Nokia would have been #1 (Samsung #2) had Nokia went with Android

[2298754]

Exactly.

I admit I am NOT the biggest fan of Samsung but I respect how hard they worked to get this far. Back in the my teen years, my mentality was JAPANESE products were always better. A Korean company like Samsung was no better to me back in the 90's like what the brand Coby is today. I used to think Hyundai was crap only to realize they improved alot after renting a Sonata for a day back in 2005.

Many Japanese electronic companies like Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi, NEC, Sharp, etc fell from grace for many reasons. A weaker Japanese economy, a LOST generation from the 90's/00's after Japan had peaked in the 80's, clueless CEO's, and Koreans starting to build products cheaper, faster, and even better products than their Japanese counterparts.

Many retired-Japanese engineers also were recruited from companies in South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

This is a decent read albeit a bit too long -

Fantastic article. Those were the days. I remember when Sony was king and they could command any premium and people would pay it.

Now, hell no. Samsung has taken over and it's not even close. They're innovating at a faster pace and beating Sony at their own game by being better (and in some cases, cheaper), such as in the TV market.

I grew up with Sony and I will always support Playstation, but everything else, they're dead to me.

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Why do you think that?

I think some people underestimate how big and popular Nokia used to be. They had a reputation for the best smartphones in the 2000s (pre-iPhone). Especially the N series. Nokias had fantastic RF performance, build quality, features (N95 had GPS, 5mp camera, FM, etc before anyone else), and their camera tech is the best in the business.

I exclusively bought Nokia devices for a long long time. As did people in Europe and Asia. My first phone was a Nokia. Their laziness to modernize (Android, bring out MeeGo earlier, etc) is the reason for their death. There are plenty of people who went FROM Nokia to Apple, HTC, Samsung, etc. If Nokia made a flagship Android device with 2013 specs, I would buy it tomorrow.

Samsung only became popular with the S2. Nokia had a chance to get on Android and dominate, but they didn't... They sold their soul to Microsoft. **** them and Microsoft.

 

[onthecouchagain]

You guys hear about "Newkia"?

 

[Switchback666]

You guys hear about "Newkia"?

Saw it early today, even more late to the party and probably just some group trying to lepfrog the Nokia brand.

Microsoft will keep the good stuff (engineers etc) and most dump the waste; example: "Newkia".

Disgusting.

 

[Cod3rror]

I agree.

Nokia were crazy for not trying Android. That, or sabotaged.

Android was the most natural transition for Nokia fans, who were used to Symbian's power and functionality. Instead Nokia switched to an OS more locked down and limited than iOS.

Everyone kept telling the company "We want an Android phone" and Nokia's reply was: "Here's a Windows Phone".

Nokia had an insane following of diehard fans, even more diehard than Apple fans and that's the only reason they sold whatever the Windows Phones they did. Fans did not like Windows Phone but they liked Nokia and so they bought the phones.

I don't know if they'd beat Samsung but Nokia had better designs with better materials(both are plastic but Nokias are polycarbonate soft touch matte plastic and Samsung uses cheap shiny plastic), better cameras, their own maps and a huge fan following. They might not have beaten Samsung but they'd have been much better off than HTC and much better off than they are now.

I wonder since Nokia is gone and now phones will be released under the Microsoft name, how well will they sell. I think they'll sell terribly! All those Nokia fans won't buy a Microsoft branded phone.

 

[Technarchy]

Samsung only became popular with the S2. Nokia had a chance to get on Android and dominate, but they didn't... They sold their soul to Microsoft. **** them and Microsoft.

Yes but why did Samsung zoom to dominate position? Samsung made android look good and perform well as an iOS alternative. I see no reason to believe Nokia would have the same dedication to making android not suck.

I'm talking software here, not big megapixel cameras or solid exterior design. Samsung was doing a high frame rate UI nearly two years before "project butter", and was dropping in big mobile GPU's while everyone else was using crappy silicon by Qualcomm, and Texas instrument.

