DailyTech - Nokia: We Have a "Contingency Plan" if Windows Phone Fails

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Gadgets Nokia: We Have a "Contingency Plan" if Windows Phone Fails
Jason Mick (Blog) - July 2, 2012 8:50 AM

36 comment(s) - last by Penti.. on Jul 3 at 2:52 PM

(Source: ZuperDZigh)

Could Nokia flip-flop to Android?

After the announcement of 10,000 global job cuts sent shares of Finnish phonemaker Nokia Oyj.'s (HEX:NOK1V) stock into a deeper tailspin, the executive ranks were rustled and a new chairman -- Risto Siilasmaa -- was installed.

Speaking with YLE.fi, a Finnish news site, the new chairman said that Symbian is, for all intents and purposes dead. He comments, "Symbian’s market share has come down close to zero."

That makes it all the stranger that Nokia is launching one of its most high end handsets -- the PureView -- with the now effectively end-of-life Symbian Belle.

Nokia, which has seen modest success with its distinctive Lumia 900 LTE handset, is hopeful that Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) upcoming Windows Phone 8 wil further drive its receovery. Mr. Siilasmaa says he expects the new OS to be a hit.

But in a surprising comment, he also remarked that Nokia had a "contingency plan" should his company's Windows Phone offerings flop. That admission comes despite partner Microsoft paying royally to prop up the embattled phonemaker.

^{Customizable tiles in Windows Phone 8}

The big question is what that "contingency plan" is. Seemingly the only possibility would be to jump onboard the Android ship. But with Nokia's weak U.S. market penetration the big question is whether that option is even feasible.

Source: YLE

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RE: Good for them:

By kleinma on 7/2/2012 9:59:27 AM , Rating: 5

The backup plan is to let MS buy them.

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RE: Good for them:

By Manch on 7/2/2012 10:11:59 AM , Rating: 5

Ha! I think that's RIM's plan too!

That would be awesome for me. A BB keyboard on WP8! I hate touch screen typing!

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RE: Good for them:

By kleinma on 7/2/2012 10:25:49 AM , Rating: 2

I think RIMs plan is to bend over and take it from anyone who is willing to give it. With the cash MS has already poured into Nokia, they might actually be able to buy them using already designated funds as their down payment. Buying RIM would probably be a bad choice since the company is a mess. So is Nokia, but at least they have already gotten the jump on windows phone and put out a product. I could see some patents from RIM being bought by MS and encorporated into Nokia handsets if that scenario were to play out.

Serisouly though I have no idea what Nokia could consider as a contigency plan except for android. There is not anything else on the market that would stand a chance right now outside of the iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Android is horribly saturated though and it would be hard to dent market leader Samsung there, and now with Motorola being google, that is probably going to get even more difficult of a market to shine in. Then of course there was the head of smart phones at Nokia who said using android is like peeing in your snowsuit to stay warm. You can some immediate relief, but then it is all miserable from there, and you are in a worse place than when you started.

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RE: Good for them:

By zephyrprime on 7/2/2012 12:16:25 PM , Rating: 2

Yeah, Rim is one of the earliest smartphone makers so they could have a lot of valuable patents.

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RE: Good for them:

By sigmatau on 7/2/2012 1:08:13 PM , Rating: 2

Have you used a Windows Phone with a touch keyboard? I think it's infinitely better than a BB with a small horrible physical keyboard. You can switch to landscape and have a larger keyboard than any physical one from BB.

Android keyboards are not even close. iOS is close.

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RE: Good for them:

By Manch on 7/2/2012 4:50:05 PM , Rating: 2

I have a nokia lumia 800 and for a touch screen kb its not bad. Better than most, but slight handicap w/my hand; loss of fine motor control and twitches makes it hard to use.

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