Check out my Nokia 105

I'm guessing if I were to ask you what the most popular phone brands are, you would probably rattle off Apple... Samsung... Android... possibly HTC.

And if I were to ask you about Nokia, you would probably roll your eyes and tell me how outdated that phone is.

What surprises me when I go abroad, especially to developing nations, is how Nokia has capitalized these markets. For example, in Tanzania, it is not an uncommon sight to see Maasai tribal men chatting away on their Nokia phone while wearing their traditional dress.

Maasai man on his cell phone

As it turns out Nokia is still in second place in the mobile phone market. Nokia currently has 11.5% of the global mobile-phone market with shipments of 47 million phones. Samsung leads the global mobile-phone market with a market share of 27.7%. Apple, despite its huge market share in the US, only has a 10.7% market share.

Most popular mobile phone brands in countries 

The secret to Nokia's success was to go after developing countries, a place where other companies decided to avoid. Companies are hesitant to go after developing country markets because they believe those people do not have money. However, it is not that these people do not have money, they just do not have a lot of it. The money they do have, they are wanting to buy products that fit into and improve their lifestyles.

Nokia have used this knowledge to their benefit. They designed the Nokia 105 specifically with people living in remote, underdeveloped areas in mind. The Nokia 105 comes with a flashlight, an FM radio, and a battery that can last 35 days without a charge. The phone also can withstand high abuse from dust and splashes and allows for multiple users to use one phone. This phone sells for a retail price of $20.

Nokia 105

In just two years, over 80 million of them have been sold and they sell at a rate of 100 per minute.

This all goes to show both the importance of taking advantage of underserved markets and understanding your markets needs. Nokia has been able to find a niche for mobile-phones in developing countries and be successful in them by understanding the lifestyle and behaviors of the consumers of the people in these countries.

Not only has Nokia been able to make a profit but they have also been able to change the lives of the people in these countries. It has been argued that mobile phones have made a bigger impact on life in Tanzania than all of the non-profits. According to a Time article entitled "Cell phones could help millions in developing countries to read", 62% of respondents in developing countries said they are reading more as a result of mobile reading. 

I hope that in the future more companies consider the potential of developing countries for markets of profits. Understanding of these consumers and smart product design for these markets have the potential to drive profits as well as change lives. 

What do you think: What are some products do you think would be successful in developing countries?