Rabu, 10 Juli 2013

What If Nokia Announced An Android Device?

Nokia Lumia handset on show at MWC Barcelona 2013 (Photo credit: Janitors)

With what can only be described as some very very useful leaks, we're all set with our bingo cards for Nokia to announce the latest Lumia handset in the next twenty four hours - expect a Windows Phone with a 41 megapixel camera, significant memory, multi-core processors, and a comfortably large screen. And my mind, once more, turning to the question of Nokia and Android.


What if the Finnish company walked out on to the world's tech stage with an Android powered smartphone?


It's a sentiment that is often discussed, and Nokia's decision on February 11th 2011 to go with Windows Phone as their next smartphone OS, instead of Android, will be one that will continue to be analysed in tech circles.


If we look at the situation today, I find it very hard to argue that Nokia should drop Windows Phone and run with Android. It would be poor value in the short term, it would be a difficult sell in the medium term, and I don't think it would allow Nokia to have any long term future that would not involve being bought out by a rival - even if it was just for their patent portfolio.


I would have a huge issue around the software that Nokia would need to differentiate their mythical Android smartphone from others on the market. Nokia's software on Windows Phone makes a huge difference - such as free streaming music, mapping and navigation software (with turn by turn directions), improved camera and image processing, and augmented reality layers of local information - and any Android powered handset that would need to be identified as Nokia would require a similar suite of apps.


Creating these apps and services would take time. If they were to suddenly arrive fully formed and ready to go, I suspect the shareholders would want to know why those engineers weren't focused on the Windows Phone platform, which CEO Stephen Elop has proclaimed as the only platform for Nokia at the moment.


Which means these apps aren't ready, so Nokia would have to either launch a handset without them (and good luck selling a bare bones Android handset at a premium in the current market), or announce the plans and wait for the handset's software to be completed before shipping (which would not do Nokia's sales figures any good in the intervening period).


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