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Nokia open to joining the Open Handset Alliance if it proves beneficial

Categories: Linux, Nokia
By: , IntoMobile
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 10:28 AM

openhandsetallience.jpg

When asked about the possibility of joining the newly formed Mobile Handset Alliance which is developing Android, the mobile operating system for what the internet coins the Gphone, Kari Tuutti from Nokia’s Multimedia division (Nseries) said:

“It’s not ruled out at all. If we would see this as beneficial, we would think about taking part in it.” He then added “We should never close any doors.”

I’m treating this as a mixed signal. While people like you and I have to wait until next Monday to see what Android really is all about, it occurred to me that Google might have already shown a few people at Nokia the details they needed to know to make a business decision. If this is the case then why did Nokia say no then, but is singing a new tune now? This is all speculation on my part by the way.

Maemo, for all for all intents and purposes, is Nokia’s sandbox for playing with Linux. Sure the developer community is strong, but it still is considered a niche operating system for a niche class of devices. Between the 770, N800 and N810 I doubt Nokia has sold more than a million Internet Tablets. Why not take Google’s code and just play with that instead? The open source lisence they use (Ars Technia has a great article on this) encourages companies to keep the code they added on top of Android closed and proprietary. This may be just what Nokia was waiting for.

I could be wrong and Monday can not come any sooner!

[Via: ZDNet]

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • Karey

    Personally it looks like its made to compete with the apple iphone. Its a wannabe. As hard as phone companies to try to copy the iphone its crap. Apple has done well and suceeded.

  • Aparecido Neto

    it’s good remember, sometimes.