Nokia + WP7

[jaStrom]

If Nokia and Windows announce a hardware/software partnership, would this be a good thing?

Here's my take:

I think WP7 needs to be refined but Microsoft has the resources to significantly improve it. Nokia has good global distribution capabilities so I think they could be instrumental in getting phones into consumer's hands. They also have unique hardware designs which may be intriguing for some.

Symbian was disastrous in the North American market and I doubt there's room MeeGo right now. MeeGo development is also insanely slow so I think Nokia needs to adopt a new operating system to be competitive. Android probably would've been the safer bet but I'm getting kind of tired of how many Android devices are released each month.

Basically, I think WP7 on Nokia devices is risky but also kind of exciting. I hope that if it happens, it'll be a hit.

We'll see!

[Stuntman]

If Nokia adopts WP7, they still have to churn out devices in a timely manner. They have been rather slow in getting their product to market in the past. With HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell already having products available or soon to be available, Nokia will have to come out with something not only truely awesome, but quickly enough.

I have no doubt that Nokia can come out with a great piece of hardware. I have been impressed by the hardware quality of Nokia devices in the past. The N97 I used to use was great until you turned it on and saw how abysmal the UI and OS was. The call quality was great, but anything beyond using it as a phone was not a good experience. Nokia is definitely capable of making a top end device running WP7 (or even Android).

[aesith]

A Nokia N8 running W7 is a buy for me. I want the N8 for the family time photos and video on the fly without carrying a camera and it's the next best thing. Add in an OS that isn't decades old, the physical qualities of Nokia phones and it should be a license to print money for a little while until the buzz wears off.

[jaStrom]

I agree. An N8 with WP7 would've been so much better than Symbian.

[Stuntman]

It's official. Nokia partners with Microsoft. They will be making WP7 phones. Symbian will still be the "franchise" platform. MeeGo will be open source. 2011 & 2012 will be transition years.

It will probably be 2013 before I get my next phone. We'll see if Nokia will be a player then.

[gun26]

I'm betting that Nokia will indeed still be a player in 2013, but you will have other choices for Windows Phone 7 hardware that are cheaper and much faster to market.

[Soulsaber]

Microsoft has pretty much taken over Nokia.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/12/nokia-usa-president-is-out-replaced-by-microsoft-vet-chris-webe/

All the executive spots are slowly being taken over by ex-Microsoft employees... disgusting.

Nokia is going to lose a lot of market share and definitely out of the #1 spot by this year.

[jaStrom]

Two ex-Microsoft employees (Elop & Weber) hardly justifies such hyperbole. When you think about it, having Weber take over North American operations makes a lot of sense. Nokia was floundering in the American markets and clearly needed a change. Having someone from Microsoft who is far more familiar with the US tech industry makes a lot of sense. Also, Nokia was already loosing market share and was already on track to ceding the number one spot well before the partnership. In fact, that's why they're partnering with Microsoft! They're going to try and stop the bleeding (or put out the fire in Elop's words) then focus on longterm growth.