Found this article about Nokia. The Philippines is known as the SMS Capital of the World. Close to 300 Million text messages are sent through the major mobile networks every day. A study made five years ago came up with the following data:

• 57% of the respondents in the study are subscribed to Globe while 47% with Smart. 70% are prepaid subscribers. Smart is most popular to ages 24 and below.
• 82% of the respondents own a Nokia mobile phone.
• On the average, 20 text message are sent daily by the respondents with the 33 to 36 age group being most active.

That was five years ago. Today, Sun Cellular has cornered a significant market share from Smart and Globe with its unlimited text and call services. It is not uncommon for people to own two celphones–one subscribing to either Globe or Smart, and the extra phone subscribed to Sun. Other phone brands have cornered the market as well: Ericsson and Samsung being the major players along with Nokia.

I think 75% of the people reading this blog own a Nokia phone or have owned a Nokia phone at one time. Here’s some Nokia facts you might want to know.

Did you know that…

1) The ringtone “Nokia tune” is actually based on a 19th century guitar work named “Gran Vals” by Spanish musician Francisco Trega. The Nokia Tune was originally named “Grande Valse” on Nokia phones but was changed to “Nokia Tune” around 1998 when it became so well known that people referred to it as the “Nokia Tune.”

2) The world’s first commercial GSM call was made in 1991 in Helsinki over a Nokia-supplied network, by Prime Minister of Finland Harri Holkeri, using a Nokia phone.

3) Nokia is currently the world’s largest digital camera manufacturer, as the sales of its camera-equipped mobile phones have exceeded those of any conventional camera manufacturer.

4) The “Special” tone available to users of Nokia phones when receiving SMS (text messages) is actually Morse code for “SMS”. Similarly, the “Ascending” SMS tone is Morse code for “Connecting People,” Nokia’s slogan. The “Standard” SMS tone is Morse code for “M” (Message).

5) The Nokia corporate font (typeface) is the AgfaMonotype Nokia Sans font, originally designed by Eric Spiekermann. Its mobile phone User’s Guides Nokia mostly used the Agfa Rotis Sans font.

6) In Asia, the digit 4 never appears in any Nokia handset model number, because 4 is considered unlucky in many parts of Southeast/East Asia.

7) Nokia was listed as the 20th most admirable company worldwide in Fortune’s list of 2006 (1st in network communications, 4th non-US company.

8) Unlike other modern day handsets, Nokia phones do not automatically start the call timer when the call is connected, but start it when the call is initiated. (Except for Series 60 based handsets like the Nokia 6600).

9) Nokia is sometimes called aikon (Nokia backwards) by non-Nokia mobile phone users and by mobile software developers, because “aikon” is used in various SDK software packages, including Nokia’s own Symbian S60 SDK.

10) The name of the town of Nokia originated from the river which flowed through the town. The river itself, Nokianvirta, was named after the old Finnish word originally meaning sable, later pine marten. A species of this small, black-furred predatory animal was once found in the region, but it is now extinct.

1) LClock
2) What is Ang Peregrino Recommends