Nokia is strengthening its deployment in the entry-level to mid-range smartphone market with the launch of Lumia 620, a move which will affect the sale of Windows Phone 8 handsets rolled out by HTC and China-based smartphone brands, according to industry sources.

The Lumia 620, priced at US$250 unlocked, will hit the shelves in some markets in Asia, including China, in January 2013, prior to the launch of WP8 models by China-based vendors, indicated the sources, noting that the Lumia 620 will be also available in Europe and the Middle East later.

The Lumia 620 comes only one month after Nokia launched its first wave of WP8 phones, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, indicating Nokia's strong efforts to regain market share, particularly in India, China and other emerging markets, the sources commented.

The move by Nokia may force HTC to also roll out low-priced WP8 models, as well as affect the pricing strategies of China-based brands, including Huawei and ZTE, which are set to launch WP8 phones soon, added the sources.

In addition to penetrating into the entry-level to mid-range sector, Nokia has announced that it is partnering with China Mobile to launch the Lumia 920T for the high-end segment in China.

HTC has launched its WP8X and WP8S smartphones in cooperation with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, respectively.