Android Phones
NOKIA not switching to Android, so stop asking
September 21, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
Android Phones, Nokia
NOKIA is the number one phone manufacturer in the world, but you wouldn’t know it by reading the news. Bloggers and journalists constantly point out that NOKIA is fighting a losing battle for smartphone buyers and losing ground to Google Android and Apple’s iPhone.
So journalists often ask why NOKIA doesn’t just abandon Symbian and release products running Android. Lame duck Mobile Solutions leader Anssi Vanjkoi dismisses that suggestion, saying that Android is a temporary solution that will lead to “permanently-low profitability” for companies unable to distinguish themselves from the pack.
I’d like to take the moment to remind everyone that NOKIA switching to Android would be a terrible idea. For NOKIA, it makes no sense because the company would lose prestige and spend a long period attempting to transition into a field that already has plenty of names better suited to deliver an Android product (for now, at least). The company entered this unenviable position because for years it released good hardware with awful software, and all but abandoned the U.S. market. Embracing a foreign operating system isn’t the answer; not until we see how MeeGo performs when it’s released.
Android users shouldn’t want every company to embrace Android. There should be different experiences and options that keep phone makers on their toes. Would Android be the way it is today if not for the iPhone and webOS advancements pushing Google and the OHA to innovate? Would iOS look the same if not for Android?
I want MeeGo to be good enough to save NOKIA from slipping into irrelevance. Competition is good, so let’s stop expecting NOKIA to be another cog in the machine rather than a rival machine.
If Nokia wants to get back into relevance in the US market they are going to have to learn how to play with carriers. I only buy unlocked phones, but that is the problem, almost everyone in the US doesn't. Google learned the hard way and pulled my Nexus One. Also, the problem with Nokia is that they have developed some great hardware over the last few years, but have released terrible software. Android is a mature OS now and has the support of some great developers, which Meego is unproven, and does not have as many developers.
I see why many say Nokia should go Android, because it would play their strengths (hardware) and US carriers are comfortable with Android and could be there way in US market. In order to enter into a market, you are going to have to learn how to play by the rules most of the time. Thats international management 101 (there just saved you $300 at your university). They are the number 1 leader in phone sales worldwide, sure, but they are FAR behind Blackberry, iOS, and Android in mind-share, an important indicator in future success.
Points that Kameka state are critical and true. That is the essence of being different and to compete… If you love Android that is great, but do not expect a Nokia with Android because it is not the way Nokia will take… would it be successful… we will see…
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Meh, I've beyond caring what Nokia are doing. The sad thing is their hardware is usually quite well designed and their high end phones have good specs. Symbian just lacks personality though and the UI design is poor. IMO their last good phone was the N95, there's nothing remarkable about their recent offerings.
I would agree with you. The N95 was the last great phone produced. The N96 and N97 were a disaster!
I own the N95 and the kind of support they provide didn't even include OTA updates.
This is frustrating.
The XPM 5800 was generally good. I bought that and was somewhat satisfied with it.
But it lacked a solid App store. Countless times i compared my ipod touch 2G with it and the 5800 could never come close to what I hoped it could.
Symbian lacked the proper support for it to flourish. And I believe Nokia realised this.
Which is why Meego is in existence.
Now if only Nokia realise how powerful android is growing, they should at least produce ONE high end smart phone to test their Nokia-Android alliance. I believe someone somewhere in Nokia is too egoistical to accept this proposal, but consider the possibilities.
Only and until they build ONE Nokia-android smartphone, will they know if they will succeed or meego will. That or someone should hack android on a nokia and prove this company wrong.
does Nokia's OS offer a lot of apps say like android does? or is it like less than the blackberry's OS has to offer… i like Nokia's sense of style in their phones it stands out more than any other phones android has to offer (they all tend to look the same or look like an iphone clone, samsung) i just don't know how good large is their app selections are which always made me iffy about getting a Nokia phone.
i like nokia
MeeGo goes look promising, I do hope it does well. Plus you can't really beat Nokias here in Europe for their bang for buck factor, they're solid phones for the 'computer illiterate' in my opinion.
I agree, more competition the better for the consumers, don't know why people are Android or iOS purists.
Great post
manufacturers like LG, Motorolla, and Sony Ericsson adopted Android out of desperation. Nokia has a chance to compete and differentiate itself from the rest with another Linux based os, MeeGo.
Looking forwards to see what they're gonna release.
Nokia Management is wrong, it should go for android a year ago, I had the E65 …..very nice phone at that time(2007), the progress is going to fast and they are going to slow, anyway, then I got couple of Windows Mobile :a Sony Xperia X1 and Htc Diamond 2 but when I tried my first ANDROID: OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! it was Love at first sight…Htc Hero and now Htc Desire……Another world!!! Superfast, super-customization you can do everything!! with symbian is like driving an old Fiat UNO and windows mobile is like driving an average Mercedes but the Android my friends is like Ferrari or even better the SHUTTLE……that's what I'm talking about ….is the…FUTURE!!!! C.mon Nokia move your ass!!!!