While Nokia, HTC and Samsung Electronics will launch Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices beginning in November, in line with Microsoft unveiling the mobile operating system on October 29, market demand for such smartphones is not expected to be considerably large due to the time taken for consumers to learn the operating system and strong competition from iPhone and Android models, according to market watchers.

Nokia expects the fourth quarter of 2012 to be a challenging quarter for smart devices, with a lower-than-normal benefit from seasonality in volumes, primarily due to product transitions and its ramp-up plans for new devices.

Meanwhile, HTC also expects its revenues to dip to NT$60 billion in the fourth quarter compared to NT$70.2 billion recorded in the third quarter despite the launch of two Windows Phone 8-based models, the WP8X and WP8S.

Both Nokia and HTC will target the US as the primary market for pushing sales of their WP8 phones, with initial sales results in the market to serve as an indicator for consumer reaction to WP8, the sources noted.

In the US, AT&T will introduce the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820, Verizon Wireless will sell the newly announced Nokia Lumia 822, and T-Mobile will offer the Nokia Lumia 810. All three will have phones in stores in November, according to Nokia.

But sales of iPhones currently account for 70% and 40% of total smartphone sales by AT&T and Verizon, respectively, while Android models make up nearly the rest of sales. Therefore, it remains to be seen what proportion the WP8 models can take, commented the sources.