Nokia will adopt Windows Mobile as its main smartphone platform in a wide-ranging agreement with Microsoft. Today two companies announced plans for a broad strategic partnership that combines the respective strengths of our companies and builds a new global mobile ecosystem. Nokia will adopt Windows Phone as its primary smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader. Nokia and Microsoft will closely collaborate on development, joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.
What Microsoft has on mobile sector now is Windows Phone 7. It is the successor to Windows Mobile platform. Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 on February 15, 2010, at Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona. Windows Phone 7 is a new platform, and older Windows Mobile applications do not run on it. Windows Phone 7 features a version of Internet Explorer Mobile with a rendering engine that is “halfway between IE7 and IE8“. Silverlight (.NET code with XAM) is the application development platform for Windows Phone 7, but also Microsoft XNA is supported. Development tools are Visual Studio ja Expression Blend. Windows Phone 7 so far hasn’t been a major hit with the application-development community.
I would have liked to see something released on Meego instead of this, but I must admit that tt was somewhat expected that this could happen when you you get a new CEO from Microsoft. Now it seems that the stock price has fallen considerably this day: European stock markets turned lower Friday, with mobile-phone giant Nokia Corp. shedding nearly 10% after it agreed to a partnership with Microsoft. Let’s see what happens in the near future and how Microsoft stock reacts to this.
It takes quite a bit of time until the first phones using this new OS will come to market and how markets react to this. Vic Gundotra from Google already commented “Two turkeys do not make an Eagle” before the announcement. I think this was a better deal for Microsoft than for Nokia. Let’s see how well those turkeys are baked on the next Thanksgiving Day.
The new Nokia strategy: MeeGo will open-source mobile operating system project for future devices and Nokia’s Symbian will continue working on behalf of the platform. Symbian and MeeGo not dead, still shipping this year says another source.
But what will be the future of Qt? Just few months ago Nokia announced focus on Qt framework and support for HTML5. Qt applications do not work on Windows Phone and press release does not mention anything on Qt applications on Windows phones.
Letter to Developers about Today’s News tells that Qt will continue to be the development framework for Symbian and Nokia will use Symbian for further devices, and also on first MeeGo-related open source device (planned to ship later this year). There seems to be no Qt for Windows Phone development: In other words, Qt will not be adapted for Windows Phone 7 APIs. Microsoft would provide tools for application developers for Nokia Windows Phones. Developers already think this is a Microsoft sabotage on developers.
Was this Microsoft deal a good move or not is hard to say yet. I fear the worst. Some time ago Nokia’s outgoing head of smartphones Anssi Vanjoki Using Android like ‘peeing in your pants for warmth in winter’: Temporary relief is followed by an even worse predicament. Would using Windows Phone be like getting something else on your pants for temporary warmth?
This is a very dark day for Finnish software industry: Nokia to cut thousands of jobs in Finland. Pretty many developers in Finland will be pretty pissed off on all this…
534 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
I struggle to understand why people don’t see the obvious: people don’t like Microsoft. Simple.
They have been forced to use their products because of their monopoly and people don’t like servitude.
Microsoft seems to believe they are loved because of their billion users. It’s like the prison cook thinking he’s a wonderful chef because everyone eats his food.
Microsoft as a brand is associated with computers. Computers are seen as complex, unreliable tools that require lots of expensive add-ons (like software) to be useful. That is why “Windows” is a shitty brand for anything other than computers.
Microsoft has had many phone products now and they have all failed, even the ones that provided a great deal of customization flexibility for carriers and device makers.
“Windows” as a brand is simply a poor fit for consumers. It just does not work well (or “good” as you say). The people that decided that the XBox should not be called “Windows Game Console 7″ knew what they were doing.
I cannot tell you *ONE* person that *LIKES* Windows..it’s all they know. .
General public consumers want to know is “Does this new device work good” and “can I get it on sale price?”
Source: Comment at http://ceklog.kindel.com/2011/12/26/windows-phone-is-superior-why-hasnt-it-taken-off/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Q4: Scrambling For A Grip, But Still Falling; 1M+ Lumia Phones Sold
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-nokia-q4-earnings-scrambling-for-grip-still-falling-1m-lumia-phones-sol/index.html.gz/
Nokia’s earnings came out just moments ago, and the numbers are not pretty. The handset maker confirmed analyst estimates it has sold over a million Lumia Windows Phone handsets – but that didn’t stop a horrible 31 percent slide in its total smartphone sales compared with last year.
Feature phones actually held up in their unit sales: 93.9 million for the quarter, down by only one percent.
Smartphones, however, did significantly worse: 19.6 million devices, down 31 percent.
Device revenues overall were €6 billion, down 29 percent. Again, the biggest weakness was in smartphones, which had sales of €2.74 billion, down 38 percent.
Nokia: Microsoft paid us $250m in Q4 to use Windows Phone
http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-microsoft-paid-us-250m-in-q4-to-use-windows-phone-26210827/
Microsoft paid Nokia $250m in Q4 2011 for adopting Windows Phone, the Finnish company’s financial results today have revealed, the first of a “platform support payments” scheme expected to eventually account for billions of dollars.
“Our broad strategic agreement with Microsoft includes platform support payments from Microsoft to us as well as software royalty payments from us to Microsoft” Nokia said in its results today. ”We have a competitive software royalty structure, which includes minimum software royalty commitments.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia chairman warns of slow progress for ‘a significant part’ of 2012
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/2/2765106/nokia-windows-transition-slow-progress-2012
Nokia’s shift to Windows Phone kicked off with a quarter in which the company lost $1.2 billion and saw smartphone sales decline by 31 percent, and outgoing chairman Jorma Ollila is warning that it’s going to take a while to see much improvement. In comments made to Finnish national broadcaster YLE, Ollila expects to see the effects of the transition “for a significant part of the year”,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five ways Microsoft can rescue Windows Phone
A critical success, a market dud. Here’s what Redmond should do next
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/02/windows_phone_get_going/
Windows Phone might be the most impressive bit of software Microsoft has produced – but it isn’t setting the world on fire. The iPhone and Android go from strength to strength
Reviewers like WinPho a lot – it’s clean, fast, functional and forward-looking. The social media integration is very clever. Operators have a soft spot for Nokia and WP7 too, because – if for no other reason – they dislike and distrust Google and Apple even more. So what’s the problem?
