...and also because it seems that Nokia is dead serious about getting 'the essentials' on board the WP platform such as:
1. Enterprise support, e.g. encryption through the Good for Enterprise solution. If it is true that Nokia is pushing this for their Lumia-series, it seems they recognize that there's a potential market among business/professional users. Quite an obvious hint given that Windows Phone already has Office Mobile, Exchange/Office 365, SharePoint, as well as apps for SkyDrive and Lync. *Why not* make these useful to those who are most likely to use them? What better than to have a Lumia 710/800/900 enterprise phone?
Good Technology and Nokia to Deliver Secure Enterprise Messaging on Lumia Smartphones -- SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
2. Apps such as Nokia Drive and Maps, and soon Nokia Transport and Reading. Apps such as these, especially Drive and Transport, pulled my friends and brothers into the Lumia series. These additions really made the good WP OS into a potent system. The region specific apps also help, e.g. the movie ones for Europe, ESPN in U.S, etc.
3. Affordability and distinctiveness. The Lumia 710's price and offering, the 800 and 900's beautiful designs, and even the 610's affordability will attract a wide-range of people. Each person would value a smartphone differently, not all would appreciate the 800/900's styling enough to buy them, but still want to use the OS. Others might consider the 710 and 610 cheap, and would much rather hold something that contends against the top Androids at every step, perhaps stand out of the crowd easily.
I think Nokia is poised to edge Samsung and possibly even HTC out of the Windows Phone business the way things are going. To be honest, doesn't seem like many of us mind given that among the OEMs it is Nokia that is pushing this OS, giving it teeth and supporting its entry in previously far-off market segments (i.e. low/medium-end, enterprise, etc.).
Heck I wouldn't even be surprised if Nokia manages to negotiate a deal with Google one day for proper YouTube and Google+ apps, as well as other Google services to the WP platform, eventually.