Microsoft hints there’s no need for it to build own Windows Phone, has tons of control over Nokia

26. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 4321; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)

I got your drift and i agree...it should've been the other way round.

31. windroid (unregistered)

You don’t see the invented sentence "has tons of control over Nokia" in the transcribed text. Unfortunately PA journalist is a bad professional and transforms its own opinion into a fact.

36. KingShango (Posts: 89; Member since: 16 May 2012)

I don't understand why everyone thinks Nokia would make money if they made android phones. Report after report shows that Samsung is the only company that makes money with android. HTC, Moto, Sony and LG all lose money or take tiny profits.
Elop made the right decision, WP may be off to a slow start but MS realizes that the future of computing is mobile and they're not going to give up and have tons of resources to be in long term.

40. Whateverman (Posts: 3284; Member since: 17 May 2009)

We say they would money because we would buy the phones. Samsung is the only one making money because of advertising and brand recognition. And they made the Galaxy S available on every carrier, whereas HTC, Motorola, LG, and Sony are all still trying to make exclusivity work.

Also, these companies are doing very little when it comes innovating beyond Android. Look at all the "S" features that Samsung has built into TouchWiz, compared to the very useful yet meager contributions like Moto's Smart actions, HTC's Blink feed, Optimus' landscape ability and... I don't what Sony offers because they don't make devices for VZW. Now look at what Nokia is doing to build WP... How could we NOT want an OEM with a reputation for putting out THE BEST HARDWARE to build one for Android users?

44. KingShango (Posts: 89; Member since: 16 May 2012)

I still think that Elop made the right decision.

1.) Nokia isn't a massive conglomerate like Samsung. They can't afford to spend $400m on marketing globally. Also it means they don't have the leverage with carriers to get rid of exclusivity, hence the 810 on T-Mob, 820 on At&t and 822 on Verizon.

2.) Most of their in-house products would have to compete directly with Googles efforts. Specifically Maps but also Drive and CityLens etc. On WP they are featured products that get showcased.

3.) Finally, right now MS basically pays Nokia to use WP and it also pays for a huge chunk of marketing. They'd never get that kind of deal from Google.

Nokia could be just another OEM in a crowded field with Android or they could be the premier manufacturer for a small but growing platform. Elop made the best deal for Nokia.

45. TROLL (banned) (Posts: 4851; Member since: 13 Apr 2012)

It's been 3 years there's no big or any slight changes of sales! Look at Sony in 6 months they've reached n3!

49. Whateverman (Posts: 3284; Member since: 17 May 2009)

+1 All valid points! I think going with WP was a good decision too, but it was after a few bad ones had already taken place.

Nokia had one really huge thing going for them... They're NOKIA! They were the top dogs in the mobile industry but just like everyone else, they underestimated the impact that the iPhone would have. And Android just wasn't on their radar at all it seems They had the hardware, the code writers, and the clout to stay relevant, but like Blackberry they waited to long to reinvent themselves and now M$ has them by the nads.

They wanted to become the premier WP manufacturer and they are. But it could have been a much easier task if they had a cash cow device bringing in some extra revenue. To ignore Android is to write off 60+% of the market, so it comes down to are they happy with that 7-8% share or is it finally time to give millions of Android fans what they want?

53. DigitalJedi_X2 (banned) (Posts: 346; Member since: 30 Jan 2012)

You must not know how Nokia used to be to make statements like that.

1. Nokia(before Elop) used to be bigger than Samsung, and Apple combined! This was even after mismanagement from their former managers, and right when Elop first took over. Had they went Android then, Nokia and Samsung would have been duking it out for the #1 spot.

2. The beauty of Google and Android is that you can use your own products and they still get top billing. You need look no further than Samsung right now to see proof of this. Nokia had a built in user base. Their products would have had downloads in the millions. Android was the closest thing to Symbian. Far closer than WP. This is why WP is doing so poorly now. Symbian users jumped ship when Nokia switched to WP. Most would have stayed had they switched to Android. Plus, with Android, Nokia would have had complete control over the hardware and software. The look and the feel of the device. Not so with WP. But since the Nokia board got the billion dollar payoff, then Ballmer's boy Elop took over and brought over a bunch of other MS employees, Nokia has been MS's plaything since then.

3. Nokia PAYS MS to use WP. So that money that MS is putting into Nokia... Is going RIGHT BACK to MS.

Look, back when Symbian and Nokia ruled the roost, and MS was pushing Windows MOBILE, Nokia was the biggest threat to MS. Ballmer never forgot this and when he saw that Nokia was in trouble, he swooped in and effectively "killed off" his #1 competitor. His mistake was thinking loyal Symbian users would all jump ship to WP. Its obvious that almost none of them did. Hence WP being so low on the totem poll now. They'll end up being maybe the 5-7th ecosystem. Android will remain the #1 and iOS #2. Blackberry is already the third ecosystem and will remain so.

54. KingShango (Posts: 89; Member since: 16 May 2012)

First, whatever Nokia was before Elop took over is irrelevent. They've been on a sharp decline since 2008 so the company he took over was a shell of it's former self. And they still weren't looking at Android they were going with MeeGo. If someone else took over they still probably wouldn't be making Android phones.

Second, even if they had switched to Android they're is still no guarantee all their "loyal" customer would've stuck with them. Would all those "loyal" customers have stuck with them if they'd switched to MeeGo?

Third, it's been reported on this site that Nokia gets alot more money from MS than it pays back. I didn't see Google willing to swoop in with a bag of money.

This fantasy that Nokia would be some juggernaut tech company if they'd only switched to Android is ridiculous. It's only been 2 years since they announced the partnership with MS and only about 14 months since they launched the first Windows phone. If WP hasn't gained any traction a year from now they may be in trouble but either way Elop made the best decision he could.

55. TROLL (banned) (Posts: 4851; Member since: 13 Apr 2012)

Well said totally agree+1™

46. TROLL (banned) (Posts: 4851; Member since: 13 Apr 2012)

They never was and didn't ever like high end spec hardwares on there phones!

52. ILikeBubbles (Posts: 525; Member since: 17 Jan 2011)

oh what i wouldn't do to get android on a nokia 920 or similar....

27. tusshharish (Posts: 342; Member since: 23 Oct 2012)

that's the trust on nokia ..............

30. Feanor (Posts: 849; Member since: 20 Jun 2012)

Correct. I think if Microsoft makes a Surface phone, it will take a huge marke share from Nokia; Nokia -who need every single customer they can get- will be forced to leave the platform and then other manufacturers will stop supporting the platform, because they will see that it doesn't gain traction (and they will have to compete with Microsoft hardware) and the entire platform will sink. I think Microsoft is cleverer than this and they will not shoot themselves in the foot.

15. jcpwn2004 (Posts: 314; Member since: 18 Jan 2012)

exactly what I thought when I saw the title. This has to be why we haven't seen an android phone built by nokia. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

17. xperiaDROID (banned) (Posts: 5629; Member since: 08 Mar 2013)

Yup, me too!

28. tigermcm (Posts: 860; Member since: 02 Sep 2009)

all this nokia+android crap.......nokia wouldn't have gone far with android. There are 50 million OEMs for android with Samsung at the top Nokia would have drowned in a sea of androids

11. Diego! (Posts: 677; Member since: 15 Jun 2009)

I totally agree with you.