Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Nokia Insists It’s Not Considering Android, Analysts Roll Eyes

    Written by

    Michelle Maisto
    Published January 9, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Could Nokia smartphones someday run Google’s Android mobile operating system? Nokia has been quick to insist the answer is no, after CEO Stephen Elop was quoted by Spanish newspaper El Pais saying otherwise.

      In the Jan. 7 interview, Elop reportedly stated, “In the current ecosystem wars, we are using Windows Phone as our weapon. But we are always thinking about what’s coming next, what will be the role of HTML 5, Android … Today we are committed and satisfied with Microsoft, but anything is possible.”

      In a statement, Nokia spokesperson Doug Dawson said Elop’s comments had been “mistranslated … leading to some erroneous reports and speculation about our strategic direction.”

      In an effort to clarify Elop’s comments and Nokia’s focus, Dawson provided an excerpt from the interview transcript. After being asked, “Do you rule out 100 percent launching a smartphone based on Android in 2013?” Elop responded, according to Dawson’s transcript:

      So, the way I think about it is, in the current war on ecosystems, we are fighting with Windows Phone. That’s what we’re doing. Now, what we’re always doing is asking, how does that evolve? What’s next? What role does HTML5 play? What role does Android or other things play in the future? We’re looking further into the future, but in terms of what we’re bringing to market, and what we’re immediately focused on, we’re focused on Windows Phone.

      Perhaps Elop wasn’t mistranslated but was misunderstood—or misspoke.

      “I think he meant exactly what he said—Nokia is not ruling out the possibility of supporting Android,” Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis, told eWEEK.

      “That doesn’t mean Nokia has an Android phone in the works,” Greengart added. “Right now, Nokia appears to be completely committed to Windows Phone, and it does not have the financial base that Samsung [which makes phones for several platforms] does to split its focus and succeed.”

      If Elop didn’t mean to suggest Nokia is considering Android, “he should have,” Technology Business Research analyst Ken Hyers told eWEEK. “The deal Nokia has with Microsoft is non-exclusive, and Microsoft is working with other OEMs to develop Windows Phone 8 devices, so Elop would be a fool to rule out developing to another platform.”

      Nokia needs double-digit penetration, which it won’t receive quickly with Windows Phone, said Hyers. What Elop must be asking himself is whether splitting Nokia in two directions would be worth the effort and risk.

      “I believe that Nokia, for the near term, needs to remain highly focused on developing to Windows Phone because they just can’t afford to be distracted from making that effort successful,” he said. “If at some point in the future they have enough resources to develop and market an Android phone, they should do so. … But right now, I don’t think Nokia can afford the distraction.”

      Gartner Research Vice President Carolina Milanesi agreed that Nokia needs to keep its eye on the immediate prize, but doesn’t view Android as worthwhile future goal.

      “I never thought Nokia should embrace Android,” she told eWEEK. “If they really want to have a chance at building their ecosystem, if they wanted an alternative to Windows Phone, they could look at HTML5. At the moment, I do not see any reason for Nokia not to continue to focus on Windows Phone.”

      Follow Michelle Maisto on Twitter.

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×