1. It’s a device business, stupid
The smartphone market is one driven by a desire for unique and distinctive devices
Microsoft needs to loosen its reference platform to encourage some serious design innovation.
2. Growing up
It simply takes time, money and careful product management. WP7 was very much a working technology demonstration
3. We need to talk about the UI
It is a UI designed to be glanced at, and it fulfils that very well.
But it makes poor use of the space available.
4. Give it all away?
“You can’t compete with free” is a cliche in the content world. And it’s proved one of the most misleading.
5. Telcos hate smartphones. They don’t have to hate yours
The mobile network operators don’t want to be dumb bit-pipes – which is all they will be in Apple and Google’s future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Windows Phone 8 Preview
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-phone-8-preview-142154
I can now publicly discuss Windows Phone 8 for the first time.
Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo, will be based on the Windows 8 kernel and not on Windows CE as are current versions. This will not impact app compatibility: Microsoft expects to have over 100,000 Windows Phone 7.5-compatible apps available by the time WP8 launches, and they will all work fine on this new OS.
Windows Phone 8, as its name suggests, will also be tied closely to the desktop version of Windows 8 in other ways. They’ll be launched closely to each other, and will share integrated ecosystems, thanks to the shared underlying code, components, and user experiences. Windows Phone 8 is part of the “Windows Reimagined” campaign that Microsoft announced for Windows 8. This makes sense as they’re companion products in every sense of the word.
Exclusive: Windows Phone 8 Detailed
http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/exclusive-windows-phone-8-detailed
Windows Phone 8 won’t just share a UI with the next-generation desktop and tablet OS, apparently: it will use many of the same components as Windows 8, allowing developers to “reuse — by far — most of their code” when porting an app from desktop to phone, according to Belfiore. He specifically mentions the kernel, networking stacks, security, and multimedia support as areas of heavy overlap.
Windows Phone 8 will reportedly scrap integration with the desktop Zune client in favor of a syncing relationship with a dedicated companion application.
Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ to bring NFC, Skype integration and easier porting of apps
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2012/02/02/windows-phone-8-apollo-to-bring-nfc-skype-integration-and-easier-porting-of-apps/
A trove of details about Microsoft’s next version of Windows Phone, code-named Apollo, have been revealed thanks to an internal video for partners uncovered by Pocketnow. The specifics of what is now called Windows Phone 8 are extensive and include deep integration with Skype and Windows 8.
There was also mention of Near Field Communication support for mobile payments and removable microSD storage.
One detail that excites us quite a bit is that Microsoft will be taking application interoperability much more seriously, allowing data and features to be shared between applications. Attention is also being given to making it easy to port code from other platforms like iOS and Android. Support for native code will make that possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 4S vs Nokia Lumia – a close call
http://www.mediacity.fi/index.php?p=1
This test is a comprehensive test between the iPhone 4S and the Nokia Lumia 800; not a battery life test, not a clocking speed test, but a User Experience test to answer one question – which is the better phone to use?
Test results can be found at http://lab.mediacity.fi/?page_id=959
Lumia kirii iPhonen rinnalle
http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/lumia+kirii+iphonen+rinnalle/a769341
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Phone 8 details leak, HTC Sense is too weak
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57372257-85/dialed-in-209-windows-phone-8-details-leak-htc-sense-is-too-weak/
a lively discussion about the new details surrounding Windows Phone 8. So far, there’s word of a multicore processor in the works, as well as integration with the Windows 8 desktop and tablet OS
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia axes 4,000, shifts smartphone manufacturing East
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/08/nokia_factories/
Having reviewed operations at its manufacturing facilities in Hungary, Mexico and Finland, Nokia has decided to halt its assembly lines there. Smartphones will still be customised at the three sites, but the gear itself will be built in Asia. The manufacturing work will be switched to existing Nokia facilities in Asia.
The change will affect 4,000 jobs between the factories
Nokia claims the move will enable faster innovation and better time to market, though low pay and an often-more-relaxed attitude to employment law are obviously attractive.
Nokia is making the usual noises about “supporting our personnel and their local communities during the transition”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Salo employees to learn their fate
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2012/02/nokia_salo_employees_to_learn_their_fate_3239923.html
http://www.talouselama.fi/nokialandia/nokia+vahvistaa+salon+tehtaalta+lahtee+1000/a772749
Nokia said Tuesday the large changes in mobile phone plant in Salo operations. Production was shut down except for the two other Salo factory in Hungary as well as in Mexico and moved to Nokia’s Asian factories.
The company said that from Salo to be reduced by as much as 1,000 employees.
(around two thirds of the people on that factory!)
http://www.3t.fi/artikkeli/blogit/veijo_ojanpera/mita_tarkoittaa_made_in_finland
Nokia’s mobile phone increases the number one name in the past was based on his own advanced production machinery and extent filed logistics.
Mobile phone part of Nokia had seven giant factories and three of them located in Europe.
The new Nokia looks very much different.
Compal manufactures Lumia phones in Taiwan.
The basic phones in manufactured in China, India, Korea and Manaus, Brazil.
