2degrees makes market-changing Windows smartphone affordable

With the recent launch of the Nokia Lumia 800, Microsoft and Nokia hope to change the shape of New Zealand’s smartphone market. Now, 2degrees plans to make it easier for businesses and consumers to get their hands on it.

2degrees Chief Sales Officer, Mark Cleary, says 2degrees will offer the latest Windows Phones to customers, and make them more affordable for Kiwi businesses and consumers.

“We are fostering a close relationship with Microsoft, one of the fastest growing players in the New Zealand smartphone market,” says Cleary. “The smartphone is now an essential tool for businesspeople and consumers, and 2degrees is focused on making devices such as the Nokia Lumia 800 affordable so that Kiwis can enjoy its seamless integration with the Microsoft software they use in their office and home.”

2degrees customers will get a free Nokia Lumia 800 (on shelves March 23) when they sign up to the new $199 Plan (see details below) for 24 months.

For a fee of $199 per month, 2degrees Business and Pay Monthly customers will receive unprecedented ‘talk as much as you like’ value, including:

  • all calls to standard New Zealand and Australian landlines (fair use policy applies)
  • all calls to New Zealand mobiles (fair use policy applies)
  • 2GB of national 3G data
  • 2,500 texts

The Nokia Lumia 800 features the latest Windows Phone 7.5 software, plus:

  • An 8 MP camera with Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens, HD Video Recording and dedicated camera button with touch-to-focus
  • 16GB of memory and access to SkyDrive
  • Nokia Drive turn-by-turn voice navigation (free maps available for 95 countries)
  • Windows Marketplace App Store
  • WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities

Analysts predict that Windows Phone software will be number two worldwide by 2015 and Microsoft is expecting that Windows Phones will grab a 15-20% share of New Zealand’s smartphone market over the next 24 months.

“Frost & Sullivan predicts that, by 2015, 477 million smartphones will be sold in Asia Pacific, representing one of the key growth regions for the future,” says Rayner, David Rayner, Director Consumer Channels Group, Microsoft New Zealand. “The partnership with Nokia allows both brands to gain a stronger foothold in this part of the world.”

"Nokia Lumia will change the way people think about Nokia. It signifies a new beginning for the company, bringing together the best of Nokia's handset design and services with the latest Windows Phone software,” said Nokia's managing director, Chris Carr. "Interest locally has been extremely positive. We are pleased that our operator partner, 2degrees, will be bringing the Nokia Lumia 800 to its smartphone range."

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