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Developers switch to Windows Phone as app momentum continues

Tags: Nokia (NYSE:NOK), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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PRESS RELEASE

PureView camera technology, NFC and Nokia Maps integration see next generation of unique and differentiated apps for Nokia Lumia

New York, NY - Nokia today announced a broad range of new, innovative apps for Nokia Lumia smartphones, delivering on its commitment to bring consumers app experiences which are unique, differentiated and unavailable on other platforms.

"It's great to see more and more partners creating their best, most innovative apps for Nokia Lumia consumers," said Marco Argenti, SVP, Nokia Developer Experience. "The ecosystem has achieved exponential growth over the past 18 months, and Nokia has been working closely with developers to create unique and innovative apps, while helping them connect with consumers all over the world. With new opportunities to innovate around features such as PureView camera technology, NFC and the integration of Nokia Maps, we look forward to developers creating their next generation app experiences, and partnering with Nokia to achieve success locally and globally."

Across key consumer verticals, new app experiences coming to Nokia Lumia smartphones include:

Sport

The World of Red Bull app, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 9 months                                              

The new World of Red Bull app for Nokia Lumia is a new and unique mobile experience which offers consumers full immersion in the World of Red Bull. The app delivers all the latest news from more than 400 Red Bull Athletes around the world, and lets users to pin their favourite athletes to the home screen for live news updates.

In addition to news and information from more than 800 Red Bull events each year, the app delivers access to the Red Bull Culture section, with a huge selection of content spanning music, dance, cinema, art and pop culture, as well as access to Red Bull TV and many other Red Bull apps. 

Coming to the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, the enhanced app experience will include the option of small, medium and large Live Tiles, plus Nokia Maps integration and Voice Commands.

Imaging

Vimeo app, with free 3 month trial of Vimeo Plus membership, exclusive to Nokia Lumia                             

The enhanced Vimeo app experience coming to the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820  will enable imaging fans to capture HD video using Nokia's best-in-class camera optics and PureView technology. Offering the highest quality video playback experience, the app will allow users to share videos using NFC tap-to-share technology.  The enhanced Vimeo app introduces HD video support, features an easy to use design interface with dynamic live tiles, and enables consumers to purchase Vimeo Plus subscriptions through the app.

Gaming

Angry Birds Roost, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 months                                                                             

Launching on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, the new and exclusive Angry Birds Roost experience for Nokia Lumia will enable fans to dive into the wonderful world of Angry Birds, with access to hundreds of walk-through videos, news, ringtones and more, brought together in one unique and original hub experience.

A first for Rovio and the Windows Phone platform, the Angry Birds Roost will offer fans an exclusive ‘Bird Cam' feature. Users can take a picture on their Nokia Lumia, add their favorite Angry Birds characters to the picture, and then share it on Facebook, Twitter, MMS or via email.

Additionally, Angry Birds Roost will have tons of wallpapers and wide Live Tiles on the Lumia start screen.

"Angry Birds Roost is a fantastic place for fans," said Peter Vesterbacka, Mighty Eagle and CMO of Rovio. "Bursting with amazing content, it's a great way for Lumia users to get the full Angry Birds experience all in one app."

Business & Finance

Bloomberg Hub, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 months                                                                                             

The new Bloomberg app for Nokia Lumia Windows Phone, launching in the coming days, offers consumers a powerful one-stop hub for all their business and finance news, market data and portfolio tracking tools. Consumers can personalize the experience with the information which matters most to them, and access it instantly with custom panoramas and Live Tiles on the start screen.

Bloomberg - the global business and financial news and information leader - will also showcase the breadth of their media properties. The Bloomberg hub will include on-demand access to Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, featuring critically acclaimed shows and interviews with the most pre-eminent minds in business and finance.

In addition to today's launch, Bloomberg will be enhancing the Bloomberg Hub experience for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 with added features that will utilize new Live Tile customizations.

"Our partnership with Nokia has resulted in a unique mobile experience that provides business executives with the essential news, market information and tools they need to make better informed decisions," said Oke Okaro, Global Head and GM, Mobile and Connected Devices, Bloomberg L.P.

Lifestyle

StyleSaint, exclusive to Nokia Lumia to end of 2012                                                                                     

StyleSaint is the brand new and exclusive app experience for forward thinking fashion fans, launching mid-September on Nokia Lumia smartphones. Beautifully designed, the app enables users to capture their favorite inspirational fashion images, and transform them into personalized mobile fashion magazines to be shared with the world.   

With Facebook integration, users can sign in and start discovering their own sense of style, receive daily go-to guides on how to style the latest trends, fashion feeds, and style tips and tricks.  Users can also follow each other to bring personalized fashion favorites direct to the start screen on Live Tiles, and let StyleSaint style their experience everyday with amazing fashion imagery.

Groupon, with Augmented Reality exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 6 months.                                                 

The Groupon app for Windows Phone features deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy at discounts of between 50 and 90%. Using the principles of collective buying, Groupon aims to negotiate unprecedented discounts with the best merchants in local communities.

Enhanced features launching with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will include Wallet integration enabling quick access to purchased Groupons, wallpapers and multiple-size Live Tiles for notifications to the start screen. The Groupon Scheduler tool will allow users to schedule appointments associated with service deals; additionally, seamless app to app integration will allow users direct access to Groupon's mobile app via embedded deals within Nokia Maps.     

"Working together, Groupon and Nokia continue to innovate the mobile shopping experience, making it even easier and more fun to browse, buy and redeem Groupon deals from the best businesses in your neighborhood," said Andreas Lieber, Director of Mobile Partnerships of Groupon.

Productivity

YouSendIt, with NFC feature exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 months                                                    

YouSendIt's mobile app delivers powerful file sharing capabilities for Nokia Lumia users, including NFC file transfer.

The new YouSendIt app, which will be available for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, allows users to access, sync and share content stored in the cloud. Users can even sign documents using their Nokia Lumia touchscreen, and securely send them from anywhere. YouSendIt simplifies syncing and sharing of large files such as video and photo. 

In addition, the new YouSendIt NFC feature, which will be exclusive to Nokia Lumia devices for three months, enables convenient device-to-device file sharing with a tap of the phone.

Travel              

MICHELIN, with new NFC features, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 6 months 

The enhanced MICHELIN app, which launches with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, brings consumers easier-than-ever access to the MICHELIN Guide - the who's who of the best restaurants. Using NFC technology, food fans will be able to share restaurant information by tapping devices, and also receive specific information about places to eat by tapping their Lumia on a MICHELIN 2013 NFC-enabled restaurant window sticker. Augmented Reality technology will enable the user to view restaurants near them on the screen. 
 
In addition, the app delivers search, details, calling and reservations, plus Nokia Maps integration to help users find great places to eat. Geo-aware, the app delivers real time content to Live Tiles and MICHELIN images which change according to the time of day.

Messaging

WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same Internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your family, friends, and colleagues.

Current features for Nokia Lumia and Windows Phone smartphones include search, group creation plus photos, messaging encryption, location and contact sharing, etc. Upcoming features launching with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will include a new user experience that takes advantage of a more panoramic look and feel, additional languages, emoticons, and more.

"With billions of messages delivered each day, WhatsApp's core mission is to enable people from all around the world to continually stay connected to those that matter most: their family, friends, and colleagues," said Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp. "Through our partnership with Nokia, we are excited to launch a differentiated user experience tailored for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820."