Nokia is expecting its biggest jump in market share for over a year as the N97 and 6700 launch over the coming weeks.
Operators are placing large orders on both devices, with the N97 out next Wednesday (1 July) at all retailers except O2, and the 6700 arriving in shops by the end of this week.
Nokia’s market share has grown to over 23% in the last three months, fuelled largely by the 5800 touch-screen.
It has also overtaken Samsung, which had held the top spot in the UK from the end of 2008.
The N97 has attracted considerable hype and Nokia’s own website and flagship Regent Street store have apparently been flooded with interest, while independent websites have been comparing the N97 to the similarly priced new Apple iPhone 3G S.
The 6700 (pictured) is the successor to Nokia’s most prolific selling device in recent years, the 6300. Operators and retailers are expecting the device to emulate the sales of its predecessor.
Nokia has had to clamp down on distributors and retailers in recent weeks after some major partners jumped the gun and began selling both devices before the official launches.
Carphone Warehouse is understood to have sold N97s to online retailers Play.com and Mobilefun.co.uk in recent weeks, according to sources.Both online retailers were offering the N97 for £500 Sim-free.
Sources also said one of Nokia’s official distributors had released 350 units of the 6700 into its channels and was reprimanded by the manufacturer after it made the discovery.
One distributor said: ‘You can sell the devices at a high price before they hit the streets due to the demand, but you risk damaging the relationship with Nokia. There is a very attractive pre-release premium for a lot of people holding the stock.’
Phones 4u has exclusivity on the white N97 and has started taking pre-orders and deposits for those keen to be the first with Nokia’s touch-screen smartphone.