Carriers strongly prefer Windows Phone to Symbian and Meego
In the last week, we've gotten the news that the Meego-powered Nokia N9 would not be released in the US, UK or Germany. Of course, not everyone is happy to see the N9 hitting more and more potholes before even being released. So, a concerned user e-mailed Nokia CEO Stephen Elop about the N9, asking that the phone be made available as a subsidized option in the UK.
Surprisingly, Elop responded to the e-mail. Less surprising was that the response kept up Nokia's aims to support Windows Phone. Since the announcement of the Nokia/Microsoft partnership, there have been rumblings about the demise of Symbian and Meego. Symbian lovers at least have a bit of hope, given that Elop has promised Symbian updates through 2016 at the earliest. Meego lovers are having a tougher time of it, especially since Elop essentially declared the platform dead, regardless of the success of the N9.
In responding to the concerns over the N9, Elop said that the N9 should be available in the UK through online retailers, but immediately pushed Windows Phone, which he said offers a "great user experience and that beats the competition." Presumably, "the competition" includes both Symbian and Meego, because in a following response, Elop added that Nokia has no control over what carriers offer, but that "many of the larger operators are showing a strong preference towards WP."
The future certainly doesn't look good for Meego. It might be best to put away any hopes it'll survive.
source: Maemo Talk via WP Sauce
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