Made in Finland, Nokia is now a part of history.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Boss: Phones are still “Designed in Finland”
http://www.digitoday.fi/vimpaimet/2012/02/08/nokia-pomo-puhelimet-ovat-designed-in-finland/201222719/66
Nokia kertoo tehdastoimintojensa muutoksesta
http://aani.nokia.fi/2012/02/08/nokia-kertoo-tehdastoimintojensa-muutoksesta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lumia 800: Nokia’s Comeback?
http://www.mondaynote.com/2012/02/12/lumia-800-nokia%E2%80%99s-comeback/
With the regard to the former, by 2010 Nokia is already past the point of controlling their destiny; sales are “gaining vertical speed”…in the wrong direction.
A year ago exactly, Nokia’s new CEO writes his infamous Burning Platforms memo. In it, Elop makes three crucial statements:
1. The smartphone war isn’t one of platforms any more, it is a war of ecosystems.
2. Our current system software won’t win.
3. To win the war, we’re joining the Windows Phone ecosystem via a special alliance with Microsoft.
The first point is beyond dispute. Two successful ecosystems, Google’s for Android and Apple’s for the iPhone, have settled that score.
To outsiders, Elop’s second statement is merely a frank assessment of Nokia’s failure to play in the same software league as its Californian competitors. A few insiders and fans take offense but…numbers are numbers.
Things take a turn for the worse with the jump to Windows Phone. In the abstract, the decision is defensible, but by announcing the switch ten to twelve months ahead of actual shipments, Elop has effectively osborned his current product.
This is a well-made, elegantly designed, and capable phone. But let’s return to The Question: Is this the Killer Phone? Will the Lumia 800 and its siblings put Nokia and Microsoft back in contention? My answer is, regretfully, No.
Back to reality: Without a clearly superior product and a dominant ecosystem, Microsoft and Nokia are now forced to shell out big marketing dollars against richer adversaries. This isn’t going to be pretty: Microsoft can ill afford to be a bit player in the smartphone revolution and Nokia can’t keep bleeding money, squeezed between the new giants and the emerging Asian providers of entry-level devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia leaks six handsets before MWC
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2152272/nokia-leaks-handsets-mwc
wow crusher says:
Nice post, thanks for that. Might I consult the webmaster where he or she purchased his design? Or does it appear normal at this web log? Keep on posting and thanks yet again for your time and efforts.
tomi says:
This a a custom made design. Some parts of design made in-house work and some by an outside web designer..
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.digitoday.fi/mobiili/2012/02/17/meltemi-hanke-lipsahti-elopilta/201223475/66?rss=6
Meltemi, the project slipped from Elop
Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop confirms video Meltemi-development project, which Nokia is not acknowledged publicly.
Meltemi project, wrote the first newspaper The Wall Street Journal. According to the newspaper Meltemi is a low-cost phones for the operating system, which replaces the current S40 operating system.
Based on the article Meltemi is based on Linux.
Video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qxc4Iz1TY94
(Meltemi is mentioned just after 1.40 minutes in video…)
Tomi says:
http://www.digitoday.fi/mobiili/2012/02/24/nokia-nousi-suurimmaksi-windows-toimittajaksi/201223938/66?rss=6
Nokia became the largest supplier of Windows phones
According to to research firm Strategy Analytics, Nokia rose last year at the end of the largest supplier of Windows-based smartphones.
Nokia shipped in October-December, 0.9 million Windows-based phone, which was 33 percent of all Windows-based phones.
From there, it starts a new rise?
Tomi Engdahl says:
RESEARCH PREDICTS that “Android will beat the Iphone ecosystem” this year, while other players including Research in Motion (RIM), Nokia and Microsoft are dead in the water.
While Apple and Android slug it out for the honours, Freelancer’s study cheerfully notes that the “Nokia and Microsoft mobile platforms are dead”. Microsoft was down 29 per cent to 888 jobs, Symbian down 34 per cent to 349 jobs and Nokia down 44 per cent to 488 jobs. All three recorded significant negative growth for the year and dropped to negligable job levels.
Source: The Inquirer (http://s.tt/15RjM)
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/tassa+ovat+nokian+uutuudet++kuvat+ja+faktat/a783934?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-27022012&
This is Nokia’s new stuff – pictures and facts
Nokia introduced the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, six phone models. Here they are
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Tangos into cheap smartphones
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/27/miocrosoft_tango_goes_low/
MWC 2012 Microsoft is targeting the global market for smartphones outside the high end with its next Windows Phone, while promising most existing apps will continue to work with less hardware.
Redmond announced today that the Windows Phone update – codenamed Tango – would run on smartphones with reduced memory and processor requirements.
Microsoft had performed “significant optimization work” on Windows Phone to accommodate Qualcomm 7×27 processors and 256Mb memory.
Nokia’s Lumia 610 will run Windows Mobile Tango.
The Lumia 610 runs a system on a chip from Qualcomm with 800MHz processor
Microsoft released a technical preview of the SDK update to access a 256MB emulator and tailor your apps to run on devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia announces 808 PureView: Belle OS, 4-inch display, 41-megapixel camera(!) — we go hands-on (video)
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/nokia-announces-808-pureview-belle-os-4-inch-display-41-megap/
Remember that Nokia PureView tease from a few days ago? Well, suddenly it all makes sense. We are indeed looking at an imaging flagship phone and a true successor to the N8. It’s called the 808 PureView
key specs: The OS is Symbian Belle; the engine is a 1.3GHz single-core chip; the display is 4-inches corner to corner but its resolution is a Nokia-style 360 x 640 (nHD)
Now that Carl Zeiss-lensed camera: it handles continuous-focus 1080p, but is claimed to have an incredible sensor resolution of over 41-megapixels when shooting stills — or 34-megapixels for 16:9 images. It uses some clever interpolation jiggery-pokery that condenses four or five pixels into one pixel, to produce a smaller file size for the output image.
