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Nokia pokes fun at iPhone in Lumia 900 campaign

Nokia's "smartphone beta test" website isn't afraid to take on Apple's blockbuster device in a series of "hidden camera" videos.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
2 min read
Nokia's getting bold with its marketing campaign. Bonnie Cha/CNET

It appears Nokia isn't going to be shy about picking a fight with Apple and its iPhone.

Popping up recently is the Smartphone Beta Test website, which include several "hidden video" clips that poke fun at the iPhone, including a jab at the iPhone 4's "death grip controversy." The implication: that all preceding phones, including the iPhone, were beta tests for the real phone: Nokia's Lumia 900.

The website, which was found by WPCentral, doesn't mention Nokia or the Lumia 900, but a countdown clock ticks down to April 6, or two days ahead of the Lumia 900's launch at AT&T. WPCentral noted that the images directory within the site held references to AT&T and Nokia items, but it has since been restricted from public viewing.

The campaign marks the first efforts to drum up attention for the Lumia 900, which AT&T is promising to be its biggest phone launch. Nokia has a lot invested in the success of the Lumia 900, which could determine whether the company has a future in the U.S. market.

It also shows Nokia isn't afraid of going after direct comparisons with the iPhone, still the top-selling individual smartphone. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop hasn't been shy about his goals of taking market share from Google's Android platform, but hasn't referenced the iPhone as much.

Aside from the death grip, the videos mock the iPhone display's lack of visibility in sunlight, as well as the durability, likely two points Nokia will try to push as advantages for the Lumia 900. The site doesn't actually refer to the iPhone itself, although it uses a blurred out image that is an unmistakeable ringer for Apple's phone.

The campaign will likely kick off in full force when the countdown hits zero.