Nokia decided to make Windows Phone handsets after finding Android didn't offer enough opportunity to set Nokia apart from the rest of the pack, the company's CEO Stephen Elop said at the Uplinq conference in San Diego.
But Elop also admitted Nokia had "attitudinal" problems with Android. Although he called Android "a winning ecosystem" and knew that using it would allow Nokia to re-enter the American market in force, joining the robot brigade would have "felt like giving in".
Instead, Nokia chose to use Windows Phone on its upcoming smart phones. The company did a deal with Microsoft that Elop said will allow Nokia to differentiate its mobiles more clearly from other manufacturer's phones.
By focusing on Windows Phone rather than Android, or doing both, Nokia claims it will be able to bring Windows Phone out of the doldrums, where it has been languishing mostly unnoticed since it launched last year. Without naming names, Elop implied that companies such as HTC, which make both Android phone and Windows Phones, tend to relegate Windows Phone to the second string. In contrast, Elop promised that Nokia will bring its best game to Windows Phone.
Elop hinted that the camera will be one place where its Windows Phones will dominate. He said the Nokia N8 has by far the best camera in mobiledom, and, although we hated the N8's clunky Symbian software, we agree. But, according to Elop, the N8's snapper is just the tip of the iceberg.
"That's just a fraction of the optics and photography technology that we have in our labs," said Elop.
Nokia's definitely got a battle in store after abandoning both Symbian, its traditional smart phone software, and MeeGo, the fresh OS it was working on with Intel.
Elop called Symbian "crufty" and "fragile" after years of development added too many layers of complexity to the OS.
MeeGo was a good start, but would take too long to percolate down from expensive smart phones such as the Nokia N900 to cheaper phones. With 1.3 billion Nokia users worldwide, including huge followings in the developing world, Nokia can't afford to stick to the fancy phones like Apple does with the iPhone.
Elop sounded every inch the ex-Microsofty as he extolled the virtues of Windows Phone instead of doing much tooting of Nokia's own horn. It's all about the "battle of the ecosystems", he said, which throws Nokia together with other Windows Phone makers such as Samsung, HTC and LG in an unlikely army. Apple sits on the opposing side, along with many of the very same companies in their guise as Android phone makers.
Elop also emphasised his new-found friendship with Qualcomm, a company Nokia has battled in the courts for years over patent claims. Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors already power all existing Windows Phones, and they're likely to be the brains of the next wave of Nokia phones, which we expect to arrive late this year.
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Comments 16
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Pokeh 3 June, 2011 10:10
Nokia needs to swallow its pride if it want to have any place in the smartphone market.
Android is a fine OS - it's got a decent amount of apps in its app store, and because it's open source Nokia could apply their own UI on top of it like HTC does do help it stand out from the crowd a little bit. I'd really like to see the kind of hardware that Nokia could get Android running on.
WinPhoSev is just getting on its feet though - it doesn't have multitasking yet and copy & paste was only added very recently. Nobody seems to be excited about WinPhoSev, and Microsoft takes too long between announcing updates and actually, you know - releasing them.
I would have thought that given the company's situation they'd be more concerned than babbling about how their mommy said they're special and they have to stand out from the crowd. Is the company ran by angsty 14 year olds or something?
jayce35 3 June, 2011 10:17
the reason nokia said no to android plan and simple Stephen elop secretly still works for microsoft
von dutch 3 June, 2011 11:07
after having a go on the e7 in the t-mobile shop i only care if they do a wp7 version of that. mind, i have an android and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
jaidensmith01 3 June, 2011 11:08
well the phone looks relle amazing...sleek body and trendy colors and design...and very feminine too...and i think if Nokia is coming out with windows phone then they will definitely hit!!
Anonymous 3 June, 2011 12:07
The part that simply amazes me is that he states that "Nokia had "attitudinal" problems with Android" Surely a company should be led by people who make decisions in an impartial way for the best of the company their investors and their workforce. Attitude shouldn't be part of a decision process by any decent management. To reject the biggest most popular and successful OS alternative to apple because you've been a competitor and lost is childish and arrogant. Android won symbian lost move on. Windows may be huge in the future but android is right now
Nokia were something special but that was a long time ago. They are now a slow lumbering giant led by people with little imagination and foresight which is why Microsoft is their perfect partner.
