Roger Fingas
Although Nokia's original mobile phone division was sold to Microsoft in 2013, one of the company's three remaining divisions — Nokia Technologies — is planning to re-enter the phone world, a report revealed on Monday.
The Re/code information is said to come chiefly from two sources familiar with Nokia's plans. Technologies is actually the smallest Nokia division, but critically controls over 10,000 patents. It has only released two products of its own, namely an Android app called Zlauncher, and the N1, an Android tablet design that's being licensed to another manufacturer and sold in China.
The report said that phones are likely to follow the same strategy used with the N1. Nokia Technologies is also allegedly exploring a number of other projects however, including some connected to virtual reality. The VR industry has seen a sudden resurgence in the past two years, with headsets released or in development by companies like HTC, Samsung, Sony, and Oculus VR. Unlike the first VR wave in the 1990s, sensor and display technologies are beginning to make the technology practical.
Any new Nokia phones will have to wait until the third quarter of 2016 though, owing to terms of the Microsoft deal. Re/code added that in the meantime the company has been engaged in hiring and development for products shipping in 2016 and beyond.
Nokia was once the leader the global cellphone industry. But the company was slow to respond to the advent of the iPhone and Android, and saw its share of the market quickly erode.
It's not clear what platform a new Nokia phone would use, but given the N1, Android is a likely candidate. Around the time of the Microsoft acquisition, Nokia was reliant on Windows Phone, owing to a previous deal forged in 2011.
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53 Comments
Ah, the surest way to profit: Android!
Wait, that's not right...
Companies that partner with Microsoft seem to end up dying or getting majorly screwed.
From IBM( Poorly made CP/M clone renamed MS DOS, OS/2), Sega(Dreamcast which used Wince), PlaysforSure partners, to Nokia.
Apple somehow survived and still has Office made for it.
Their tablet effort was more than a subtle rip off of the iPad. Since most of their talent is gone(twice over, first by abandoning symbian, and secondly with the MS buy out) I'm not anticipating much more than more knock off products.
Ah, the surest way to profit: Android!
Wait, that's not right...
Unfortunately, the choices aren't great. The easy path is certainly Android if you're a third party manufacturer (especially one trying to recover from having a good portion of your company purchased by Microsoft). The downside is that there likely isn't a whole lot of profit potential. It's interesting that they're just coming up with the design and then licensing that out. That may limit the risk and be a good way to go.
I think it will be hard to create a complete OS and ecosystem from nothing and compete for acceptance in the marketplace with iOS, Android and Windows Phone (even the latter is finding it hard to make ground on the other two and Microsoft is well established). The big thing in establishing a new alternative is getting developers on board. Here, I believe you either have to show massive potential for profit or make the development so easy or such a pleasure that developers want to do it even if there isn't a lot of profit potential. Also not easy.
So ... Android. That's probably what Nokia should have done from the start and maybe they wouldn't have been dissected by Microsoft.
Ah, the surest way to profit: Android!
Wait, that's not right...
There are still fans of large sensor imagers in smartphones, and I'm assuming that Nokia will own this very tiny niche market again now that MS has stated that it will abandon it. At least it will own it until Apple implements some of its multi-imager and folded optic technology and patents.
Other than that, not seeing what Nokia will bring to the table to set them apart from the other Android and ASOP builders.