Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • 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
  • 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 Blogs Google Watch
    • Blogs
    • Google Watch
    • Search Engines

    Nokia Eschews Android For Fears of Commoditization

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    February 11, 2011
    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.

      So I was reading AllThingsDigital reporter Ina Fried’s live blog notes of Nokia’s blockbuster, bet-the-company play to put all of its chips on Microsoft Windows Phone 7.

      We knew this was coming, especially after Google telegraphed it with Vic Gundotra’s “two turkeys don’t make an eagle: smackdown.

      My BS detector was set to high alert because I was scanning to see why Nokia CEO Stephen Elop chose Phone 7, essentially a fledgling OS few people seem to be interested in that has shipped only 2 million units.

      (Yes, I realize Android growth was initially stilted, but this is Microsoft, which has cachet in the mobile market, however flawed it became under Windows Mobile.)

      So I found this to be the interesting part of the Q&A period:

      10:23 am: Why Microsoft rather than Android?

      Elop: What we assessed essentially was three options: internal options with MeeGo and Symbian. Worried about expanding to low-end price points and quickly develop their own ecosystem. Those two things make it difficult.

      “We absolutely spent time with our colleagues at Google.” There were pros to chooising (sic) Android. “It’s moving very quickly. It’s gaining share.”

      “Our fundamental belief is we would have difficulty differentiating. The commoditization risk was very high.”

      I’m not sure about low price points. There are cheaper Android phones. That last line is what stood out to me. Elop is right: Android has become highly commoditized in two short years. It’s growth in 2010 has been amazing.

      Motorola, Samsung and HTC are beating each other up in the market, but if you’ve seen their growth stats from IDC, you know they’re doing quite well.

      So Elop fears going with Android won’t help Nokia stand out. Rather than bet on a proven horse, Nokia picks an old partner in Microsoft.

      This is more risky in my opinion. Not for Microsoft, which could use a big-brand hardware vendor who knows a little something about smartphones — okay a lot of something — but it’s a big, bold bet by Nokia because WP7 is such an unproven quantity.

      We know that people want Apple’s iPhone and the passel of Android devices, increasingly more than they want RIM Blackberries. We don’t yet know if people want WP7 devices, whether they’re on hardware from HTC, Samsung, LG or whomever.

      People may well want them, but it’s just not proven yet. Nokia and Microsoft could be those turkeys Google was talking about.

      That will mean more gobble, gobble for Google and Apple.

      Clint Boulton
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      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
      Applications

      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
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      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.
      © 2022 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.

      ×