Elop should get better designers and engineers if he cant think of a way to make an android phone exciting and stand out because many others have and will continue to do so. e.g. Samsung HTC.
mark2410 3 June, 2011 13:59
lets face it, Nokia even if its shrinking fast is still huge. so pray tell why it couldnt just offer all of them. symbian, meego, wp7, android, even bada or that qualcomm one. do what samsung and HTC did, make them all and let customers decide what one they like.
for the love of god why not do android too? share holders need to order them to or they will continue to decline and end up being bought by microsoft or a far east manufacturer. its almost painful to watch frankly.
Anonymous 3 June, 2011 15:40
I can understand why Nokia decided not to go with Android and i love Android. In truth Nokia wouldnt really stand out they would just become a phone maker and nothing else, which is why other makers of Android have to add skins to the software to make them stand out.
At least with WP7 they get to add their maps and also be more than just an OEM. I look forward to
some Nokia hardware with Mango on it
Naryan 4 June, 2011 18:49
It's more like because Nokia are dying, like, really really fast. I think that if they didn't take the absolutely massive bribe from Microsoft they might not have even been round long enough to reap the benefits of the Android move. Especially with companies like HTC sitting right at the top there with all the best phones.
Nokia's name would do nothing for it in this situation, contrary to what some idiots think about all brand names.
anonymous 5 June, 2011 03:59
well .. what can you say ? other than ... when is Nokia's banckrupcy's date due ?
Microsoft it self is going in a very uncertain path with windows 8
anonymous 5 June, 2011 13:02
da-dum-da-dum---RIP Nokia as for Elop, shouldn't he step down, after all he's lost the company millions. Doesn't he realize by now a camera doesn't make a phone, it's just an added bonus. If you want a descent camera you buy one.
Anonymous 5 June, 2011 19:00
"Nokia decided to make Windows Phone handsets after finding Android didn't offer enough opportunity to set Nokia apart from the rest of the pack".... Does he seriously think we'll fall for this??? Every Windows Phone device so far has almost same storage, minimum screen size, processor, Microsoft embedded look and feel etc.
olive86 6 June, 2011 05:26
what ever it is but Android phones are doing great in the market and they are better than the Symbian phones. Nokia did not take the right decision.
anonymous 6 June, 2011 09:16
i would rather say that Nokia is on a path that does happens to every giant, apple went through the same in early 90s. There are changes to be accepted and Nokia should be given a breathing space to experiment, all Androids feel and look the same and Nokia would be like another phone with just a new home screen, nothing else
But with this Win Mo Partnership, Nokia has the opportunity to make itself apart from even the other WinMo Manufacturers. Nokia has its own way of releasing updates, their own Navteq Map base, their own Music services, that integrated with Microsoft's Office and cloud services make it huge. Think in term of a change, not in terms of another mobile. So technically, Nokia has edge on Androids and other WinMo devices.
Nokia can bring better multi-tasking, maps, camera, software integration to Win Mo to its own advantage. So wait and see what is there. Don't just rush in blaming Elop, if you have no idea how Nokia was in past 4 years. If Elop isnt happy with the idea that No one used an IPhone in Nokia, he means it, because if they don't know innovation, how can they differentiate themselves. Its a restructure and it takes time. So have faith in Nokia, they won't play with their reputation
valerie 6 June, 2011 11:37
Nokia should understand that its ruling days are over and won't come back again untill and unless it tries to work upside down. In this immense competition consumers have very bright and desirable options ...should severely concentrate on its strategy and product design.
Anonymous 6 June, 2011 11:49
well...whatever it is..i find it very nice and must waiting for...
anonymous 6 June, 2011 20:37
Aneel, I think you have to many if's in your statement. I'm afraid if you pick the wrong turn as Nokia has it could very well lead to bankruptcy. A company can not live on if's' it is sales that count and with there plummeting sales , eventually it will only leave two main contenders unless they get there act together. I'm not saying give up W7, but if you have all your eggs in one basket s**t happens