Anssi Vanjoki not a fan of Windows Phone – would have stuck with Symbian.

Ex member of the old guard, Anssi Vanjoki was interviewed by MTV3.FI. You can check it out here. The translation is a bit odd, but Joni who tipped this in gave this to us as a summary:

– Co-operation with Microsoft unnecessary. Windows Phone is
competitive, but it doesn´t have anything that hasn´t been on other
OS:s.

He would have chosen to develop Symbian and Meego instead of picking WP as primary OS.

Nokia´s software know-how is world class. I didn´t see it was
necessary to choose WP. We could have made our own platforms
competitive.

Isn´t bitter to Elop. Didn´t have freedom anymore so choose to resign.

Thinks new Nokia tune is weird.

He calls himself as individual multicontributor. Invests in intresting
companies, consults and writes.

http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa.shtml/2011/10/1410160/vanjoki-en-olisi-valinnut-windowsia

I don’t think the point of WP was to differentiate initially in terms of features, but it is there to provide a different type of smartphone experience that is quick and fluid combined with the buzzword everybody loves, “ecosystem’.

Vanjoki bigs up Symbian and MeeGo development, saying these would have been his options, noting the world class expertise in software for Nokia. Hmm… not sure we can all completely agree with this (even if Nokia didn’t back track on MeeGo, no way could they have been sufficiently ready enough to take on Android phones and tablets, not then and not with the projected growth/development rate. Don’t you remember how crappy Intel’s MeeGo tablet UX was?). Perhaps though there is some truth (e.g. Maemo, though Symbian touch was an absolute joke) but with the necrotic core of poor management styles, innovation was vastly hampered at Nokia.

I agree with him on the new Nokia tune. I like some dubstep. But in context of a ringtone, it was just plain wrong.

Right now as we see it, Nokia’s future is closely aligned to Microsoft’s. They’ll have to make sure Windows Phone 7.5, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 is a success. With hundreds of millions expected to transition to the new Metro Windows desktop, it could give Windows Phone a very good fighting chance. However, other manufacturers can help ensure this happens too, and may edge Nokia out if they don’t forcibly bring out the big guns.

Maybe by then though, Nokia may have sorted out whatever that “future disruptions” thing, so that they aren’t completely dependent on Microsoft’s success. Either way, they have to make sure they’re top dog with Windows and without it.

Category: MeeGo, Nokia, Symbian, Windows Phone