Nokia sells 1.5 billion Series 40 phones

The Asha 303 handset was bought in Brazil

Published by Karen Bartlett on January 25, 2012


Mayara with her Asha 303

GLOBAL - Nokia has reached one of the biggest milestones in the company’s history – selling 1.5 billion Series 40 mobile phones.

The record-breaking handset was sold to 21-year-old old Mayara Rodrigues in Brazil.

“It is small and beautiful,” said Mayara as she held up her new Asha 303 in front of the Magazine Luiza store in São Paulo where she received it.

Receptionist Mayara decided a Nokia was right for her after researching which phone would be easiest to use, affordable, and offer the best music and photo editing. Although she originally thought about buying a Nokia C2, she was given a free Asha 303 as the 1.5 billionth customer.  

She’s just got married, and so she likes to keep in contact with a lot of family and friends via social networks. 

On the Asha 303 that’s easy – you can type messages on the QWERTY keypad and update your status on a social network like Facebook, or Orkut – the one Mayara uses. You can also use the Nokia Browser to search the internet, compress the data that you want by as much as 90 per cent, and download it more affordably.  

Mary McDowell, Executive Vice President for Mobile Phones at Nokia, said: “We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products.”

 McDowell added that Series 40 had played an essential role in Nokia’s ongoing strategy to connect the next billion users to mobile technology: “It is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people’s lives for the better.”

Angry Birds on the Asha 303The first Series 40 phone, the Nokia 7110, was developed in 1999,  but the introduction of the Asha range – with services like Nokia Maps for Series 40, Nokia Browser, Nokia Money and Nokia Life Tools – has led to a blurring of the traditional distinction between a feature phone and a smartphone, with Series 40 now leading the evolution of a new category called ‘smartphone lite’.   

As far as Mayara Rodrigues is concerned, it doesn’t really matter what category her phone falls into: The Asha 303 gives her everything she wants for the right price, and she can even play Angry Birds on it.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    Nice looking phone. I cant past level 5 Mayara.

  • Anonymous

    O.K.correct me if Im wrong,but if you bing stories about the next billion all I can find is Fed.11 2011. So are you saying Nokia sold 500 million in a year? If so that is truly amazing. I see Nokia also jumped 11 percent in total market of the windows sellers in one month. Also amazing. Cant wait for the 900. Would love to see n9 sales.

  • http://twitter.com/nwerneck Nicolau Leal Werneck

    If I understand correctly, “next billion” refers to the next billion of people in the world that will purchase phones, not strictly Nokia customers.

  • http://twitter.com/nwerneck Nicolau Leal Werneck

    If I understand correctly, “next billion” refers to the next billion of people in the world that will purchase phones, not strictly Nokia customers.

  • http://twitter.com/nwerneck Nicolau Leal Werneck

    If I understand correctly, “next billion” refers to the next billion of people in the world that will purchase phones, not strictly Nokia customers.

  • http://twitter.com/nwerneck Nicolau Leal Werneck

    If I understand correctly, “next billion” refers to the next billion of people in the world that will purchase phones, not strictly Nokia customers.

  • http://allthingsd.com/20120125/now-if-only-nokia-could-sell-1-5-billion-windows-phones/ Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones – John Paczkowski – Mobile – AllThingsD

    [...] historic milestone for Nokia: The Finnish mobile phone maker today said it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device in 1999. Nokia estimates that there are currently 675 million [...]

  • http://donald-schwartz.com/2012/01/25/now-if-only-nokia-could-sell-1-5-billion-windows-phones/ Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones | Technology News

    [...] historic milestone for Nokia: The Finnish mobile phone maker today said it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device in 1999. Nokia estimates that [...]

  • http://itlounge.eu/now-if-only-nokia-could-sell-1-5-billion-windows-phones/ Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones – IT Lounge

    [...] The Finnish mobile phone maker today said it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device [...]

  • http://ipad-world.chinawholesalelots.com/2012/01/26/now-if-only-nokia-could-sell-1-5-billion-windows-phones/ Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones | iPad World

    [...] Mobile A historic milestone for Nokia: The Finnish mobile phone maker today said that it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device in 1999. Nokia estimates that there are currently 675 million [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/vikaspatidar Vikas Patidar

    Great achievement, I would love to see Asha 303 with S60 OS.

  • http://www.facebook.com/vikaspatidar Vikas Patidar

    Great achievement, I would love to see Asha 303 with S60 OS.

  • http://www.facebook.com/vikaspatidar Vikas Patidar

    Great achievement, I would love to see Asha 303 with S60 OS.

  • Anonymous

    Nokia asha 303 has the same shape as poor Nokia 600. I’m glad not all the phones are razor-blade thin today. 
    anyway
    how do you managed to find out that she was the 1,5 bil. and not me or someone else
    or it’s just like, – “let’s find some young good looking girl and make some PR”?

  • http://www.pianetatech.it/telefonia-mobile/notizie/un-miliardo-e-mezzo-di-symbian-s40-il-record-di-nokia.html Un miliardo e mezzo di Nokia Symbian S40: record con Asha 303

    [...] con Symbian S40 venduti nel mondo: il traguardo è stato raggiunto qualche giorno fa in Brasile, secondo quanto dichiarato dalla stessa Nokia, e lo smartphone fortunato è un Asha 303, che fa parte della nuova linea low cost inaugurata al [...]