If you haven’t been sufficiently smacked in the face with the Nokia 808 PureView’s primary selling point, let’s settle the score right now: it’s a phone for camera enthusiasts.
808 PureView is rather chunky, which is emphasized by the bulbous camera pod on the rear. In many ways, Nokia’s phone more closely rivals a point-and-shoot camera in size than a smartphone.
many aspects of this phone, it’s likely an aspect that potential buyers will immediately embrace or find entirely off-putting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia’s Bet On Microsoft Could Still Yield Payoff
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203753704577253500322429364.html
When Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia Corp. , unveiled six new phones this week at an industry gathering in Barcelona, for every phone he showed off Nokia’s share price fell by a percentage.
Tim Shepherd, senior analyst at Canalys, says Nokia isn’t getting the credit it deserves. “The reality is they have delivered four credible handsets on a new platform that are competitive in just over a year. That is a huge achievement.”
Nokia has succeeded in pushing down the specifications of Windows Phone to make a mass-market phone, the Lumia 610, available at €189 ($254).
“Part of the problem with Wall Street is that they are endlessly comparing everyone to Apple Corp. , but Apple is very much the anomaly.”
So is the problem for Nokia that Windows Phone hasn’t achieved the sort of sales that might have been hoped for it, despite the generally positive reception it has had?
Part of the problem, said Mr. Elop, is that not only does Nokia have to sell phones, it has to sell the whole ecosystem.
Looming on the horizon is Windows 8, the latest incarnation of Microsoft’s iconic, and lucrative, operating system. It is designed, at least in part, to be the bridge between the desktop, the tablet and the mobile phone
If—and it is a big if—Microsoft can deliver on its promises on Windows 8, then Mr. Elop’s decision to throw his lot in with Microsoft could start to look smart in a few years time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia reports a €1.4bn loss
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2158455/nokia-reports-eur14bn-loss
Nokia has submitted its annual report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) citing a €1.4bn loss for 2011.
Elop’s decision to plump for Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system for its smartphone range has failed to jolt the firm into action, materialising in sales of €38.7bn, almost €4bn down from a year previously.
Last year Nokia announced that it would be significantly cutting back on its research and development efforts, but its SEC filing showed that it spent the best part of €6bn on this key area of its business
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft reps claiming Windows Phone 8 definitely coming to second gen handsets, probably to first gen
http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-reps-claiming-windows-phone-8-definitely-coming-to-second-gen-handsets-probably-to-first-gen/
While we of course hope the Windows Phone 8 update will come to all handsets, we have been worried about signals from senior Microsoft officials which suggest older handsets will be left behind. Thomas from WP7app.de claims to have spoken to Microsoft employees at CeBIT in Hannover and to have received some interesting news.
The rep also revealed that Microsoft is targeting “late 2012” for the update.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Phone “Tango” officially launches in China on March 21
http://www.liveside.net/2012/03/14/windows-phone-tango-officially-launches-in-china-on-march-21/
Microsoft China has recently sent out invitations to media outlets for their Windows Phone 7.5 launch event. This will mark the official entrance of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system into the mainland Chinese market.
While the launch event is set to be in a week’s time, HTC had went ahead to become the first OEM to launch the HTC TITAN (called HTC Triumph in China) in the Chinese market. The device was released yesterday, March 14th, and is said to come pre-loaded with Windows Phone “Tango”.
Following the launch event, Nokia’s CEO and President Stephen Elop is also set to hold an official launch event on March 28. Elop had announced that Nokia will be launching their Lumia range of devices for the mainland Chinese market during the event. Nokia is expected to launch 3 Lumia devices during the event, however the exact devices are still currently unknown.
Microsoft opened app submissions to Chinese developers back in October 2011, and has recently put up the mainland Chinese version of the Windows Phone marketplace website.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia design chief ayes tablet plan
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/15/nokia_confirms_tablet_development/
Nokia has revealed it has started work on a tablet, adding weight to rumours that the firm is set to launch an iPad challenger when Microsoft’s Windows 8 software is released later this year.
“We are working on it,” confirmed Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari in an interview with Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here Are Some Facts Of Our Beloved Phone Company “NOKIA”
http://www.funzu.com/index.php/Articles/here-are-some-facts-of-our-beloved-phone-company-qnokiaq-21042011.html
The ringtone “Nokia tune” is actually based on a 19th century guitar work named “Gran Vals” by Spanish musician Francisco Tárrega.
The world’s first commercial GSM call was made in 1991 in Helsinki over a Nokia-supplied network, by Prime Minister of Finland Harri Holkeri, using a Nokia phone.
Nokia is currently the world’s largest digital camera manufacturer, as the sales of its camera-equipped mobile phones have exceeded those of any conventional camera manufacturer.
Nokia is sometimes called aikon (Nokia backwards) by non-Nokia mobile phone users and by mobile software developers, because “aikon” is used in various SDK software packages, including Nokia’s own Symbian S60 SDK.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Symbian smacked by Windows Phone
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/20/symbian_smacked_by_microsoft_windows_phone_in_the_uk/
Microsoft’s smartphone operating system, Windows Phone 7, is now outselling Symbian – and it’s all thanks to former Symbian stalwart, Nokia.
In February 2011, Symbian accounted for 12.4 per cent of the UK smartphone market. A year on and its share had drooped to 2.4 per cent. WinPho, on the other hand, has risen to 2.5 per cent from 0.5 per cent. The figures come from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, a market watcher.
The much-hyped Nokia Lumia 800 took 87 per cent of WinPho sales, Kantar said. Germany remains the strongest market for WinPho, with its share there now up to 3.1 per cent.
