Something amazing is coming on September 7: Nokia

Nokia has put up massive banners outside its shuttered Nokia Store in Helsinki with a teaser announcing “something amazing is coming” on September 7. The timing is intriguing considering Nokia is also hosting its annual Nokia World event in Helsinki on September 5 and 6, which indicates that the teaser could be related to products that will be announced at the event, reports MyNokiaBlog.
Or this could not be related to any product launch and just be the date when the store reopens, which judging by the construction screen seems to be under renovation. While Nokia is expected to announce some Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones at the event, we doubt these would start shipping within a couple of days. Unlike Apple (and now Samsung) Nokia does not have a history of launching a flagship smartphone within days of its global announcement.
While it does not mean Nokia cannot reduce the time between announcement and general availability, we also have our doubts whether Windows Phone 8 would be ready to ship in early September. In all probability, we are looking at a launch earliest by October. It is also very unlike Nokia to put out a teaser for a global launch outside a store that is currently shut and that too two months in advance.
The more we analyze it, the more it looks like a store reopening date than a new product announcement. Who knows, the Helsinki Nokia Store could be the first of a new flagship store model Nokia could be planning to introduce? We would love to see that, especially ones full of shiny new Windows Phone 8 gear!
Nokia will be announcing its Q2 2012 earnings later today, where it is expected to post further losses as it inches closer to the expected end of its “transition period” that CEO Stephen Elop had predicted to last till the end of 2012 when he announced a tie-up with Microsoft and abandoned Nokia’s internal smartphone platforms. During its previous quarter Nokia announced plans to lay off 10,000 employees and sold off its Vertu luxury phone business. The Finnish giant faces a tough couple of quarters as it prepares to launch its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones towards the end of the year, while its current Lumia smartphones won’t be updated to the latest OS.
Once the world’s largest cellphone vendor, Nokia is also facing increased competition in its sub-$200 feature phones as Android smartphone vendors have encroached upon that space. Nokia would tackle it by launching cheaper Lumia smartphones and revamping its Series 40 feature phones by providing a new full touchscreen interface like the recently launched Asha 305.