  • Rex Reyes III

    whoa I think this will be my next phone :) (precursor to the Lumias hehe)

  • http://www.iochiamo.com/produttori/nokia/nokia-series-40-miliardi-cellulari/ Nokia Series 40, venduti 1,5 miliardi di cellulari | Io Chiamo

    [...] raccontare la vicenda, il blog Nokia Conversations riporta come la giovane acquirente fosse alla ricerca di uno smartphone dal costo conveniente ed in grado [...]

  • http://ztop.com.br/2012/01/26/numeros-enormes-sim-a-nokia-vendeu-1-milhao-de-smartphones-lumia/ Números enormes: sim, a Nokia vendeu 1 milhão de smartphones Lumia

    [...] Já a divisão de telefones celulares (Mobile Phones) caiu 23% em relação ao ano anterior (3.040 contra 3.948) e cresceu 4% em comparação com o Q3. Ontem a Nokia anunciou que já vendeu mais de 1 bilhão de aparelhos no mundo todo com Series 40 (e o aparelho número 1,5 bi foi vendido… no Brasil!) [...]

  • http://nautics.tv/blog/archives/8405 Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones « nautics.tv

    [...] historic milestone for Nokia: The Finnish mobile phone maker today said that it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device in 1999. Nokia estimates that there are currently 675 million [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/thegadgetfreak Ajit Jalady

    We want to know how many N9s were sold vs how many Lumias were sold!

  • http://www.facebook.com/vikaspatidar Vikas Patidar

    Lumia sold 1 Million so far but nothing mentioned for N9. Some sources reporting 1.5 – 2 Million units.

  • http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/01/26/nokias-next-billion-antti-vasara-looks-to-the-future-for-series-40/ Nokia’s next billion: Antti Vasara looks to the future for Series 40 – Nokia Conversations : the official Nokia blog

    [...] tags Nokia sells 1.5 billion Series 40 phones home /* Below code is for Hover effect for Previous button, apply opacity */ [...]

  • http://www.movitelia.com/1500-millones-de-telefonos-nokia-series-40-en-el-mercado/ 1500 millones de teléfonos Nokia series 40 en el mercado

    [...] info | Nokia Archivado en: Noticias Tags: móviles, Nokia, Nokia series 40, series 40, smartphones [...]

  • ruis leipä

    Probably you won’t be able to see that number. Chances are n9 outsold lumia.

  • http://www.nokipedia.com/nokia-sells-1-5-billion-series-40-phones/ Nokia sells 1.5 billion Series 40 phones | Nokipedia

    [...] Tweet [...]

  • Anonymous

    I doubt if Nokia will release the N9 sales numbers. Listen to the interviews recently… it’s like the N9 doesn’t exist. I’m all for the Lumia line-up, I think it’s a great way to reestablish a presence in the States. But the N9 is a stunning success, and my favorite phone of all time. Please, Nokia, stop pretending it never happened!! Don’t be ashamed of the love!!  :)

  • Anonymous

    nokia is the best low end and cheap phone maufacturer

    nokia is pathetic with lumia phone, only 1 milion lumia sold to date(26th jan 2012), and they are still proud of the lumia performance, it is pathetic

  • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Heidi Lemmetyinen
  • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Heidi Lemmetyinen

    We never do postings on Nokia’s quarterly business results. Because Nokia is a stock listed company, there are certain rules about who is allowed to talk about the company’s financial performance, and let’s just say that we’re not on that list. The only thing we’d be able to do is republish the results press release, and we don’t see much point there, as people can already read it at press.nokia.com.

  • Anonymous

    The point would be that people will write thousands of comments, you show them to Elop, so maybe he will find the right direction Nokia to go.

  • Anonymous

    Nokia don’t want N9 to exist at all. Otherwise the phone should be in stores in USA, Germany, UK, Italy, France etc.. and in this case sale numbers for N9 would be 2-3 times higher than all Lumias together.

  • Anonymous

    sounds nice: “Under Nokia’s new strategy for smartphones, MeeGo will place increased emphasis on longer-term market exploration of next-generation devices, platforms and user experiences”

  • Anonymous

    It’s hard to believe.
    When was the last time you’ve seen a person with N9 on the street?

  • Anonymous

    He doesn’t care about our comments.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UWVRPJYQFEG7ZCHPD7LDPBR2CM LWSJR

    I’ve read several post of yours, on different topics…all you do is whine about the N9.  Just use your device and be happy with *it*.  You knew the future of the device and the OS before your purchased it – nothing is going to change.  It doesn’t matter how many were sold – you have yours, and that is all that should matter.

    Is the N9 so boring that you have nothing else to do except whine across the internet about how many were sold?

  • Los Straslos

    I guess you care a lot about others comments. Why?

  • Los Straslos

    Have you purchased Lumia 800? why you just not enjoy it and stop worrying about others comments about lumia or N9?

  • Anonymous

    I do, because I care about Nokia. I feel strong connection to Nokia and want to cry when I see what’s happening.
    It’s just my own personal opinion. I think it’s wrong lifting up Lumia/Microsoft and pushing down, destroying both Symbian MeeGo and S40.

  • Anonymous

    The first S40 phone was Nokia 7210 in 2002, not 7110. 

  • http://technewsx.com/2012/01/26/now-if-only-nokia-could-sell-1-5-billion-windows-phones/ Now if Only Nokia Could Sell 1.5 Billion Windows Phones – – TechNewsXTechNewsX

    [...] historic milestone for Nokia: The Finnish mobile phone maker today said it had sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 handsets since first introducing the device in 1999. Nokia estimates that there are currently 675 million [...]