That said, in other Western European countries – Germany, France, Italy and Spain – while Symbian’s share has plunged, Microsoft’s hasn’t risen near the same extent
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Says Windows Phone Will Pass Apple in China
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-21/microsoft-says-windows-phone-will-pass-apple-in-china.html
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the world’s largest software maker, said its Windows Phone operating system will propel it past Apple Inc. (AAPL) in China’s smartphone market as its partners release devices costing as little as $158.
Passing Apple is an “interim goal” as the company’s longer-term objective is to supplant Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android as the local market leader, Simon Leung, Microsoft’s chairman and chief executive officer for the Greater China region, told reporters in Beijing today. He didn’t give a time frame for reaching the targets.
Tomi says:
Nokia is looking into haptic tattoos to help you feel who’s calling
http://www.unwiredview.com/2012/03/15/nokia-is-looking-into-haptic-tattoos-to-help-you-feel-whos-calling/
Patents. There are strange ones, very vague ones, obvious ones… and then there are those which can be labeled as borderline creepy. This is one of those cases.
Nokia wants to take haptic feedback to a level you haven’t previously encountered. Haptic tech is employed, for example, when your phone vibrates as you type on its touchscreen. Haptics deal with appealing to your sense of touch by applying forces or vibrations to your skin.
Which is exactly what Nokia wants to do, proposing the application of tattoos with ferromagnetic inks, that will vibrate based on commands from your phone.
The material could be paired with a phone, for example, like Bluetooth accessories are paired to electronics. The phone, however, would have to be capable of emitting varying magnetic fields.
There probably are some valid use cases for something like this.
So yes, you could wear such a tattoo and, when in a meeting, you and only you will know that your phone requires some attention. Then again, this whole thing feels like it’s one of those which sound sci-fi enough to become a reality in the future, yet they probably won’t.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTHENTICATING ACCESS BY A SERVICE
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=10&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=Nokia.AS.&OS=AN/Nokia&RS=AN/Nokia?fvrewsd
Nokia patentoi “haptiset tatuoinnit”
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/nokia+patentoi+quothaptiset+tatuoinnitquot/a790966?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-18032012&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile consultant Tomi Ahonen critisizes Nokia Windows Phone path:
Brutal Truth about Lumia – cannot sustain even 1 to 1 replacement of Symbian: Windows Phone strategy doomed for Nokia
http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2012/03/brutal-truth-about-lumia-cannot-sustain-even-1-to-1-replacement-of-symbian-windows-phone-strategy-do.html
The facts get ever worse about the Microsoft Windows Phone strategy for Nokia and its Lumia line of smartphones. We have just seen the brand new market share numbers from the UK by Kantar Worldpanel.
Ok. Now for today’s news. Maybe there is hope? Maybe the bleeding happened in 2011 but now for 2012, maybe this will be the year of the comeback? Maybe now that there are several Nokia Lumia phones selling, and even the US market is available, maybe now we get to see that majestic return of this Eagle of Nokisoft Microkia? Maybe… not.
The facts are in. Kantar Worldpanel has just reported on its half yearly reports from the UK market shares
All conveniently in the UK, one of Nokia’s best European markets, and nicely, a country where there is no domestic handset rival nor any domestic operating system maker rival to muddy up the picture.
And UK is one of those countries which is nicely a mix of roughly half prepaid and half postpaid contract customers, and phones are sold partly with subsidy and partly without subsidy. A good test laboratory for any industrialized world market with a lot of relevance for the rest of European sales for example. How did Lumia do?
First. From just before Elop announcing his suicidal Microsoft strategy with the Elop Effect, Nokia sold almost one in every four smartphones in the UK according to Kantar. One year later, Nokia has lost four out of five customers it had and sells only one out of every 20 smartphones sold in the same country. This has been a comprehensively destructive strategy for Nokia the former smartphone giant which used to dominate the UK market.
This is disasterous, and honestly, I DID NOT SEE this coming. I wrote on this blog a year ago, that I expect year 2012 to see a 1 to 1 conversion, as Symbian declines, the Windows Phone (ie Lumia) smartphones by Nokia will replace them.
That was a reasonable assumption. That is now proven not to be true. Nokia lost one third of its last remaining loyal customer base, when trying to force them to take Lumia smartphones over the past five months.
Its not that Nokia somehow needed Microsoft to survive, clearly the Microsoft strategy is suffocating Nokia and killing its customer relationship.
Microsoft was totally doomed and its ‘awesome’ Windows Phone operating system was doing a death-dance globally, from a Microsoft Windows Mobile peak market share globally of over 12% just five years ago, to 5% in year 2010 when Windows Phone launched, to a paltry 1% for Q4 of 2011 (which includes Nokia Lumia sales) – Microsoft was totally dead in the water.
Microsoft was a dead man walking last year. Its only hope was to convert some – any – Nokia sales to get some life back into the utterly dead OS. This is not a ‘third ecosystem’ not now, not ever.
I have reported here on this blog many times, about the resellers hating Microsoft Windows Phone and also punishing Nokia. I have then explained why Microsoft’s Skype purchase was the final nail in the coffin which sealed Microsoft’s fate in mobile last year. There is no coming back for Microsoft, not with or without Nokia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
China Nokia Lumia 800C Windows Phone Already Set At Lower Price Before Release
http://www.everythingwm.com/china-nokia-lumia-800c-windows-phone-already-set-at-lower-price-before-release/2012/03/19/
The Nokia lineup will arrive in China on March 28th, but the Nokia Lumia 800C (CDMA version of Lumia 800) has already been set at a lower price by China Telecom.
Keep in mind that China has also been one of the best markets for Nokia devices. With Nokia looking to replace Symbian with their Windows Phone lineup in China, China Telecom may just be cutting prices to facilitate Nokia in their Symbian-Windows Phone transition.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Angry Birds, Nokia’s decision worries investors
The Japanese investment bank Nomura estimates that the Angry Birds, game developing Rovio’s decision not to bring the game’s new Angry Birds Spacea Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system is a worrying sign of Nokia’s smartphones.
