Nokia’s decision to opt for
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 (WP7) platform as its primary smartphone OS, rather than
Android, was prompted by a desire to avoid a “duopoly” in the mobile industry between Google/Nokia and
Apple, CEO Stephen Elop told reporters at a press conference in Barcelona on the eve of the GSMA
Mobile World Congress.
Elop said that the Finnish handset giant had been “suited” by both
Google (Android) and
Microsoft in the weeks leading up to the tie-up with Microsoft announcement. “A decision to swing to Android would have tilted the mobile ecosystem in the direction of a duopoly, but we wanted to create a challenger,” he said.
Elop noted that the new partnership will initially operate as a straightforward OEM deal, which will see Nokia pay Microsoft a fee to use its software. But he also talked up the significant “value transfer” in financial terms that would come Nokia’s way as a result of reduced operating expenses and new revenue streams such as access to Microsoft’s search and advertising capabilities. This financial contribution would be “in the billions not the millions,” Elop said.
Nokia was unable to give a firm timeframe on when its first WP7 phone would appear but it is hopeful for a launch before year end.
The company further added, "Imagine accessing multiple streams of uncompressed HD video — from your notebook — at speeds that let you edit an HD feature film in real time. That’s how Thunderbolt technology will connect the next generation of high-performance peripherals to the next generation of computers — starting with MacBook Pro. Ultrafast and ultraflexible, the Thunderbolt pipeline is more than 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0, and it offers unprecedented expansion capabilities. It changes what you can do on a notebook." The product is also expected to provide really high battery life.
