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MWC 2012: Lumia's US sales have 'exceeded expectations', claims CEO Elop

Lumia 800 also top dog in Russia

MWC 2012: Lumia's US sales have 'exceeded expectations', claims CEO Elop
Though focused on the unveiling of new hardware, Nokia's press splash at Mobile World Congress also cast light on the performance of the firm's Lumia range to date.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the firm's limited presence in the US market – just one handset, the Lumia 710, currently available for sale – was already having an impact, with sales so far "exceeding expectations".

Chart topper

The benefit of such a statement, of course, is that it's unclear just what expectations Nokia had in the first place, though Elop went on to add that the Lumia 800 is currently the #1 high-end smartphone in Russia.

Said stats come just days after Kantar Worldpanel claimed the European launch of the Lumia 800 had resulted in Windows Phone sales jumping fivefold in the UK over Christmas.

Series-wide shipments to Germany have also passed the 200,000 mark according to fellow research outfit Canalys, while Strategy Analytics has branded the Finnish firm the largest OEM operating on Windows Phone, with 36 percent of the market.

Spreading the base

Elop's latest boasts were made as Nokia lifted the lid on the planned global roll-out of the previously US-only Lumia 900.

The device, which will launch first in the US before spreading out across other territories in Q2, will be joined by the more budget-friendly Lumia 610, which will retail for as low as € 189 before tax.

"One year ago, we shared that Nokia was embarking on a new journey to build great mobile devices," said Elop during his presentation.

"Today, with our fourth Lumia device, smarter mobile phones and an array of new services, we are demonstrating that we can change the clock speed of Nokia."

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.