Final week, I used to be bearish on claims, prayers and predictions that Nokia would wind up providing some type of Windows Telephone machine as part of the corporation;s line-up. But now, I;m pondering it;s not only probable, but probable.I used to be a skeptic for quite a few reasons, and never since I am a Windows Telephone hater. (The fact is, I would be a Windows Telephone seven operator if Verizon would make 1 obtainable. So far, all we still know is Verizon options to add a minimum of one WP7 model to its line-up some time this year… maybe after customers stop burning up the lines to buy iPhones.)Windows Phone 7 is still a version 1 product. Microsoft and the carriers who do offer WP7 devices nevertheless have yet to roll out the first update to the platform. WP7s don;t offer much for enterprise users so far. Microsoft has delivered 2 million copies of the OS to carriers because October 2010, which means fewer than 2 million devices have been sold to date. To restate the obvious,
Windows 7 Activation, Microsoft;s smartphone platform has a long way to go to catch as much as Android and iOS.Microsoft;s decision to “lock down” WP7 handset makers,
Windows 7 Ultimate, requiring them to choose among three different chassis specs,
Microsoft Office 2007 Key, also made me leery that Nokia — the No. 1 smartphone supplier, with its own OS and developer tools/ecosystem — would agree to abide by Microsoft;s new rules. So even though Microsoft and Nokia had forged a partnership, bringing Silverlight, Office Mobile and Office Communicator to some Symbian phones, I used to be definitely considering that Nokia would go with Android over WP7.What changed my mind? It wasn;t Nokia CEO Stephen Elop;s “Burning Platform” memo — which sounded to me like the type of memo more than just a few Softies have penned in an attempt to motivate the troops and/or signal a sea-change. The rumors were already swirling before the Burning Platform memo leaked that Nokia was ready to add a non-Symbian/non-MeeGo phone platform to its stable of offerings.As an alternative, what;s got me considering I was wrong is a tweet from Google;s Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundrota. Gundrota;s tweet:February 11 is the date when Elop is expected to unveil publicly Nokia;s new platform directions. I;m thinking the “turkeys” here don;t include the golden goose Google,
Windows 7 Home Premium, but more likely refer to Microsoft and Nokia. If your company had just cemented a deal with all the established (even though slipping) smartphone leader, would you be talking turkey?If Nokia nonetheless does wind up choosing Android, I;d think Gundrota might have some explaining (and apologizing) to do. If Nokia, as an alternative,
Office 2007 Product Key, has decided to go with WP7, I;d be really interested to hear more on any concessions the Softies made to get the deal done. And yes, if it;s WP7 that Nokia chooses over Android, I will be eating crow turkey….Update: A couple of folks have noted that there;s another achievable interpretation with the Gundrota quote. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia;s former Executive Vice President for Markets, said the exact same thing in 2005 about BenQ buying Siemens; mobile handset internet business handset enterprise. Hmmm. Will Google have the last laugh?