Windows 7: Windows to replace Symbian as Nokia's main smart phone platform

Friday, February 11th 2011:
Full story: Nokia Joining Forces with Microsoft | News | YLE Uutiset | yle.fi

Kari

I like Symbian.

And why windows, why not android?

NO thanks, I prefer Google
Symbian would be killed considering the millions of Symbian powered devices out there?

I was looking at the Nokia E7 today, to see what it had regarding features and/or apps.
Stated Symbian 3, which meant nothing as all our phones have not been as flash as what is now available.
Now reading Kari's post am totally confused. Not knowing which is best, i rely on experts comments to learn.
For personal reasons, the one pnone or pad that i will never buy is one starting with i.

Not too difficult to guess what Vic Gundotra, Vice-President of Engineering for Google meant when he tweeted this two days ago:



Kari

One of the things that I wonder about this alliance is that given that the bulk of Nokia's sales come from the non-smart phone categories (low-end, low-cost, basic features devices for the emerging markets), how does MS intend to leverage this to their benefit? As far as I know, the basic Nokia phones will not support Win Ph. 7. If Nokia is going to go to the highend of the market, they will face problems from players like HTC etc. (who are already on Android, if I am not mistaken).

Or, maybe Nokia will continue to use its Symbian OS to power their low-end phones and use Win 7 to attack the higher end of the market?

Very strange comment... So Scandinavia, Europe and other parts of the world outside United States are "emerging markets"? Only America matters?

It's true Nokia has not found it's place in USA, but calling the rest of the world "emerging markets" is something I do not understand. Nokia still is the worlds biggest mobile phone manufacturer with almost 40% market share.

Same thing with "low-end basic features". You call Nokia N and E series low-end? Those phones are very high-end products, bringing in over third of Nokia's sales, not to mention other high-end models.

If Nokia really moves from Symbian to Nokia, HTC and other Windows Phone makers get a really remarkable competitor.

Kari

The problem with this, IMO, is that too many people seem to think Windows Phone 7 is some kind of elaborate joke. That's why their stock just dropped 8%, and thousands of their employees walked out on them. I'd imagine that Nokia's sales upon effecting this transition are just going to go down even more.

No...that's not what I meant...I consider the Asia-Pac market (with some exceptions) as emerging markets and there generally low end phones are more common. Take India for example. Huge Nokia presence here. But generally low-level models available. In these markets the N and E series are not very common though the prices are much more reasonable than say a HTC or a Blackberry or a Sony Experia etc. Folks who can afford them generally opt for either Blackberry or something else in that category. Also, Nokia appears to be facing a lot of competition from an increasing number of local Indian brands.

The market's reaction sends IMO a very clear signal: this move is seen as plus for Microsoft, they get a quality platform to their Windows Phone OS, but as a minus for Nokia. I agree with this reaction. As much as I like, or better said love, Windows 7, IMO for mobile phones Android and Symbian simply are better.

As a very, very small private shareholder in Nokia, I have today seen my Nokia shares to drop almost 15% in NASDAQ OMX (Helsinki Stock Exchange, Finland):



BTW, it was funny to follow the Elop / Ballmer press conference today. Every journalist shown was using a MacBook and iPhone :



Kari