Microsoft Definitely Not Buying Nokia Or Any Parts Of It

January 5, 2012 | By Liwen Guo

You’ve probably heard of Russian mobile analyst Eldar Murtazin, who sometimes gets really big scoops but most of the time just says utter nonsense.

This time, he claimed that Microsoft would be buying Nokia’s smartphone business and use it to produce its own Windows Phones, dropping the Nokia brand. But just by looking at his first tweet, we can find something odd:

Steve Balmer, Andy Lees and Stephen Elop, Kai Ostamo will meet in Las Vegas to finalize agreement about Nokia smartphone unit. Bye Nokia

— Eldar Murtazin (@eldarmurtazin) Januar 5, 2012

Yeah, only that Andy Lees isn’t President of Windows Phone anymore. And if you needed any further proof, Nokia UK has confirmed for Slashgear:

We’ve put these rumours to rest a long time ago. The focus for Nokia is on executing on our partnership around Windows Phone and growing the ecosystem, and each company has the tools they need to do so.

So, to say it again: Microsoft will not buy Nokia. That’s it.

About Liwen Guo

I've been tinkering with smartphones since the old Windows Mobile days, creating the popular Livven Themes series. Since then I've moved on to an HTC HD2, running Windows Phone 7.5, and Galaxy Nexus, running Android 4.0. I also have an iPod touch. Visit my website and follow me on Twitter.

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Tagged microsoft, nokia

Malcolm Williams

fair enough
but that still leaves quite a few large elephants that isn’t emphasized. The treatment of carriers, OEMs and in general people toward Windows Phone.
Recall in 2009 wmpu also indicated that Nokia wouldn’t even create a Microsoft device…fast forward by a year and a half and what do we see? Nokia Windows Phone.
I’m not saying its true or not but for the love of God, this would be the worst move in the mobile industry
rsgx

I said it once and I’ll say it before, Murtazin is a quack who shouldn’t be taken seriously.

F’n analysts are the most clueless of the lot.

Malcolm Williams

I think you need to sorta check the facts on that
1st person to get the windows phone rebrand right
1st person to get the first nokia – microsoft deal before anyone else
and we all called him quacks often…
let’s be real fo microsoft news he’s looking pretty darn reliable

rsgx

Should I make a list of things he’s gotten wrong?

Malcolm Williams

…
yes because this is such a game of who can make the bigger list /s

rsgx

Ha, I just think that someone who is (from what I’ve seen) wrong way more than he is right should be put at the bottom of a list of sources for rumours.

He seems to be wrong in this case too, but who knows, right?
Malcolm Williams

sometimes a broken watch is right 2x a day like the old saying goes. For windows I’m taking his news seriously

Anonymous

Didn’t this same guy make the same claim several months ago? Why do people keep reporting what he says? What are his qualifications? If I start a blog and make baseless claims, will the tech news sites report on it?

Anonymous

This is the second time Slashgear does something like this.

The first time Nokia also denied their rumour with an official statement that Nokia is not for sale. Now they post the same thing again and Nokia has to yet again tell them what is what.

It is not hard to contact Nokia, they have a lot of representative, they have official people who answer on Twitter, people who are on their site 24/7 on forums for assistance, they answer emails within 24 hours (I have contacted them several times for a phone issue in the past) yet a tech blog isn’t able to reach them before posting an article?

I remember when Slashgear made an article that tech sites have no integrity anymore, maybe they can start with their own site.
http://twitter.com/JohnnyWestlake Johnny Westlake

“I have asked Andy Lees to move to a new role working for me on a time-critical opportunity focused on driving maximum impact in 2012 with Windows Phone and Windows 8…”

*Andy Lees buys Nokia*.

Well there’s some impact for Windows Phone