Why was Nokia reluctant to adopt Android?

[chagla]

I had the N9. But they hardly 'pushed forward' on meego ever unfortunately. It was announced dead by Nokia before the phone actually launched in many locations. Thats not so much pushing forward as just releasing something because they had already manufactured them....

THe Nokia N9 is(was) a great phone. pentaband 3G, real Linux, a fresh approach to UI.

FOr others who have not seen it, please have a look: http://swipe.nokia.com

The new Blackberry z10 UI is strikingly similar to that of N9. Clearly BB was inspired by N9. no doubt.

 

[viskon]

I really hope Nokia makes an Android phone someday.

 

[adder7712]

THe Nokia N9 is(was) a great phone. pentaband 3G, real Linux, a fresh approach to UI.

FOr others who have not seen it, please have a look: http://swipe.nokia.com

The new Blackberry z10 UI is strikingly similar to that of N9. Clearly BB was inspired by N9. no doubt.

The N9 is by far one of the most underrated phones out there.

 

[roxxette]

Nokia still sells plenty of "dumbphones"

 

[IFRIT]

The way i understand it Nokia did'nt just want to be just another Android phone manufacturer and wanted to try something different and and go with a "virgin" as it were OS which no other manufacturer was really pushing. Personally i think Nokia should not have hitched their wagon to a fledging OS and make phones with Android and Windows Phone and see which was making the money.

----------

Nokia still sells plenty of "dumbphones"

There is no money in cheap ass dumbphones though.

 

[laserfox]

Nokia made the decision that was in their best interest for the LONG RUN.
Couple things.
1. Nokia wanted to leaverage their mapping system on the platform they adopted. They paid 1 billion dollars for their Navteq mapping service. Google wanted nothing to do with it. Microsoft is currently licensing the service for a sizable sum to be used in ALL windows phones. Nokia wins here.

2. Android is a mess to stand out from the crowd. Nokia needs to differentiate itself from the pack. See how much trouble htc is having to stay ahead of the pack. They would have to either customize it to their liking get criticism for "skinning" android or go "stock" and don't stand out being just a google manufacturer.

3. Nokia is on the right track with windows phone. When people think lumia they think nokia NOT Microsoft. Thy are the go to for windows phones. Last quarter they were finally able to turn a profit and they have produced a handsome portfolio from the lumia 520. 620, 720. 820, 920 covering price points from low end, mid end to high end. They have pushed Microsoft to double digit marketshare in emerging countries and for the first time Microsoft is no longer losing marketshare in the US.

The pay off seems slow but its happening. they have trimmed the fat, consolidated their business and now on the way to becoming profitable again. Letting Microsoft focus on improving Windows Phone OS which also offers them the ecosystem of Windows 8 tablets, xbox, office etc to leverage while they focus on the best camera and design in the business will produce winning results.

 

[Tsuchiya]

Going with Windows was a bold choice.

 

[b166er]

Is there anything truly stopping them from making an Android device now? Is their deal with WP8 binding them? I honestly don't know.

I don't see why they can't do both, I feel like it would be in their best interests. I like my 920 a lot. I'd like it even more if it ran Android. WP8 is moving along more and more every day, but why not keep a foot in both worlds?

 

[Dr McKay]

Is there anything truly stopping them from making an Android device now? Is their deal with WP8 binding them? I honestly don't know.

I don't see why they can't do both, I feel like it would be in their best interests. I like my 920 a lot. I'd like it even more if it ran Android. WP8 is moving along more and more every day, but why not keep a foot in both worlds?

I don't think there's anything stopping them, Nokia have just always said they didn't want to make one. I think they even said that before Elop took over.

 

[Hastings101]

Anything to get them away from the lagfest that was Symbian. The only reason they're failing with Windows Phone is because Blackberry(mindshare, not marketshare), Apple, and the Android vendors pretty much own the marketplace. I mean, they have an attractive, unique, easy to use, and fast mobile OS that includes features from Office to XBOX Live mobile that appeal to many demographics ... and they're still unable to sell much even at bargain bin prices despite lots of advertising and deals.

 

[Mackan]

The Android competition is fierce, but they would have had more freedom there than with Windows Phone. The Windows Phone platform is lagging behind, both software wise and hardware wise. The only flagship phone out there (still bad spec) is the Nokia 920, which is a heavy brick for some unknown reason. Heck, there's nothing to buy even if I wanted.

 

[0dev]

What many of you are forgetting is that, Samsung aside, most Android phone makers are struggling to actually turn a profit. Nokia took more of a gamble by going with a new OS instead. So far the growth is slow but it seems to be working, I see a lot of Lumias around these days and they're decent phones with a decent OS.

