Nokia to cut 220 R&D jobs in Japan

HELSINKI, FINLAND: Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Oyj said on Tuesday that it would cut 220 research and development jobs in Japan as it focused on launching fewer, but more iconic, phones.

Nokia said the job cuts - representing around one percent of its R&D staff globally - would not affect its sourcing activities in Japan.

"Japanese manufacturers are important partners who play a critical role in Nokia's global supply-chain strategy and with whom Nokia continues to develop its world-class logistics operations," it said.

Nokia said last week it would cut 330 jobs in its research and development operations in Finland and Denmark.

The world's top cellphone maker has launched around 50 models per year, but aims to focus on fewer, more popular models.

Nokia has cut jobs and costs across its organisation this year, aiming to cut annual costs at its key handset unit alone by more than 700 million euros ($1.04 billion) to counter plunging demand.