Will Nokia drop Symbian for Windows Phone?

While analytics firm Gartner has posted figures that show that the Symbian OS owns the leading share of the smartphone platform pie with 44.3% of the worldwide total, that figure represents a 4.5% decline over the last year. With Android and the iPhone growing their share and showing great momentum, is it time for Nokia to think about switching operating systems? Ashkok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman and Renshaw, suggests that "with the odds stacked against the survival of Symbian" it is time for Nokia to drop the OS and replace it with Windows Phone. Microsoft's new OS is more finger friendly and visually focused than prior builds of Windows Mobile ever were. Kumar foresees a future where the iPhone and Android platforms dominate and even with his suggestion, he calls Windows Phone a "wild card". There has been speculation about a Nokia branded Windows Phone device, but as far as Kumar's suggestion becoming reality, the Finnish based firm might just want to see how the Symbian ^3 powered Nokia N8 fares in the market before making a decision.

Nokia N8 Specifications

source: Barron's