Angry Birds is number one on Phone in the Windows app store
- This is a worrying development for Windows Phone in a way that it suggests that the Stake is not a lot of faith in the future, Nomura commented.
Rovio’s position may be indicative of the future, one that does not expect the money to do Windows Mobile platform. When there is no applications, there are no users, and vice versa.
Source:
http://www.digitoday.fi/bisnes/2012/03/23/angry-birds–paatos-huolettaa-nokian-sijoittajia/201225910/66?rss=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Nokia fell, in the game anymore, Apple and Google”
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/msareena/msuutiset/kaikkiareenauutiset/quotnokia+putosi+mukana+pelissa+enaa+apple+ja+googlequot/a793383?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-23032012&
Google -director Don Dodge promises hard times Nokia , and Nokia for the use of Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems.
Google’s director of software developer Dodge says Business Insider, the site of the smartphone business is becoming more clearly the two competitors play in here – Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone.
He says he was surprised at the panel discussion that “no one saw the Windows or Symbian, Blackberry, or to be able to achieve significant market share.”
Google’s Don Dodge: The Smartphone War Isn’t Really A War (GOOG, AAPL, MSFT, NOK)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/22/businessinsidergoogle-don-dodge-say.DTL
Technology companies are often positioned as winners and losers, but that’s not really the case, according to Google’s developer advocate Don Dodge.
For instance, Amazon’s Kindle can have a great future without killing tablets from Apple and Google, he said.
The market is so big that it’s ultimately up to developers to decide which platforms to develop for, he told us after he spoke at IGNITION West.
DD: Everyone wants to pick a winner and say iPhone wins and Windows Phone 7 loses. Or Amazon wins and somebody else loses. That’s really not the case.
If you look at the way Apple is approaching the smartphone business and the way Google is approaching the smartphone business — both companies are wildly successful, but are approaching it different ways. One doesn’t have to win for the other one to lose. So in the case of Amazon, I think they can have a very successful business, getting apps on Kindles. The phone app market will be predominantly on iPhone and Android.
BI: Did anything from the panel you were on (on mobile platforms and what consumers want) surprise you?
DD: The biggest surprise was that no one saw Windows or Blackberry or Symbian being able to gain significant market share. In the eyes of the people on the panel, it’s pretty much game over and it’s a war between Apple and Google. In my case, I don’t believe it’s a war at all. I believe Apple and Google can be very successful.
The market is growing so fast, it’s not that we are taking customers from Apple or Apple is taking customers from Google. The market is growing so fast, there is plenty of opportunity for both. For Microsoft, Blackberry, and Symbian, those players are in a very difficult position.
When you can do two platforms and cover 70 to 80 percent of the market, why should you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more to get those last few percentage points?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rovio can do without Nokia – not only in developing countries
Many large game manufacturer to keep the Windows phone markets as much non-existent, that it does not necessarily want to commit if the doing well on Apple ‘s platform.
Windows attracts mainly only those game companies, who can not manage in AppStore competition.
“I have spoken to a couple in the game with the manufacturer, the size of the Windows market – according to them, Windows-based sales have been less than two percent of iPhone / iPad sales in the case of the big hits,” Kuittinen comments on the securities.
Source:
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/msareena/msuutiset/kaikkiareenauutiset/rovio+parjaa+ilman+nokiaa++paitsi+kehitysmaissa/a793372?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-23032012&
Tomi says:
Angry Birds Space, after all, also for Windows Phonelle
Rovio CEO knocks out earlier reports that the game company’s Angry Birds Space game should not be Windows Phone operating system.
Rovio’s CEO Mikael Hedin, the company is preparing Angry Birds Space’s entry into the Windows Phonelle.
Hed told the news agency Reuters on Friday evening, Finnish time.
Angry Bird Space’s release date for Windows Phonelle has not yet been decided.
Hed set aside the Rovio’s marketing director, Peter Vester’s argument that the Windows Mobile operating system would be too small to make the game also it would have been worthwhile.
Source:
http://www.digitoday.fi/viihde/2012/03/24/angry-birds-space-sittenkin-myos-windows-phonelle/201225944/66?rss=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
The desperate situation driven to desperate acts.
So pathetic Nokia. Now, even this is seen in the company that pays its products are used. Although the products should not be so desirable that the company paid At their use.
At least an idea worth trying, although perhaps more expensive side. On the other hand MS from the marketing money, so this probably goes to the normal part of the ad also.
Report: Nokia paying AT&T for exclusive employee use of the Lumia 900
http://www.wpcentral.com/report-nokia-paying-att-exclusive-employee-use-lumia-900
We’ve heard numerous times that the Nokia Lumia 900 will be a “hero” device for AT&T, a term that is unfamiliar for many who are not in the business of smartphones. Here, the usage refers to AT&T promoting the Lumia 900 on the level of the Apple iPhone meaning we should expect a very intensive media campaign for the flagship Nokia device and it taking center stage on one of the largest carriers in the US.
One way to do that is to put the phone in the hands of those on the front lines — the sales reps at the AT&T stores.
You read that right: Nokia is paying, we hear up to $25 million, for AT&T employees to exclusively use the Lumia 900 instead of the iPhone and Android. Nokia is expecting more than 80% of employees to be using their flagship Windows Phone for participation in the CU program (employees can opt to use any phone they want at a discount, but CU phones are provided for free), which should go a long way in convincing those employees the merits of the OS, resulting in positive word of mouth and high sales.
AT&T is that the company is trying to get away from being “the iPhone carrier”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rovio to get Angry Birds Space for Windows Phone: CEO
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/23/net-us-rovio-windows-idUSBRE82M0RG20120323
Rovio is working on getting its new Angry Birds Space game to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform (WP7), its chief executive said on Friday, putting Nokia and other Windows phones more on a par with the iPhone.
