Nokia Corp. expanded its apology for using misleading marketing materials for a new line of phones.
The company last week acknowledged that it didn't use the PureView camera of its forthcoming Lumia 920 to shoot a portion of a video used in promotional material for the phone. The company on Saturday said other pieces of the marketing material, such as still photography, also were simulated.
In both cases, Nokia was called out by independent blogs for not having disclosed that the images weren't captured by a Lumia.
Nokia used a hand-held video camera and lighting rig rather than the Lumia to create the material in question. Then it used that material as evidence that the technology in its new phones, set to go on sale this year, was superior to competitors' technology already on the market.
Nokia's initial failure to fully represent how it shot the images deals a blow to the company's credibility when it is struggling to regain its footing in the global smartphone market. Nokia was once the dominant player in mobile handsets but has been hit hard by the success of Apple Inc., AAPL +0.62% Samsung Electronics Co. 005930.SE +4.52% and others.
Nokia introduced its new phones, which use Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT -1.26% Windows 8 operating system, on Sept. 5 in New York following a move by Samsung in August to show off its own Windows 8 phone. Apple is expected to introduce its next iPhone on Wednesday.
Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop said that unlike Samsung's Windows 8 phone, Nokia's phone was functional. But the Finnish company didn't disclose the cost and release schedule for its new line, leading to criticism and a decline in the company's stock price.
The need to simulate the camera capabilities of the Lumia 920 rather than wait until the real technology was ready showed the urgency facing Nokia.
"Nokia recently apologized when it became clear that a video, which had been produced to demonstrate the benefits of optical image stabilization, failed to make clear that it was a simulation only and not shot using the new PureView camera on the Nokia Lumia 920. This video was produced when the Nokia Lumia 920 was in preproduction," the company said. "While there was no intention to mislead, the failure to add a disclaimer to the video was obviously a mistake, and we apologize for the misunderstanding it did cause."
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