Nokia plans to release this month a smartphone that runs a version of Google's Android mobile software, according to people familiar with the matter, as it concludes the sale of its handset business to Microsoft.
It's all but confirmed now that the Nokia X Android phone will actually be released. Number one question: will this be Nokia's next N9 (dead on arrival, released because it's done anyway), or will it be a true attempt by Nokia - and thus Microsoft - to establish a lasting replacement for Asha?
Second question: how successful can a Play Services-less Android phone really be?
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Member since:2006-05-30
Or that Nokia != Microsoft, and this might be an "after we sell our manufacturing to Microsoft, we still have a business" type of deal? Look at Jolla, they don't make their own hardware, an OEM does. Nokia could quite feasibly release this as a product that competes with the old Phone division using an OEM to manufacture the hardware, should they no longer have the capability.
Member since:2005-11-29
This is going to Microsoft with the sale.
The situation likely wwnt like this:
- Nokia planned to release the fork to replace Asha.
- Unveiling was planned for Feb
- MSFT acquired parts of Nokia, expected deal to close Jan
- Due to regulatory oversight, Nokia and MSFT can't coordinate significantly while deal is in flux, so MSFT can't tell Nokia to kill it and Nokia can't either.
- Close date of deal slips to Feb/March due to China approval
- Nokia is forced to announce handset and MSFT can't intervene because deal hasn't closed yet
The real question is what will Microsoft do once it finally does own it?
Member since:
2007-04-23
Has anyone considered that they might be intentionally releasing a crippled android handset so that it bombs, and they can point at it and claim their windows-only strategy was right all along?