“We are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to WP7,” Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed told Reuters, dismissing earlier media reports that the top gaming firm was dumping the platform.
“We are working closely together with Nokia to bring our games to their platforms,” Hed said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft and Nokia pledge up to €18m for mobile apps developers
Developers, developers, developers
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2163522/microsoft-nokia-pledge-eur18m-mobile-app-developers
THE WINDOWS PHONE TWINS Microsoft and Nokia will cough up as much as €9m each for a mobile application development programme at Aalto University in Finland during the next three years.
Kicking off in May 2012, the Finland-based scheme will be led and managed by Aalto University
Aalto University will contribute to the project by providing premises, coaching services, and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers.
Nokia said that mobile entrepreneurs will be able to get training in mobile technology, design and usability, as well as funding to create new mobile apps and services. Veterans in the mobile industry will also offer mentoring.
It is not all about building stuff for Windows Phone, the companies somewhat unconvincingly insisted. They claim to have set up the Appcampus programme to encourage development of mobile apps for Nokia operating systems, including Symbian, the latest release of which is called Belle as we reported at the time, and even Series 40, in addition to Windows Phone.
More information can be found at the Aalto University Appcampus web site at
http://appcampus.aalto.fi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia’s flagship is coming soon for sale in the United States. Since then, may be an indication of what is the future of the company.
Nokia has every opportunity to get back to the top of the mobile market, evaluated by an experienced industry expert followed the Cnet online service.
Nokian Snow 900-top-model’s success depends largely on how the company is successful in the coming years the smartphone market in North America.
The challenge is to get consumers to try the new Windows Phone operating system.
Snow 900 will go on sale in the U.S. market on April 8 day.
“If the device does not hit the sales, Nokia and Microsoft has a big problem. Failure could have far-reaching consequences,” Cheng writes.
Source: http://www.iltalehti.fi/digi/2012032715378479_du.shtml
Tomi Engdahl says:
Last year, Nokia acquired 17 per cent of its production to subcontractors, who made 80 million phones
Helsingin Sanomat reported last Thursday that Nokia will not buy anymore for any of the phone manufacturing contracted.
Principal analyst Adam Pick release iSuppli estimates that Nokia’s decision reflects the squeeze on the mobile phone market to the extreme situation.
The market research firm predicts that the contract design and project management, and product manufacturing companies that specialize in the market will contract this year to 9.9 per cent to $ 270.8 billion.
Last year, the market was 300.7 billion dollars in size, iSuppli estimates.
Particularly badly hit Nokia’s decision to the company’s main subcontractor Foxconn.
Other important suppliers include Nokia, Chinese BYD, Jabil U.S. and Finnish Elcoteq.
Source: http://www.digitoday.fi/bisnes/2009/03/30/nokia-paattaa-alihankkijat-maksavat/20098374/66
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Lumia 900 Review – Windows Phone with LTE
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5724/nokia-lumia-900-review-supersized-with-lte
It goes without saying that for Nokia, the Lumia 900 launch is quite possibly one of the most important launches, ever. The Lumia 900 marks Nokia’s first serious foray back into the competitive American market, and with it the first high-end fruit to come out of its new strategic partnership with Microsoft.
ust how well the Lumia 900 does in the USA will be a reflection on both Nokia’s industrial design, and Microsoft’s still somewhat fledgling Windows Phone 7 smartphone platform.
Summing up the Lumia 900 as a device is pretty easy, it’s superficially a beefed up, larger Lumia 800.
When it launches later in Europe, instead of LTE, the Lumia 900 will bring DC-HSPA+ and all around improved cellular connectivity courtesy MDM9200.
For the first time in a while, I’m genuinely excited by a new Windows Phone. With the Lumia 900, it seems as though some of Nokia’s rhetoric about being the first OEM to put its best hardware and design forward with the platform is starting to ring true.
What we really need to see from Nokia is faster hardware and more power efficient LTE, both of these things are technically possible today (28nm LTE basebands are still not quite available in volume yet) however it’s up to Microsoft to actually enforce the platform change. It’s amazing what Nokia has been able to do hardware-wise with only a year in the Microsoft camp, particularly when you remember that most smartphone development cycles are in the 12 – 24 month range. While the Lumia 900 is a great Windows Phone today, what will really be interesting is what Nokia will be able to pull off with a full design cycle under its belt.
Ultimately the Lumia 900 doesn’t really change the balance of power in the smartphone OS competition as it stands right now. Although the version number has advanced on the Lumia 900 (because of changes that needed to accommodate LTE), it’s really the same Windows Phone 7.5 Mango we’ve seen and talked about before. If you’re looking for a make or break launch that might upset the balance, wait for the Apollo update.
Tomi says:
It’s Big, It’s Blue, It’s Windows, but Can It Beat Rival Phones?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304023504577321743416375030.html?mod=WSJEUROPE_hps_MIDDLEFourthNews
on April 8, Nokia and AT&T will begin selling the first high-end, 4G LTE, Windows Phone model released in the U.S., the Lumia 900.
I’ve been testing the Lumia 900 and found that it provides the best home yet for the attractive Windows Phone software, but still doesn’t measure up to rival smartphones.
When on an LTE network, the phone delivered download speeds of between 10 and 15 megabits per second
Also, the Lumia 900 features the three biggest advantages of the Windows Phone platform—a handsome, distinctive, tile-based user interface; a mobile version of Microsoft’s Xbox Live gaming network; and a mobile version of genuine Microsoft Office, which allows you to edit documents and share them with PCs and Macs, or store them in the cloud.
But, overall, I consider the Lumia 900 a mixed bag. Unless you are a big Windows Phone fan, or don’t want to spend more than $100 upfront, I can’t recommend the Lumia 900 over the iPhone 4S, or a first-rate Android phone like Samsung’s Galaxy S II series.
