Nokia leaves Japanese phone market

Nokia, battered by the popularity of smartphones, is abandoning the Japanese market after a brief foray with luxury mobiles costing as much as £173,000.

The Finnish handset maker is closing its last store selling high-end Vertu phones in Ginza by the end of July.

Previously it had three such stores in Japan, although when the decision to leave Japan was made or how many Vertu phones Nokia had sold in Japan have not been disclosed.