News Bits From Microsoft-Nokia Press Conference (Updated)

February 11, 2011 | By Pradeep

-Nokia and Microsoft started their partnership talks in November

-Nokia will bring Low cost Windows Phone 7 Devices

-Nokia will contribute to the Windows Phone ecosystem as a whole.

-Nokia and Microsoft are already working on their first Nokia WP7 device and their Engineering teams are collaborating on that.

- When asked about Device release date, Ballmer said, "When there’s news, there will be news."

-Nokia also had discussions with Google to have Android.

-Nokia didn’t choose Android because of differentiation challenges & commoditization risk.

-Nokia’s Location and mapping services will improve Bing services.

-Nokia may choose Microsoft’s future work on Tablets as their tablet strategy.

-"Nokia is first and foremost, and always will be, a Finnish company." –Elop

-Nokia to announce layoff’s across the world, especially in Finland.

-There will be significant changes in Nokia’s R&D that will increase productivity.

-MeeGo devices is “an opportunity to learn” on future.

-Someone questioned Stephen Elop, “You’ve effectively sold your company to Microsoft”. Laughs filled the room.

-The future of Symbian40 devices will be discussed later today.

-The joint product roadmap will give consumers a near-exhaustive portfolio.

Will update the above list when I came across more. BTW, Stephen Elop tweeted in response to the turkey story,

“ Two bicycle makers, from Dayton Ohio, one day decided to fly.”

Update from Nokia Strategy and Financial Briefing:

- Its not an OEM deal between Nokia and Microsoft, Its more advanced.

- Nokia also considered whether Microsoft deal could lead to lock-in, but it made sure that it has flexibility on various issues.

- Nokia will differentiate within the WP7 ecosystem and with other ecosystems as well.

- Nokia,Microsoft partnership is unquestionably supported by carriers around the world.

- Nokia has the unparalleled carrier billing support and stores across the world to support developers monetize their apps.

- Nokia on Android, ”It felt a little bit like giving up and not enough like fighting back”.

- Nokia to bring and develop Nokia Life tools, Money, Proxy browsers for more feature phones.

- Nokia will contribute to Windows Phone ecosystem, for example NAVTEQ’s mapping services powering Bing will be available to Samsung, HTC,etc,.

- Android is like a Black Hole, sucking innovation from other OEM’s.

- How Nokia going to differentiate,

- Its going to be three horse race in the industry.

- The transition period at Nokia

- R&D at Nokia

Atlast Elop confirmed wrote that he wrote that Burning Platform memo.

About Pradeep Viswav

Pradeep was a Microsoft Student Partner when he was pursuing his Computer Science & Engineering degree. He now works for a MNC. He is passionate about technology and loves to share his knowledge with people. People used to mention him as “A Geek who is not Nerd”. He was fascinated by the Metro Design language and Windows Phone which made him to follow and develop applications for it. Follow him at twitter.com/pradeepviswav

Tagged nokia, windows phone 7

keenan

I'm getting one
shingi_70

so Microsoft just unofficially bought Nokia.

bobbycannon

Just because Nokia decides to use their OS?

GP007

No, he's talking about the tighter integration between MS and Nokias services, like the nokia maps/nav getting pulled into Bing and so on. It's a tighter partnership than just another WP7 OEM for MS when you look at all the details and the crossbreading if you will with their services.

JHP

You sound lika a jealous iPhone owner..

http://www.ztitch.com Ztitch Developer

I was hoping for an actual Nokia Windows Phone device being announced. With all the juicy specs listed. Guess we'll have to wait.

By the way, do you think the other OEMs like Samsung and HTC are going to be unhappy about this? I certainly think so. Microsoft would essentially have to create two versions of Windows Phone 7.. one with Nokia/Ovi integrated, and another vanilla version for the other OEMs that doesn't have the Nokia branding. Hopefully it won't fragment the OS like dear old Android.

http://twitter.com/MistaWet @MistaWet

Why would they be upset? Up until this point, most of the OEM's released ho hum devices and some may feel they were justified in do so because of it being a new OS. I get it. However, if the release of Nokisoft phones establishes a new standard as to what a WP7 flagship device should be like then let it be. As long as the phone is released to all major carriers, who cares. In fact, if Nokisoft phones address multiple demographics in regards to user taste, (low end to high end and different form factors) why do you even need the other OEM's? The point is having a variety of quality and desirable hardware devices available on multiple carriers and not necessarily multiple OEM's. Nokia can fill that order by themselves with no problem and with minimal risk of problems like fragmentation and performance inconsistencies.

Win for NOKISOFT!

http://www.ztitch.com Ztitch Developer

In the short term, WP7 still needs these other OEMs for the North American market where Nokia has little to no presence.

http://twitter.com/AaronCT123 @AaronCT123

It clearly says in the posts that all OEMS would get access to the Nokia/Ovi services that are being integrated- they're going to be melded into the OS itselfs

oslik

The main news is this: Windows Phone is here to stay. For years, at least.

It wasn't really sure until now. Nokia is the first really commited OEM, others may go away from the failed experiment any time.

But there is a lot of questions and traps too. The first test: Are Samsung, HTC etc. going to release new WP7 HW soon?

http://www.ztitch.com Ztitch Developer

I really doubt any of those OEMs are going to release new WP7 HW anytime soon. MWC 2011 is coming up in a few days, and still, not a single hint about new devices. Usually Android devices get leaked weeks ahead of launch.

oslik

I expect the Asus device, but nothing more. I hope for something from Samsung and HTC, but they're going to release probably something quite mediocre at best.Let's see.

They may fear Nokia's privileges, but I'm rather afraid Nokia is for Microsoft a safety belt. They have empty hands. We don't know the background, but the outlook was everything but good until this morning.

Onceawinmoguy

I sure can't see HTC being happy about this. Nokia can differeciate as it likes, however HTC can't. I can't see that sitting well at all. I think HTC had already shown its dislike for not being able to customize, by the limited effort they have put into the platform, illustrated by their ho-hum WP7 devices.

There's been lots of speculation about Microsoft making its own devices, maybe this deal will develop into a variation of that, with Nokia becoming its primary device OEM, and possibly a couple of minor players.

Markus

NavTeq is going to other ODMs!!!! improved maps and results for europe!!!!!
carlos

Another important thing is that this passes wp7 agreement to have another value for developers, will interest more still, especially angry birds.
now already not we want to
olofljungen123

So Nokia won't be the same!? So no 1ghz processor!? That's bad news for me:(

Markus

Aren't snapdragons 1ghz?

GP007

Yes.

oslik

What about Intel SoC?

.NET bytecode could run on any HW. It's like Java, just much faster (due to the smarter architecture). I never expected the WP7 platform to be locked to one SoC class forever.

But there's a reason to be afraid. Too much compromises may kill the experience anyway. All platforms must be comparable in terms of performance.

oslik

By the way: All WP7 apps already runs on x86 and even x64.

In the emulator.

So the expected Intel's Atom SoC is a completely logical option.

Lennard

expecting some really nice devices with good deisgns.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ricardo-Dawkins/746307628 Ricardo Dawkins

I'll be selling (or gifting to my wife) my Galaxy S this year and falling on the arms of my Nokia. The best cellphone manufacturer hands down.

and you can call me a Nokia fanboy. Thanks.
Newbie

I wonder how good are Nokia services as compared to Google ones… Anyone has any views on that?
http://twitter.com/AaronCT123 @AaronCT123

*itself.
majg

I've been telling my fiance that an Ideal phone for me would be a Nokia N8 with Windows. Perhaps, such a device will become a reality.