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Nokia's strategically vital web services push gained new momentum when the phonemaker launched Comes With Music, its unlimited download subscription offering. Now it looks set to extend the system to video and games, in a further challenge to Apple iTunes and other would-be kings of the mobile web.

Numerous leaks indicate that Nokia is putting together an unlimited download platform for movies and its N-Gage games titles, with a view to launching this in the first half of 2009, along with some revamped smartphones with enhanced video capabilities and battery life.

While Nokia is still floundering somewhat in games, and the whole sector is under pressure on mobile devices, the video idea has sunnier prospects. Already, one potential partner, Disney - which has been particularly aggressive in pursuing mobile channels for its content - has commented that they would be very interested in partnering for a bundled subscription offer. Nokia's largest gaming partner, Electronic Arts - which has voiced many doubts about the current N-Gage deals - also told Nokia watchers NokNok (http://noknok.tv/2008/11/06/comes-with-games-comes-with-film/)this week that they would be "supportive" of an unlimited service, claiming it would raise the profile of the mobile games and push them to a wider audience.

However, there need to be improvements to the XpressMusic line of handsets, the main vehicles for Comes With Music, if they are to deliver an excellent user experience for 'Comes With Video'. Nokia phones in the UK running the popular BBC replay service, iPlayer, have suffered excessive battery drain, and the Finnish vendor is reported to be including enhanced video components in future versions of XpressMusic phones and the N96 smartphone.

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