 

[Cod3rror]

The Android competition is fierce, but they would have had more freedom there than with Windows Phone. The Windows Phone platform is lagging behind, both software wise and hardware wise. The only flagship phone out there (still bad spec) is the Nokia 920, which is a heavy brick for some unknown reason. Heck, there's nothing to buy even if I wanted.

Not only that but 920 is riddled with problems and defects. If you don't believe me just head on over to the Nokia forums.

 

[0dev]

Not only that but 920 is riddled with problems and defects. If you don't believe me just head on over to the Nokia forums.

If the source of that information is forums, I can visit the iPhone forums here and say the iPhone 5 is "riddled with problems and defects" too. No one makes new threads when their phone is working fine, of course people on forums will be complaining about problems.

 

[adder7712]

If the source of that information is forums, I can visit the iPhone forums here and say the iPhone 5 is "riddled with problems and defects" too. No one makes new threads when their phone is working fine, of course people on forums will be complaining about problems.

Exactly. People usually opt to post about the problems they are experiencing than to outright praise their device.

 

[Ffosse]

I expect Nokia to be sold off any day now.

1.8% of the smartphone market, and not even in the top 10 smartphone manufacturers.

They've made a loss every quarter for ages now - in the last quarter they counted the sale of their HQ as smartphone profit, lol.

 

[cube]

I don't know what Nokia would have done if MS hadn't approached them, but they did and so Nokia now produces win8 phones. I have to say their designs are remarkable and they've worked hard at trying to claw out some marketshare.

They would have continued their original strategy and would have been doing great ever since.

 

[parapup]

2. Android is a mess to stand out from the crowd. Nokia needs to differentiate itself from the pack. See how much trouble htc is having to stay ahead of the pack. They would have to either customize it to their liking get criticism for "skinning" android or go "stock" and don't stand out being just a google manufacturer.

I am pretty sure Windows Phone OS looks the same on all handsets it is sold. So no standing out for Nokia there based on the software. At least nothing they couldn't have also done with Android. Nokia for all intents and purposes _is_ just another, arguably specially treated Microsoft manufacturer. Nokia ships their mapping solutions because Microsoft doesn't have one. If they were on Android - just like how Samsung ships S-Voice instead of/in addition to Google Now, and just like how there are lots of other mapping solutions available for Android, Nokia could've still shipped their mapping solution.

They have pushed Microsoft to double digit marketshare in emerging countries and for the first time Microsoft is no longer losing marketshare in the US.

Laughable. What is left to lose?! The matter of the fact is Nokia screwed themselves by depending on Microsoft. The only upside is they get money out of it. Double digit market share in low end devices in third world countries with little profits and total loss of mindshare everywhere else is hardly the game anyone would aspire to play.

 

[cube]

Laughable. What is left to lose?! The matter of the fact is Nokia screwed themselves by depending on Microsoft. The only upside is they get money out of it.

They don't get money out of it. They pay more money in WP licenses.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Nokia has a tough road ahead. If Windows Phone does actually grain traction, you'll see Samsung get serious about it, and push Nokia off to the side.

Nokia was king of the dumb phone, but was late to the smartphone party, which cost them dearly, getting serious about after the iPhone and Android, was their downfall.

Nokia has it tough like HTC now,

 

[cube]

Nokia was king of the dumb phone, but was late to the smartphone party, which cost them dearly, getting serious about after the iPhone and Android, was their downfall.

Nokia was the first with a smartphone, and was #1 in smartphone marketshare with 30% until straying off the path with Windows.

 

[watchthisspace]

Nokia was the first with a smartphone, and was #1 in smartphone marketshare with 30% until straying off the path with Windows.

Do you have any proof?

My understanding is that iOS and Andoird took off and Nokia was too slow to respond.

 

[cube]

Do you have any proof?

My understanding is that iOS and Andoird took off and Nokia was too slow to respond.

Nokia only melted down immediately when they announced they were going Windows.

 

[Peterg2]

Nokia has a tough road ahead. If Windows Phone does actually grain traction, you'll see Samsung get serious about it, and push Nokia off to the side.

Nokia was king of the dumb phone, but was late to the smartphone party, which cost them dearly, getting serious about after the iPhone and Android, was their downfall.

Nokia has it tough like HTC now,

Late to the smartphone party????

Hardly.

Have a look here:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images...552970/Screen_shot_2011-05-19_at_12.59.47.png

 

[ChrisTX]

Do you have any proof?

My understanding is that iOS and Andoird took off and Nokia was too slow to respond.

Nokia had Symbian, and was developing Meego until Microsoft through hordes of cash their way. It's a shame too, because WP is a rather poor mobile OS.