Microsoft not interested in buying Nokia

Special Attack: ceoelop

(sceptic: Not yet anyway)

Reader “wes?” has informed us that popular german site focus.de is going against the grain of recent reports and that in fact, Microsoft is NOT interested in buying Nokia.

This rumours swept far and wide, not just permeating every blog but also also mainstream media. It certainly seemed like an obvious outcome to some ever since we had an ex MS executive as Nokia’s Boss, followed by the unthinkable Windows Phone direction.

I’m not sure if I’m getting the translation correctly but wes translates this as Microsoft calling it “Nonsense” and that

“Microsoft is very pleased with the current solution that the group in future provide the software for Nokia phones.”

http://www.focus.de/magazin/kurzfassungen/focus-21-2011-microsoft-will-nokia-doch-nicht-kaufen_aid_629828.html

According to the article, Microsoft’s market share will reflect Nokia’s current market share in a year’s time. German Mobile Operators on the other hand are speptical about Windows Phone, thinking that perhaps 2011 is too late and people will no longer wait. Can you blame them? There’s so many good alternatives out there and we’re all still playing waiting games with our Nokia Windows Phone handsets.

It’s annoying that this is said often, but let’s wait and see. Nokia has a much wider distribution channel than ALL the other Windows Phone manufacturers COMBINED. The market share Windows Phone will gain is not just “Symbian-users” migrating but a new batch of users (as the whole market grows and gets new smartphone users).

Last week Eldar was tweeting away to antagonise some Nokia folks (having little run ins with Nokia fans such as @MickyFin) and and told me that there’ll be some really bad news this week at Nokia and for the next few years to come. He mentioned something along the lines of 2-3 Nokia plants closing? Well also see what MS brings today in their Mango presentation and see if there is any whiff of his radical claims of MS buying Nokia’s mobile division.

Little Mini Rant:

Nokia and Microsoft really need to market Windows Phone so badly. The perception of my friends reflects at least the current perception in the UK. iPhone is fun and easy and has Apps. BlackBerry is cool with keyboard. Android is that new thing people are talking about. VERY few know about Nokia’s N8 and that there’s apps for that too (admittedly not to the scale of iPhone or Android).

Some do know about the STELLAR camera and that’s quite a big point for them (no need to buy a separate cam…they’d have to if they bought BB as cam est poo). It’s technically true – MICROSOFT and Nokia do apps too!

They have apps and they have insane cameras inside <<still killer selling points here IMO what with Facebook being a major site use and pictures being a big part of that experience. Facebook is the 2nd biggest site on the net, the second most visited in the UK after google and the MOST minutes spent per user than google and YouTube combined.

Use these things to your advantage whilst you have them. Apple has done so much with their marketing when their hardware could be easily beaten and now they’re getting to actually quite decent levels, steering many Nokia fans away.

Category: Nokia