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Ever since Nokia laid their Windows-clad blueprint out on the table for all to see, they’ve come under a lot of criticism which – for the most part – always sounds like this: “they should have chosen Android.” Now one of Nokia’s direct partners – Intel – have jumped in to throw even more fuel onto the fire.
It’s an interesting sentiment from their CEO as the two have partnered up on Meego, an operating system that was supposed to blow the pants off of Nokia fans everywhere but is taking forever to materialize inside of an actual product.
I don’t blame Intel for feeling a bit slighted as Nokia chose to speed things up with a modern operating system. It also doesn’t surprise me that Intel would have liked to have seen Android second to Meego instead of Windows considering Android is partly based on Linux.
Despite what everyone thinks, though, Meego isn’t dead. Intel and Nokia are still partners. They still want Meego to make it to a final release. And with that, an Android-based Nokia isn’t totally dead either. I’m sure whatever deal Microsoft and Nokia have isn’t for the extremely long haul, and once it expires you better be sure Nokia will reevaluate their stance. (Whether Android comes up in those reevaluation discussions or not.) [Manila Bulletin]
I confidently predict that Nokia aren’t in it for the long haul either. 2-3 years from now they will be consumed by a rival… or perhaps a ‘partner’… ;-)
Ooopsie
Nokia made the right choice. Intel is wrong
Intel should go ANDROID
Okay so what exactly did the CEO say? I don’t see anywhere quoted what was said.
Just a what-if scenario, but say Nokia HAD gone Android and it was wildly successful and then Meego finally launches but people go “meh, what’s the point we have Android?” and Meego is DOA before it gets a chance to shine.
Instead they went with Windows Mobile and people everywhere were collectively underwhelmed, and when Meego is finally ready it emerges as the shining savior of Nokia.
Just food for that. Knowing that Nokia’s CEO is an ex-Microsoft guy, maybe he just had the connections in place to set up something for the short-term quicker and easier than it would have been to invest in Android which might have taken a bigger commitment.
Another point is that if Nokia is just biding their time until Nokia is market ready, the Android phone market is SUPER saturated right now and they seem to have a very short shelf life due to the continuous upgrade cycle, selling Windows mobile phones might position them to sell the most units while they prepare for Meego.
Wish you could edit comments….”Another point is that if Nokia is just biding their time until Meego is market ready”
iphone and android will run over nokia. windows mobile suck.
Meego was never going to take off because of its open development model. Everyone just takes their time and nothing is ever released to meet an OEM’s deadline.
It’s a bad decisoin for nokia, but it’s a good decision for the rest of us. There needs to be at least 3 viable OS out there. Microsoft may be the worst option, and nokia will pay for that decision, but it’s awfully nice of them to take one for the “team”.
Allowing android to monopolize the market will do us no good. Google, like any evil empires before them will rip us off when they are given the chances.
Personally I think that Meego is a much better platform (conceptually, anyway) than Android, or rather, Meego is designed how Android should have been. But that ship has sailed, and Android’s getting better with every SDK release.
Nokia will probably hang on for a while yet but they’re already just a shell of their former selves. They’ve gone the same way as Palm. Then again, they’ve pretty much followed the same arc as Palm, including the whole “We’re going to make our own next-generation Linux-based OS!” which then got subverted by “but we’ll just use Windows Mobile for now.” All they need now is to release another simplified OS concept that is based on a faint remnant of Meego before they get acquired by an 800-pound gorilla in a completely different product domain and the parallel will be complete.
This is the beginning of the end of Nokia.
I think it’s stupid of them to produce phones with only the one OS.. Why not produce some phones with both, and let the market decide.. other handset manufacturers do.
@Quentyn Kennemer: ” I’m sure whatever deal Microsoft and Nokia have isn’t for the extremely long haul, and once it expires you better be sure Nokia will reevaluate their stance.”
Microsoft Is Said to Pay Nokia More Than $1 Billion in Deal
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=NOK:US&sid=alGNpJ5uTbRM
“The agreement runs for more than five years, the people said.”
Yes windows mobile does suck…good thing Nokia is partnering with Microsoft for Windows Phone 7 :)
LOL you’d think people would differentiate the two.
Can’t wait for Nokia’s devices. Well built hardware
with a fluid OS and great user experience…They
really need to release something soon
All i know is the LG Quantum which came out in November 2010 is now selling for 1 penny on AT&T. Considering At&T is now pushing their Android lineup, it looks like WP7 is being pushed out the door for weak sales.
Heads up! Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft paid Nokia a BILLION dollars for this deal, purportedly over a 5 year time frame. Doesn’t look so short span now, does it?
