Like existing 50,000 apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace isn’t enough, Nokia announced few exclusive apps from major content providers like CNN, Univision, ESPN and Sesame Workshop. Under the deal, the apps will be available exclusively to Nokia consumers before they are made more widely available to all Windows Phone users.
Here’s what they got:
- CNN for Windows Phone – providing the latest news and video from CNN’s reporting around the globe. Users have the ability to pin sections of the app to a home screen, use Live Tile for real-time news updates, and access and share news on the iReport, CNN’s participatory news community. The CNN app will be exclusive to Nokia users for 90 days.
- Univision – offers a wide range of content that resonates with Hispanics, including news, entertainment, sports, cooking and local content for several U.S. markets like New York, Miami and San Francisco. The application will be exclusive to Nokia consumers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for 18 months on Windows Phone devices.
- ESPN Sports Hub – provides users with access to all of the sports content, as well as the ability to fully customize the experience with latest news, scores, video and analysis via a single screen.
- Sesame Workshop rich reading titles – these apps help an adult teach her child to become the storyteller while the adult becomes the listener, the questioner, and the audience for the child. The exclusive apps include both a free book (100th Day of School) and three additional titles – Big Block Party, Color Carnival and Abby in Wonderland, featuring familiar characters like Elmo and Grover. These titles are exclusive to Nokia consumers globally for a minimum of six months.
Now the question is – whether smartphone buyers care that much about the apps listed above to buy Nokia’s over some other handset maker’s devices.