Nokia rejects rumours of new mobile phone delay

Nokia said on Tuesday that reports of a delay in the launch of its new N8 mobile phone, seen as a key product needed to boost the company's fortunes, are inaccurate.

"We have said we expect to ship the N8 by the end of the third quarter and that hasn't changed," Nokia spokesman Doug Dawson told AFP.

He said that the misunderstanding has arisen from the fact that Nokia's marketing department informed customers who pre-ordered the phone that they should expect them in October.

He added that a number of factors affect delivery, such as shipping and customs arrangements, but that there have been no developments within the company to delay the N8's appearance in stores.

The N8 is considered to be a crucial development in Nokia's product line as it is a competitor to the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android-platform smart-phones that have been chipping away at the company's market share.

(c) 2010 AFP