Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
Summary: The Nokia World rumors are flying fast and furious as to which new Windows Phones the company will unveil this week, and when carriers around the world will begin offering them.
The London-based Nokia World conference kicks off on October 26 (Wednesday) and rumors have been flying fast and furious as to what to expect.
The agenda of the two-day conference -- even the invitation-only components -- is all public. There will be tracks on winning the next billion smartphone users; developing for the Windows Phone platform; and building out entertainment offerings on the coming Nokia Windows Phones. (I'm thinking we're going to hear more about Microsoft Office on Nokia's phones, as well, given William Kennedy, Corporate Vice President of Office Communications & Mobile Experiences Team, is on the docket, as well.)
The speaker line-up includes a number of Microsoft Windows Phone big-wigs besides Kennedy-- everyone from Windows Phone Corporate Vice President Joe Belfiore and Senior Director of Windows Phone Development Brandon Watson, to Windows Phone Engineering Chief Terry Myerson and Windows Phone Corporate Vice President of Marketing Achim Berg.
Microsoft Steve Ballmer said during an interview last week that Nokia would be showing "a bunch" of Windows Phones at the show. The most common guestimate I've seen is "a bunch" means either two or three: The Nokia 800 (codenamed "SeaRay"); the slightly smaller "Sabre" and possibly a business-user-focused "Ace." Given that there are a number of invitation-only carrier and retail sessions at Nokia World, Microsoft's Windows Phone BFF also may show off privately other phones coming later next year, too.
As to which countries and carriers will be getting Nokia's first Windows Phones, there's no official word (or dates) yet. But according to a new Ad Age article, it sounds like there's a possibility that Nokia's Windows Phones may not be available in the U.S. in 2011l, but will be launching in Europe some time in November first. Nokia is said to be seeking an ad agency in the States to launch its phones here next year. Given Microsoft launched its Windows Phones a year ago in Europe first, I guess this kind of delay shouldn't be surprising. But still a downer for Windows Phone fans who've been waiting to see what Nokia might have here in time for this year's holiday shopping season....
Nokia is just one of Microsoft's Windows Phone OEMs, but one with special privileges. Nokia is building Windows Phone components that may be unique to its platform and/or which it may offer back to Microsoft for inclusion in other Windows Phones. Nokia is known for its expertise (and patents) in phone cameras, maps, and unusual industrial-design details, among other areas.
Nokia's relationship with multiple suppliers could enable the company to make Windows Phones more cheaply and introduce new models at lower price points -- something Microsoft officials are promising for next year, especially as the "Tango" Windows Phone operating system enables the Softies and partners to enter new markets.
I'll be at the Nokia World show this week with my ZDNet colleagues Matthew Miller and Zack Whittaker, as well as our News.com compatriots Maggie Reardon and Stephen Shankland. We're planning to group live-blog the first day keynote at 9 am BST (4 am ET; 1 am PT). Come back to "All About Microsoft" then if you'd like to chime in along with us.
Update: The keynote (Day 1 only, I believe) will be webcast here: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld.
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Talkback
Any news of live video feeds?
webcast
MJ
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
Dual Core and LTE 4G? IOS has so much games and apps i think wp7 will lose as KIN
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
KIN was a huge failure from the start. WP7 didn't boom, but it didn't fail, and it has been out for about a year now.
LTE 4g is nice, but it's useless when service providers are getting rid of unlimited plans. You'll reach the data cap even faster with 4G.
iOS is an excellent operating system, with many apps, but the iPhone isn't for everyone. My hands are 10.5" across, and I struggle to type on the iPhone, and I find the screen to be too small.
Android has almost if not as many apps as iOS, but it's not optimized for any particular kind of device, and the lack of GPU acceleration is disappointing. Android is great, but it doesn't run as well as it should on powerful hardware.
Windows Phone is an excellent OS in itself, but there aren't many apps, and Microsoft is slow when it comes to adding updates (they do come, they are great, but it could be done more promptly).
I have an iPhone 3GS, a Motorla Atrix 4G (with a dual core CPU), and the Dell Venue Pro (A WP7.5 device), and I must say, overall, I think Windows Phone 7.5 is the best cellphone OS.
4 am!
3 phones huh.
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
Apple only has a few phones and their doing OK.
And all 15 of them are garbage
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
This is true. However, Motorola have 15 Motorola phones. Nokia will have 3 Nokia phones. In my book Nokia wins. Big time.
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
Sorry, but Nokia has only 1 phone, the N9 Linux based phone. The other "3" are wannabee MS .... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnnnnnn gzzzzz
Allow me to reiterate my disappointment here...
Apple has no problem getting their phones in front of their customers. Heck, even Droidizon gives the iPhone a half of a wall.
Windows phone has an image problem. To the average consumer it is invisible. Microsoft???s soft launch has been a failure. It???s like they a joined a Call of Duty death match armed with a Nerf gun. Unless something changes soon, Windows phone will end up like the Zune HD, a great device that no one has ever heard of.
I am absolutely frustrated at Microsoft???s total and complete failure in marketing and advertising. Every Sunday I open the Best Buy add and count the number of Android phones vs Windows phones. Most weeks there aren???t any Windows Phones. One week there was 15 to 1 ratio, with the single Windows phone sandwiched between the free droid and the feature phones.
This deal with Nokia was supposed to be the saving grace for this platform. With only 3 phone ready before the holiday season, it is not looking too good.
And if none of these phones are on Verizon, they might as well not exist to me. I still be rocken my HTC Trophy. A fine Windows phone, but still my ONLY option.
I know the 3 phones is just an estimate at this point, so I???ll have to wait and see, but I???m losing faith.
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
MSFT is missing hundreds of billions of dollars with foot dragging and navel gazing.
Steve B and his stubborn refusal to look facts in the face is simply distroying the Microsoft brand.
and btw , half a billion dollars in android patent fees is not even going to cover the monies lost on search in the last 6 weeks. And I am not making that up.
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
And that is a good thing too. Microsoft makes a nice royalty from every droid phone sold. (Almost a half billion dollars in the last year.) You gotta love it...
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
Not from moto, yet.
Rumor has it
:D
RE: Nokia World: Here's what to expect on the Windows Phone front
3 Phones
I love my Omnia 7, although it seems to have gone haywire over the past few weeks (wi-fi randomly switching off, apps hanging/closing, refusing to switch back on from lock) and there's absolutely no clue as to when the Mango update might finally be released for my handset, so I might just be tempted to buy one of these Nokias outright if the price is right.
The N8/SeaRay might just be the best looking phone I've ever seen. I'm seriously excited about this event, my personal expectation is that the Ace will be their flagship, top of the line handset, with the SeaRay catering for the midrange and Sabre handling the low-end of the market. I guess we'll see... this is the first time I've heard the 'Ace' being mentioned as their 'business' handset though.