Nokia firing Symbian development team, in talks with Microsoft for Windows Phone 7 handset

December 20, 2010 | By Surur

This must be about the 4th time we have written this story, but once again the rumour is going round that Nokia is in talks to launch a Windows Phone 7 handset.

The source of the current rumour is renowned leaker and industry expert Eldar Murtazin, who writes on his site mobile-review that Nokia, who recently laid of around 2400 staff, had mainly decapitated their Symbian development team, and last month approached Microsoft to negotiate adopting Windows Phone 7 for some of their handsets.

Nokia’s new CEO, Stephen Elop, is an ex-Microsoftie, which at the time also sparked speculation, but which has so far been denied by company representatives.

If Nokia does adopt Windows Phone 7 it will give handsets running the OS a new scale, likely being available in millions of locales for lower prices, due to Nokia’s great logistics.

However, until a see a real picture like the mock-up above, I will not be believing it…

Via unwiredview.com

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged nokia, rumour, windows phone 7

http://twitter.com/Nitaino @Nitaino

That will be great news so we can kick Apple ass

Carter

Never mind Apple, the Android is the 300# gorilla in the room.

GraphiteCube

Nokia's phone is quite durable, the hardware is ok, but software is a mess. Hope to see a WP7 from Nokia soon.

GP007

I agree, my mom picked up a Nokia C6 and the OS is just more of the same old boring Symbian they've had going for years.

http://www.ztitch.com andrew

Nokia + Tegra 2 dual core CPUs + Windows Phone 7 = instant win

would instantly scare Apple and Google. We can keep dreaming, but this would never happen because of that stupid MeeGo thing
Rico

Is it possible? Sure. Likely? i don't think so.

Nokia's sales are really in their low-end handsets. They push tons of these handsets across the globe, and they've recently made serious inroads in developing nations like Indonesia and India. S40 and S60 is made to run on lower end hardware than WP7 ever could, and it's kinder on batteries. This is especially important in regions where power grids aren't as reliable or don't exist much at all.

It also doesn't make sense for a company with the breadth that Nokia has to be licensing an OS from another company when they can have their own and not have to worry about staying within the terms of licensing agreements and paying licensing fees. Nokia would also lose sales in quite a few territories as WP7's international support is extremely lacking compared Symbian.

Still, Nokia's hardware is often excellent, it's S60 that's lacking. i wouldn't mind seeing N8-class hardware with WP7. Scratch that — i'd love to see it, as heretical as it would be.

Rico

i forgot to mention, Eldar has been the source of a big rumor which turned out to be false before. i can't remember what the case was, and i'm at work and can't search for it, but i'm sure it would be easy to find.
http://www.ztitch.com andrew

I completely agree with everything you said!
GP007

Working on MeeGo and Symbian in the end costs way more than just licensing an OS from MS though. And what sort of international support are you talking about? If it's languages MS is going to add those pretty quick, the rest is what exactly? I can't think of anything else unless you mean how Bing or Zune is missing stuff in the EU compared to the US but that's not really an OS issue either.

http://twitter.com/MistaWet @MistaWet

Yup and to add to GP007, no one is implying Nokia would have to abandon their efforts regarding Meego. In fact, WP7 devices can represent their "high end" market while they continue to server their "lower end" market with Megoo installed devices. Also, once they work things out with the OS on lower end handsets, they can later offer higher end alternatives. Who knows?
Rico

To be fair, Nokia's really the only on that knows whether it's better for them to run two OSes or take the route that's rumored here. Again, if the rumor were true, it would mean killing their low end and possibly midrange. We already know Windows Phone 7 is meant for high end hardware, and Meego's official specs are up there as well:

512MB RAM, 600MHz+ Arm V7 or x86 processors (Snapdragon, A4, OMAP,ST U8500 all fall into this category) 512 Mb internal ROM and GSM/HSPA (via http://mynokiablog.com/2010/11/16/minimum-spec-fo…

Again, i'm not saying this is impossible. It's just that if this is true, then it means Nokia's completely changing their business model. Not only that, but changing it for an OS that's been out for less than two months. And OS which competes with one they've codeveloped. It's almost as bad as the rumors that Nokia would buy Palm for webOS.

And "international support" is the best phrase i can come up with after having worked for the past 20 hours. Yes, i'm referring to language support as well as other services like Bing and Zune. i realize that's not an OS issue, but how do you sell a WP7 device in a region where many of the services are gimped?

Joni

Good for Nokia and Microsoft if this truly happens.
efjay

Yeah, right.
callah

Low-end handsets will die sooner or later. Any manufacturer that refuse to adopt will die too. Both Nokia and MS could profit from partnership. But biggest problem is that MS is not inventing they just follow others…always a few steps behind.

sejohannsen

Really, the economy that good where you are that everyone can do a $60/month plan? That's half the draw of low end handsets, low rates. The other half is those that don't want/need/obsess over their connectedness. By the way. Looked at Windoews Phone 7? What other OS does that copy? Mobile or otherwise?

http://www.facebook.com/robnewton1 Rob Newton

to be fair, spending less time on low end handsets & more on higher end seems to be doing the trick for motorola. they where almost dead & burried after they kept churning out the same old V3 Razors with slight changes but they seem to be making a decent comeback with Android.

LowEndRetro

That would be totally AWESOME. Come on MS, get Nokia on board.
Pinaatti

"Nokia + Tegra 2 dual core CPUs + Windows Phone 7 = instant win
would instantly scare Apple and Google. We can keep dreaming, but this would never happen because of that stupid MeeGo thing "

Yep but guess what? Nokia is actually making their money from software even if you don't think about it. They sell their hardware at bargain prices. This is a very complicated situation because they cannot get symbian to work (open sourcing it was a huge mistake and screwed up the platform) and that is where the money comes from. Buying WP7 would not be the answer because that way they would _loose_ money, not get it. That is why it is not coming. The only option is Meego and it is not going too well eighter. If they start using other OSes they must work a bit with their business model. And that takes some time.
http://twitter.com/jessiethe3rd @jessiethe3rd

If this happens expect a huge wind fall…. This will instally turn the "failure" comments into… "nooo… this can't be. happening!"

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight and you win.