian smartphones, according to a spokeswoman.  

Nokia is tight-lipped about what exactly it will reveal, although the company said it will not hold a formal, physical event for the announcement. The news is scheduled to drop in the morning in Europe, making it likely that the developments will be geared more toward that market than the United States, where Symbian's presence is minimal. Nokia might reveal platform updates for Symbian, which it has promised to deliver this year.

T-Mobile USA just began selling Nokia's Symbian-powered Astound, which was released globally in October as the C7. The device sells for $79.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Nokia said the device is aimed at first-time smartphone buyers looking to move up from a feature phone, and emphasized the device's ease of use as a key selling point.

The Astound features an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 720p HD video capture, a 3.5-inch capacitive touch AMOLED display, free turn-by-turn navigation from Nokia and access to Nokia's Ovi Store.

Meanwhile, Nokia continues to hold formal contract negotiations with Microsoft, and expects to ship large volumes of Windows devices in 2012. However, Nokia has said it intends to sell 150 million more Symbian phones during the next few years of its transition to Windows Phone. Nokia has an installed user base of around 200 million Symbian phones worldwide. 

For more:
- see this Nokia post
- see this Engadget post
- see this PC Magazine article

Related Articles:
Nokia expects to sell a large number of Windows phones in 2012
T-Mobile USA to launch entry-level Nokia Astound for $80
Nokia teases U.S. Symbian push with CTIA event
Nokia CFO reaffirms commitment to Symbian sales
Report: Nokia scraps plans for X7 smartphone with AT&T
Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing business to Digia
Microsoft's Ballmer defends Nokia-WP7 deal