BBC World Service launches apps for Nokia feature phones

The BBC World Service has launched a series of Nokia apps, providing its language sites to those with Nokia feature and smartphones.

One third of handsets sold globally are Nokia, according to figures from mobile marketing firm mobiThinking, and the new apps bring the World Service news websites to anyone with a Nokia Series 40 feature phone or Nokia Asha smartphone. According to the Economist, Nokia is the most recognised brand in Africa after Coca Cola.

"Nokia's Series 40 devices are still the most popular in the world, with more than 675 million handsets in the market to date," James Montgomery, BBC Global News controller of digital and technology said in a release.

Multilingual news content is available via the free apps, with radio news bulletins available in three languages.

The apps offer news content from the 11 language service websites: BBC Arabic, BBC Brasil (in Portuguese), BBC Chinese, BBC Hindi, BBC Indonesia, BBC Mundo (in Spanish), BBC Russian, BBC Turkce, BBC Ukrainian, BBC Urdu and BBC Vietnamese.
 
In addition to reading news updates via the app, users of the Chinese, Indonesian and Arabic apps can also listen to radio news bulletins in these languages.

The apps can be downloaded from the Nokia Store but due to selective placement they can only be accessed in the country or countries each app serves.

Nokia's web browser technology will "drastically reduce data consumption for consumers in low bandwidth countries", according to Nokia.

 
                                                                                                          
Montgomery said in the release: "The development of such a wide range of BBC languages apps for Nokia phones means the reach of our languages services continues to increase by offering audiences simple mobile access.

"Nokia's Series 40 devices are still the most popular in the world, with more than 675 million handsets in the market to date.

"BBC is committed to its digital audiences across the world, who use less sophisticated handsets but still seek access to unbiased and trustworthy reporting."
 
Bryan Biniak, vice president and general manager, global partnering and application development at Nokia, added: "We are committed to bringing great, locally relevant app experiences to Nokia consumers around the globe.

"As the world's best known news source, we're delighted to see the BBC extend their mobile reach to our base of 675 million Nokia Asha and other Nokia Series 40 devices in the market, with these local language apps.

"The incorporation of Nokia Xpress Browser technology will help drastically reduce data consumption for our consumers in low bandwidth countries, while delivering a fantastic news app experience'.

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