I was underwhelmed by the battery life, the browser, and the quality of its photos.
Plus, the Windows Phone platform has only a fraction of the third-party apps available for its rivals
My biggest problem was with the Web browser, a mobile version of Internet Explorer.
the phone had just too many drawbacks in my tests to best its chief competitors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia TV coming to Lumia smartphones in Finland
http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/04/04/nokia-tv-coming-to-lumia-smartphones-in-finland/
We are very pleased to be able to confirm that Nokia TV, the latest Lumia entertainment offering from Nokia following Nokia Music and Nokia Reading, will be introduced in Finland in the coming weeks.
When the service launches, users of Lumia smartphones in Finland will be able to conveniently browse or search through the available catalogues of catch-up TV services from major local broadcasters and then stream a chosen show directly to their phone – without any sign up or registration.
home remedies toenail fungus says:
All the experts inform little organization owners that they need to consider edge of the advantages of a Social Media Approach and, with more than 750 million members, a Facebook Web page is vital.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Lumia 900 irks users by not connecting to the Web
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57411564-94/nokia-lumia-900-irks-users-by-not-connecting-to-the-web/
With the release of this latest Windows phone, some users are already experiencing problems — most notably difficulty connecting to AT&T’s data networks.
A lot of hype and eager anticipation surrounded the release of Nokia’s Lumia 900 smartphone yesterday. People debated whether to ditch their iPhones in lieu of this cheaper yet still high-end featured mobile device.
However, it seems this latest Windows Phone is off to a rocky start — several owners of the 900s report that their new devices aren’t connecting to AT&T’s data networks.
AT&T put a lot of stock in this handset, which costs $100 and has an 8-megapixel camera, a large 4.3-inch screen, and 4G LTE support. In an interview with CNET last month, Jeff Bradley, AT&T’s device head, called the Lumia 900 the company’s “hero phone” and said that its launch would be a “notch above anything we’ve ever done,” including the iPhone’s launch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Lumia 900 Showing Promising Sales, Despite AT&T Store Holiday Closures
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/04/nokia-lumia-900-first-day/
Initial sales indicators for the Lumia 900, Nokia’s most important U.S. Windows Phone to date, are showing that the handset is off to a good start despite the fact that the phone launched on Easter Sunday, a day when most AT&T stores were closed.
The Lumia 900 rose to the top of Amazon’s smartphone rankings today, beating out favorites like the Droid Razr Maxx, the previously most popular phone, and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Yesterday, the handset debuted in fifth place on the site.
the handset’s successful Amazon performance was likely bolstered by its incredibly cheap $50 price tag. In our review, we stated $100 was a bargain, and now Amazon is undercutting Nokia’s retail price by half.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Phone’s Big Problem: Google Ignores It
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/232800095
Google prefers Android and iOS when it comes to developing mobile apps and services. For Windows Phone, this is a big liability.
As far as Google is concerned, Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform doesn’t really exist. For people who’ve invested in Google’s online services, Google’s lack of support for the Windows Platform is a real problem–one that Microsoft should be tackling head on.
Google has developed shockingly few applications for Windows Phone.
If Microsoft really wants to convince Android and iOS device users to change platforms, it needs to scare up some support for Google’s apps and services and prove that devs won’t be missing anything if they make the jump.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Phone Has A Nasty Porn Addiction
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/09/windows-phone-has-a-nasty-porn-addiction/
Windows Phone has a widely known downside: It lacks 3rd party apps. Sure, the major ones are there in Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds and even Spotify, Rdio and Reddit browsers. But besides apps from big-name developers, the rest of the apps are ironically reminiscent of Windows 95-era shareware. And then there’s the smut.
The lack of high quality apps has seemingly made more room for dirty apps. The categories in Windows Phone’s Marketplace are filled with them.
This has long been a problem with Windows Phone. It’s a byproduct of lack of quality apps. Android had a good deal of explicit material in the beginning as well. Google effectively countered the lewd material with a smarter storefront.
Nokia attempts to side-step Windows Phone’s Marketplace entirely with a home page tile called App Highlights that’s a fine collection of Windows Phone apps minus any of the off-color apps. It’s actually a better curated list of top apps than Microsoft’s and shows there are actually quality apps available for these phones.
Tomi says:
Nokia PureView Lumia Windows Phone Device Images Leaked ??
http://wmpoweruser.com/nokia-pureview-lumia-windows-phone-device-images-leaked/
Some pictures have leaked in China of what is said to be a Nokia Lumia running Windows Phone 8 and sporting Nokia’s 41 megapixel Pureview technology.
The handset features a very unusual curved designed, including a curved screen and of course very bold colours.
Mobile.it168.com noted because of the very unusual appearance of the handset a conceptual design instead of a development project can not be ruled out.
Tomi says:
Windows Phone will only account for 2% of app downloads in 2012, firm says
http://www.bgr.com/2012/04/09/windows-phone-will-only-account-for-2-of-app-downloads-in-2012-firm-says/
Despite reinforcements arriving this year from Nokia, Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform will only account for 2% of all mobile application downloads in 2012, a recent report suggests. Market research firm ABI Research recently released a new study stating that nearly 36 billion apps will be downloaded to smartphones and tablets this year, and an overwhelming 83% of those downloads will be served to either Android or iOS-powered devices.
Research associate Lim Shiyang says, “Although Windows Phone lags behind RIM’s BlackBerry and even Nokia’s Symbian, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the two percent that we forecast for 2012 would be twice the share the platform achieved last year. Microsoft is gaining momentum, but its starting point is frustratingly low. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t really a chicken-and-egg problem of low device sales holding back the app business and the slow app business holding back the device sales. It’s more complicated than that.”