Samsung watched Apple carefully and figured out a smooth user experience will win people over. Nokia wouldn't have pushed the same agenda.

 

[Cod3rror]

Yes but why did Samsung zoom to dominate position? Samsung made android look good and perform well as an iOS alternative. I see no reason to believe Nokia would have the same dedication to making android not suck.

I'm talking software here, not big megapixel cameras or solid exterior design. Samsung was doing a high frame rate UI nearly two years before "project butter", and was dropping in big mobile GPU's while everyone else was using crappy silicon by Qualcomm, and Texas instrument.

Samsung watched Apple carefully and figured out a smooth user experience will win people over. Nokia wouldn't have pushed the same agenda.

Nokia would make Android look better than Samsung did.

And you know what bounce back feature that Samsung was forced to remove because Apple has a patent on it? Nokia would be allowed to use it.

 

[heutusops]

well, they also had their own OS. if they really wanted to innovate they could have worked on their own OS, they could have improved. if they couldn't handle their own OS how would they handle an OS which is full of competition.

 

[b166er]

I saw that site where they flashed Android onto a Lumia 1020. Aside from that I think the dream is dead. I would have loved a Lumia running Android. Nokia was always a favorite of mine. I don't know the specifics of what's going on after the MS deal. If MS starts taking WP8 seriously I'd love to try going back.

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Nokia would make Android look better than Samsung did.

Yeah! Arguably the best thing about WP8 is the Nokia apps! They really are trying to embrace the platform and create a Nokia specific (optional) experience for people. If they had done that with Android I think it could have been huge.

 

[Technarchy]

well, they also had their own OS. if they really wanted to innovate they could have worked on their own OS, they could have improved. if they couldn't handle their own OS how would they handle an OS which is full of competition.

Exactly. Nokia was basically beat down to a shadow of its former self because they were a house of cards, and nothing about Android during the gingerbread years especially would have saved Nokia from its downward spiral.

 

[heutusops]

Exactly. Nokia was basically beat down to a shadow of its former self because they were a house of cards, and nothing about Android during the gingerbread years especially would have saved Nokia from its downward spiral.

let's hope the brand survives after the microsoft-nokia acquisition.

 

[Fernandez21]

hmmm.... Looks like Newkia is planning on releasing and Android handset. For those that don't know, Newkia is a new phone company lead by a former Nokia CEO who is also poaching alot of Nokia employees who don't want to be part of Microsoft, as well as a bunch of former Nokia employees.

Interesting thing would be if in 2 years when Nokia is free to use its own brand again, if it were to buy this Newkia company and be back in the smartphone game overnight.

 

[Michael Goff]

Fantastic article. Those were the days. I remember when Sony was king and they could command any premium and people would pay it.

Now, hell no. Samsung has taken over and it's not even close. They're innovating at a faster pace and beating Sony at their own game by being better (and in some cases, cheaper), such as in the TV market.

I grew up with Sony and I will always support Playstation, but everything else, they're dead to me.

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I think some people underestimate how big and popular Nokia used to be. They had a reputation for the best smartphones in the 2000s (pre-iPhone). Especially the N series. Nokias had fantastic RF performance, build quality, features (N95 had GPS, 5mp camera, FM, etc before anyone else), and their camera tech is the best in the business.

I exclusively bought Nokia devices for a long long time. As did people in Europe and Asia. My first phone was a Nokia. Their laziness to modernize (Android, bring out MeeGo earlier, etc) is the reason for their death. There are plenty of people who went FROM Nokia to Apple, HTC, Samsung, etc. If Nokia made a flagship Android device with 2013 specs, I would buy it tomorrow.

Samsung only became popular with the S2. Nokia had a chance to get on Android and dominate, but they didn't... They sold their soul to Microsoft. **** them and Microsoft.

Nokia's biggest strength has always been in dumb phones and feature phones. Saying otherwise is re-writing history.

 

[Nabooly]

I'd buy a Lumia with android in a heartbeat.