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-07/microsoft-is-said-to-pay-nokia-more-than-1-billion-in-deal.html
You are to optimistic.
Nokia got invaded by Microsoft at the time the new CEO came. So there was no chance to chose Android.
MeeGo will become the same little space as Maemo had. It is sad but i hope Intel will show the world what MeeGo is able to do.
Horace Dediu has created an interesting summary of all previous Microsoft’s alliances and “strategic partnerships” in the mobile telecommunication business. The following is a quote of his article.
Microsoft’s new “strategic partnership” with Nokia is not its first. For a decade the software company has courted and consummated relationships with a variety of companies in mobile and telecom. Here are the ones I can remember:
– LG. In February 2009 Microsoft Corp. signed a multiyear agreement for Windows Mobile to be included on devices from LG Electronics Inc. LG would use Windows Mobile as its “primary platform” for smartphones and produce about 50 models running the software.
What happened? LG made a few Windows Mobile devices but with WinMo uncompetitive, they abandoned the platform and moved to Android losing years of market presence and all their profits.
– Motorola. In September 2003, Motorola and Microsoft announced an alliance. “Starting with the introduction of the new Motorola MPx200 mobile phone with Microsoft Windows Mobile software, the companies will collaborate on a series of smartphone and Pocket PC wireless devices designed to create a virtual “remote control” for the Web-centric, work-centric, always-on-the-go mobile professional.” In addition, the alliance includes cooperation on joint marketing and wireless developer programs.
What happened? Motorola launched a series of Windows Mobile phones culminating in the Motorola Q “Blackberry killer”. As Motorola hit the rocks in profitability new management reached for the Android liferaft. The company now relies exclusively on the Droid franchise.
– Palm. In September 2005 Palm and Microsoft announced a strategic alliance to “accelerate the smartphone market segment with a new device for mobile professionals and businesses. Palm has licensed the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system for an expanded line of Treo Smartphones, the first of which will be available on Verizon Wireless’ national wireless broadband network.”
What happened? Palm shipped a few Windows Mobile, famously dismissing Apple’s potential entry as something “PC guys” could never achieve. A new CEO, a private placement and an acquisition later the company is a division of HP making its own operating system.
– Nortel. When Steve Ballmer was famously laughing at the iPhone and saying that he likes the Windows Mobile strategy “a lot” he was sitting next to the then-CEO of Nortel (Mike Zafirovski formerly of Motorola) with whom the company had just closed a strategic deal. ”an alliance between Microsoft and Nortel announced in July 2006 … includes three new joint solutions to dramatically improve business communications by breaking down the barriers between voice, e-mail, instant messaging, multimedia conferencing and other forms of communication”.
What happened? Nortel declared bankruptcy two years later.
– Verizon. In January 2009 “Verizon Wireless has selected Microsoft Corp. to provide portal, local and Internet search as well as mobile advertising services to customers on its devices. The five-year agreement will go into effect in the first half of 2009 when Microsoft Live Search is targeted to be available on new Verizon Wireless feature phones and smartphones.” The deal would ensure Bing distribution to all of Verizon’s smartphone customers.
What happened? Bing did ship on some devices but in October 2009 Droid came to Verizon.
– Ericsson. In September 2000, “Ericsson and Microsoft Corp. today launched Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB. This previously announced joint company will drive the mobile Internet by developing and marketing mobile e-mail solutions for operators. The first solutions are expected to be on the market by the end of the year. The company is part of a broader strategic alliance between Ericsson and Microsoft”
What happened? Ericsson divested itself of the mobile division forming a joint venture which would go on and make more strategic alliances with Microsoft over Windows Mobile culminating in a loss of profits and eventual flight to Android.
– Sendo. In February 2001, Microsoft announced a partnership, in which Microsoft bought $12m of Sendo shares and a seat on the board. Sendo was to be Microsoft’s “go to market partner” for the Stinger smartphone platform that would become smartphone 2002.
What happened? Sendo after litigating IP issues with Microsoft went bankrupt in 2005.
And finally,
– Nokia. No, not this OS deal, but in August 2009 ”The worldwide leader in software and the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer have entered into an alliance that is set to deliver a groundbreaking, enterprise-grade solution for mobile productivity. Today, Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop and Nokia’s Executive Vice President for Devices Kai Öistämö announced the agreement, outlining a shared vision for the future of mobile productivity. This is the first time that either company has embarked on an alliance of this scope and nature.”
The plan was to bring “Microsoft Office Mobile and Microsoft business communications, collaboration and device management software to Nokia’s Symbian devices.”
What happened? One and a half years later the same Stephen Elop announced that Symbian will be deprecated.