Operators express concern over Nokia’s smartphone future
A number of European operators have stated that they hope Nokia will this week rule-out the possibility of using Android in future smartphones, according to the Financial Times. It is believed that operators “such as” Vodafone, Telefonica and Orange are hoping that Stephen Elop, the Finnish company’s CEO, will reiterate support for the fledgling MeeGo platform as an alternative to Android and Apple’s iOS. It was noted that if Nokia should look to a third-party platform, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is perhaps the lesser of the evils – although this could also impact the long-term viability of MeeGo, due to an undermining of confidence among the MeeGo ecosystem. Nokia is expected to detail its refreshed device platform strategy at an analyst event later this week, and announcements are also expected Sunday, ahead of next week’s GSMA Mobile World Congress.
The news follows a number of reports which state that operators including Orange, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and Vodafone have met to discuss the growing strength of companies such as Apple and Google in the mobile industry – with concern that iOS and Android are “Trojan horses” intended to enable them to forge relationships with users in order to bolster their positions in the mobile value chain. It does indeed seem unlikely that Nokia is planning to adopt Android: Elop has repeatedly made reference to the need to differentiate products in recent months, and joining the same bandwagon as HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson among others does not seem an obvious way to do this. Windows 7, in contrast, would give Nokia the chance to immediately address its weakness in high-tier devices while MeeGo is in the works – much of the response to the new Microsoft platform has been positive, even if it has not set the world alight. However, as noted, there is the danger that WP7 will distract from MeeGo in the meantime, which could prove problematic if this platform remains central to Nokia’s plans moving forward.
Source : Mobilebusinessbriefing
The news follows a number of reports which state that operators including Orange, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and Vodafone have met to discuss the growing strength of companies such as Apple and Google in the mobile industry – with concern that iOS and Android are “Trojan horses” intended to enable them to forge relationships with users in order to bolster their positions in the mobile value chain. It does indeed seem unlikely that Nokia is planning to adopt Android: Elop has repeatedly made reference to the need to differentiate products in recent months, and joining the same bandwagon as HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson among others does not seem an obvious way to do this. Windows 7, in contrast, would give Nokia the chance to immediately address its weakness in high-tier devices while MeeGo is in the works – much of the response to the new Microsoft platform has been positive, even if it has not set the world alight. However, as noted, there is the danger that WP7 will distract from MeeGo in the meantime, which could prove problematic if this platform remains central to Nokia’s plans moving forward.
Source : Mobilebusinessbriefing
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