Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said that the world’s largest smartphone maker is already working on Windows Phone 7 devices and he shot down notions that this is just the beginning of an eventual acquisition by Microsoft.
If this was just the beginning of an acquisition, Nokia CEO Elop said his company wouldn’t be able to start the work yet. He said Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices are already in development but he didn’t indicate when we could expect these. Optimistically, we can look forward to one of these devices by the end of the year but we should a flood of these devices in 2012.
At the same time, Nokia CEO Elop said Microsoft wouldn’t gain much with an acquisition over a partnership.
“I’m not aware of a strategic interest that Microsoft would have in the rest of the business,” Nokia CEO Elop told Reuters. “To the extent that a partnership has been formed around what they’re really interested in, then what would an acquisition bring other than a good year of anti-trust investigation, huge turmoil, delays?”
Microsoft reportedly paid Nokia $1 billion to adopt Windows Phone 7 and this could give the platform the shot in the arm it needs to compete against the likes of iOS, Android and BlackBerry. The handset maker has the ability to bring this to the lower end of the smartphone market too, due to its massive production capabilities.
The deal also helps Nokia compete in the modern age because Symbian and MeeGo were going nowhere in an era that is highly competitive. Even with the features that it lacks, Windows Phone 7 is still sexy and it gives the company a solid foundation to build upon. Hopefully, we’ll get the software updates soon that will put it on par with the competition.
Are you looking forward to a Nokia Windows Phone 7 handset?
[Via Reuters]