Handset manufacturer Nokia will reduce the number of smartphones set to be manufactured next year in order to narrow its offerings in a saturated market.
The company announced it would reduce the number of smartphones released in 2010 compared to the 2009 market from 20 to 10 handsets.
“We have to cut down unnecessary differentiation, so that we have a far more focused portfolio for next year,” Antti Vasara, Nokia’s head of smartphone research, told Reuters.
The company currently controls about 35% of the market, but is losing its share to rivals, including Palm and Apple. The newly released N97 phone was touted by analysts as a possible iPhone-killer, but so far its sales haven’t put a dent on Apple’s successful device.
Additionally, Research In Motion is continuing to release new BlackBerry models, while more companies are now developing Google Android-based operating systems.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
