Nokia had been testing Android before Microsoft deal

Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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Nokia had allegedly been testing Android on their Lumia range before the deal with Microsoft. The deal with Microsoft was due to run out in 2014.


http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/13/nokia-was-testing-lumia-phones-with-android/

Comments

  • RoushRoush Posts: 4,366
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    Considering that Nokia's use of windows phone was never an exclusive arrangement is it really unexpected that they'd be evaluating alternatives?

    I think it would be more concerning (and probably more newsworthy) if they hadn't been evaluating alternatives.
  • prkingprking Posts: 9,791
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    Roush wrote: »
    Considering that Nokia's use of windows phone was never an exclusive arrangement is it really unexpected that they'd be evaluating alternatives?

    I think it would be more concerning (and probably more newsworthy) if they hadn't been evaluating alternatives.

    I think you've missed the point.

    They were considering other options because they were not satisfied with the way things are at the moment. In particular, that Windows Phone is most popular at the low end of the market where margins are tight / profits smaller.

    For a company in Nokia's position that isn't sustainable. Hence the push to more expensive handsets. Hampered by Windows Phone slow to arrive support for high end hardware.

    Remember that a forked version of Android doesn't carry the license burden that Windows Phone does and would be attractive to Nokia. Especially for lower cost handsets.

    From Microsoft's point of view ,Nokia accounts for over 80% of Windows Phone sales. Losing them was such a fear that Microsoft produced their own prototypes of Surface Smartphones.

    It appears that buying Nokia's handset division was more cost effective than releasing their own phones plus they get experienced staff and a potential new leader.
  • finbaarfinbaar Posts: 4,818
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    RIP Nokia. Killed by Windows .
  • konebyvaxkonebyvax Posts: 9,120
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    Nokia's story should serve as a warning to the current kings of smartphones, Samsung and Apple.
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    Microsoft buying Nokia was inevitable according to most analysts and was predicted ages ago. Doesn't surprise me that Nokia were experimenting with alternatives in case things fell through with MS.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    It sounds like Microsoft panicked when they discovered this project and just bought the whole company to be safe. Microsoft had already been paying vast amounts of money to keep them in the Windows Phone ecosystem, they'd literally been throwing money at Nokia and gave them preferential treatment to keep them sweet.

    Considering all the other WP OEMs have basically given up, Microsoft must have wanted to make sure that at least someone was still making WP devices. Nokia have just become a pawn in Microsoft's desperate plan.

    I just hope HTC doesn't get caught up in all this. We all know a Surface Phone would flop, so I'm not surprised that they ran to buy Nokia as soon as they could.
  • wiltwilt Posts: 978
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    Large company in evaluating all viable options shocker! Stop the press!


    This can't be a surprise to anyone, can it?
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    finbaar wrote: »
    RIP Nokia. Killed by Windows .

    Killed by poor managment
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    wilt wrote: »
    Large company in evaluating all viable options shocker! Stop the press!


    This can't be a surprise to anyone, can it?

    I would have been more surprised had they not taken a look.
  • PencilBreathPencilBreath Posts: 3,643
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    alan1302 wrote: »
    Killed by poor managment

    Just like Kodak & RIM. Resting on their laurels.
  • kidspudkidspud Posts: 18,341
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    wilt wrote: »
    Large company in evaluating all viable options shocker! Stop the press!


    This can't be a surprise to anyone, can it?

    As another thread has shown, it appears to be quite a surprise to some that tech companies are testing tech all the time:)
  • clonmultclonmult Posts: 3,366
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »

    Apparently someone has a Dalvik system running on Symbian phones .... early days, but interesting idea.

    Jolla are going to be running Android apps due to the Myriad Alien Dalvik system, which is a QT application that they had running on Symbian devices. But they never made it available to consumers.

    As for the original "news", this has been known for years.

    Prior to the original Windows Phone deal, Nokia had Android running on the N9 hardware. It apparently did run well enough - on the same hardware, WP runs considerably smoother .... of course, Meego runs even better on the same hardware.

    Remember Nokias little offshoot, Vertu? Makers of mildly silly bling phones? After being sold, they went straight out and released Android devices. That will have been done with Nokia assistance/knowledge ....
  • Richard_TRichard_T Posts: 5,159
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    No surprise that Nokia have/are experimenting with android, sticking all your eggs in one basket isnt always the best idea.
    As far as i know Samsung although mainly relying on android have a few other options available to them - there are a few token Samsung windows phones out there as well as BADA and a few experimental phones running yet another OS called Teizen ( or something like that)
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    clonmult wrote: »
    Apparently someone has a Dalvik system running on Symbian phones .... early days, but interesting idea.

    Jolla are going to be running Android apps due to the Myriad Alien Dalvik system, which is a QT application that they had running on Symbian devices. But they never made it available to consumers.

    As for the original "news", this has been known for years.

    Prior to the original Windows Phone deal, Nokia had Android running on the N9 hardware. It apparently did run well enough - on the same hardware, WP runs considerably smoother .... of course, Meego runs even better on the same hardware.

    Remember Nokias little offshoot, Vertu? Makers of mildly silly bling phones? After being sold, they went straight out and released Android devices. That will have been done with Nokia assistance/knowledge ....

    Yeh, i remember the original news where Nokia were working with Android years ago. Still think they should have gone with Meego with Android emulation and kept Symbian for feature/dumb phones.
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    Richard_T wrote: »
    there are a few token Samsung windows phones out there as well as BADA and a few experimental phones running yet another OS called Teizen ( or something like that)

    Tizen:

    https://www.tizen.org/

    Could be interesting if Samsung decided to push it rather than Android.
  • clonmultclonmult Posts: 3,366
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    Yeh, i remember the original news where Nokia were working with Android years ago. Still think they should have gone with Meego with Android emulation and kept Symbian for feature/dumb phones.

    In effect thats what Jolla is - its the continuation of Meego running Android.

    And the original plan was for Meego to take over the mid-high end and for Symbian to be moved to entry level (not really dumb phone).

    They just didn't have a clue what to do, management incompetence. They started work on the S40 replacement (another *nix variant) but that got dropped.

    Maemo and Meego were the real future for the company - but when they started working with Intel (Moblin) it all got into development hell. Too many cooks, no clue on direction, etc.

    Nokia still have some excellent engineering (and software developers), but they've still got their age old problem.

    Management who don't know their posterior from their elbow.

    Shame.
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