Nokia is to partner with China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile operator, in a sales deal that will give the Finnish company an opportunity to win back Chinese market share from Apple’s iPhone.

China Mobile, which has more than 700 million subscribers but no contract to sell iPhones, will start selling a version of Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920 smartphone in the world’s largest mobile market.

Nokia’s stock is still down 28 per cent this year, although it has edged higher in recent weeks on hopes of promising Lumia sales.

Sales of Nokia’s new Lumia 920 and 820 models – which operate on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 software – are seen as crucial for the Finnish company as it tries to regain global market share from Samsung and Apple. – (Reuters)