For the last few years 
I’ve used the relative performance of Nokia v the other smartphone manufacturers as the extreme example of our ‘Diversity of Performance’ theme. From over 80% of the market back in 2005, Nokia are now under 20%. Conversely Apple have dominated a market (indeed they now have a larger market share than Nokia) they weren’t even playing in pre 2007. Now, of course, Android is giving them all a run for their money. That’s before I add RIM and Microsoft to the argument.
Nokia has had an annus horribilus starting with Stephen Elop’s ‘Ratner Moment’ back in Feb. See Nokia torn between burning alive or drowning. Latest Q3 results confirmed that ‘sinking feeling’ as smartphone revenues plunged 38% YOY contributing to a £132m loss (£281m profit last time). But what really attracted my eye was that Nokia sold 90m Featurephones (Why aren’t they called ‘dumbphones’?). Indeed Nokia has really performed quite well in that ‘basic’ part of the market. I, like may others, still carry a highly reliable, light Nokia basic phone. I suspect there will always be a market for such devices – especially in the developing word. The ‘problem’ is that these are commodity items and margins are wafer thin- as Nokia results demonstrate.