It looks like Nokia could be giving up on its core businesses in the United States in an attempt to focus on producing Windows Phone 7 devices.
Previously, Nokia had been very big in two areas; first of all, selling so-called “feature phones”, which have low margins but they can sell in large volumes. It also sold a lot of phones directly to consumers, without carrier subsidies and the attached contracts. Now, according to their President Chris Weber and AllThingsD, they will focus solely on the US traditional approach of selling through carriers, and their Windows Phone 7 offerings.
“When we launch Windows Phones we will essentially be out of the Symbian business, the S40 business, etc., ” Weber is quoted as saying.
Nokia’s solid focus on Windows Phone 7 and North America will no doubt be welcome news for those stateside and possibly for company investors. However, European markets which have previously strongly taken up Nokia’s Symbian and MeeGo mobile phone and tablet offerings (and have not so strongly taken up Windows Phone 7) will likely be less impressed. With Nokia having already laid of many staff who developed these operating system technologies and Weber quoting that its initial Windows Phone 7 models will come from its San Diego-based operations, it is unlikely that many Europeans will be taking this news kindly.
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