Jordan: Jordan is one of the fastest growing markets in the Middle East in terms of smartphone usage, according to a Nokia executive.

 
"We consider Jordan one of the major markets for Nokia. The number of Jordanians using smartphones is on the rise and we expect this trend to sharply increase during the near future," Vesa Jutila, head of in-market product marketing smart devices at Nokia, said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

He attributed expectations of a boom in smartphone usage in Jordan during the next few years to the fact that these devices were exempted from taxes coupled with an increase in the number of Jordanians using the Internet. Internet users exceeded 50.5 per cent by the end of 2011, according to official figures.

Last year, the government decided to lift taxes on smartphones to increase the number of Jordanians using these devices.

According to a report by the Arab Advisers Group, smartphone penetration in Jordan was estimated at 45 per cent by the end of 2011.

Nokia's Symbian phones are the leading smartphone operating system in Jordan, with a 62 per cent market share, followed by iOS and BlackBerry in second place, and Android in third, according to the report.

"Nokia was among the first to launch mobile devices in Jordan. In addition, the devices' user interface is user friendly," Jutila said.

"These are among the main reasons that help us have a good market share in Jordan," he said.

Several users agreed.

"I have been using Nokia mobiles for 10 years. I used different models of Nokia devices and they are easy to use," Ameer Elhajj Abed, an accountant, told The Jordan Times Monday.

Omar Abu Saada agreed.

"I have been using a Nokia E7 for one year now. I find it easy to operate, especially since I have the option to either use the touch format or the keypad," he said.

"However, the worst thing about it that the battery dies quickly and the camera's resolution is not very good," Abu Saada added.

Mohammad Al Nasser, however, is not a Nokia fan.

"I tried using several types of Nokia smartphones, but I did not like them. I had several problems with the devices," the air conditioning company salesman said.

"Currently, I have an iPhone 4 and I am satisfied with it. I think it is better than Nokia in terms of speed, storage and pictures," he said. Source: zawya.com