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It was Nokia's branding that managed to keep Windows Phone alive all this time, and the fact that thanks to inertia most people still recalled Nokia as being th

It was Nokia's branding that managed to keep Windows Phone alive all this time, and the fact that thanks to inertia most people still recalled Nokia as being the #1 phone brand before the iPhone came around, so they kept buying "Nokias" regardless of what OS they had. If it wasn't for that, WP would've never passed the 2 percent mark, and it would've probably started to die off 2 years ago. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft manages to go from selling "Nokia phones" that everyone immediately recognizes, to "Microsoft phones" - which isn't a strong consumer brand at all. I have to mention everytime that Microsoft is the company that makes that Windows thing on their PC when I tell normal people about it.

yulaow 13y ago
Well... to say it is not a strong brand "at all" it is not true. I can accept more "it is not strong on the mobile phones scope" Also, can nokia keep producing phone or just recreate a mobile division with another os? (like rebuying Jolla) If yes, it would really be a problem for microsoft, nokia branding really saved the ass of wp for the first years
brudgers 13y ago
Windows Phone 7 was released in around November 1, 2010. Dell, HTC, and Samsung all shipped devices at launch. The first Nokia devices shipped in April 2012. By that time Windows phone 7.5, Mango, was available and that's what they ran.
jackalope 13y ago
At least in the US, consumer choice is significantly limited by the carriers, so I'm not convinced that sales are very brand-driven. Even the same model might use completely different hardware in the US than the rest of the world. I bought my Windows Phone as an alternative to Android and iOS. The fact that it was a well-made Nokia was a certainly a bonus and an influencing factor, but I had no brand loyalty at the time. I always call it my "Windows Phone" in conversation and never mention Nokia or Microsoft, so it's possible the hardware rebranding will go unnoticed by the average consumer, as well.
- sirkneeland 13y ago
  I think it is interesting that there are indeed people on both sides. Some bought Lumias because they were Nokias, some bought Lumias because they were Windows Phones. Generally speaking (as a Nokia employee on the front lines) I've found that either side will deny the existence or usefulness of the the other.
- dredmorbius 13y ago
  Carrier lock-in is falling rapidly. T-Mobile is leading that charge, another lagging brand (say, Sprint, if it gets its act together) might go with it next. You can buy a basic phone, unlocked, no contract, for $30 from any vendor. Get a prepaid plan and you're free of contracts. Even smartphones are now well under $100. My own approach has been to ditch the smartphone (too intrusive, too much advertising, too much spyware, crap battery life), got with a basic "feature" phone (14 day standby). I'm looking for a decent tablet, though my old Android serves that role now -- access to WiFi is pretty decent, and accessing locally-stored content (music, books, and articles) is the most productive use I've got for the device. Form-factor of a tablet, plus a Bluetooth keyboard, fits the actual data uses of a phone far better than a smartphone. The feature phone is tiny, cheap, and ultimately disposable.
dredmorbius 13y ago
I'd have considered a Nokia phone. No way I'd look at a Windows device. Actually, if I found out the Nokia was running Microsoft code, I'd ditch it as well. RIP Symbian.

yulaow 13y ago

Well... to say it is not a strong brand "at all" it is not true. I can accept more "it is not strong on the mobile phones scope" Also, can nokia keep producing phone or just recreate a mobile division with another os? (like rebuying Jolla) If yes, it would really be a problem for microsoft, nokia branding really saved the ass of wp for the first years

brudgers 13y ago

Windows Phone 7 was released in around November 1, 2010. Dell, HTC, and Samsung all shipped devices at launch. The first Nokia devices shipped in April 2012. By that time Windows phone 7.5, Mango, was available and that's what they ran.

jackalope 13y ago

At least in the US, consumer choice is significantly limited by the carriers, so I'm not convinced that sales are very brand-driven. Even the same model might use completely different hardware in the US than the rest of the world. I bought my Windows Phone as an alternative to Android and iOS. The fact that it was a well-made Nokia was a certainly a bonus and an influencing factor, but I had no brand loyalty at the time. I always call it my "Windows Phone" in conversation and never mention Nokia or Microsoft, so it's possible the hardware rebranding will go unnoticed by the average consumer, as well.

sirkneeland 13y ago
I think it is interesting that there are indeed people on both sides. Some bought Lumias because they were Nokias, some bought Lumias because they were Windows Phones. Generally speaking (as a Nokia employee on the front lines) I've found that either side will deny the existence or usefulness of the the other.
dredmorbius 13y ago
Carrier lock-in is falling rapidly. T-Mobile is leading that charge, another lagging brand (say, Sprint, if it gets its act together) might go with it next. You can buy a basic phone, unlocked, no contract, for $30 from any vendor. Get a prepaid plan and you're free of contracts. Even smartphones are now well under $100. My own approach has been to ditch the smartphone (too intrusive, too much advertising, too much spyware, crap battery life), got with a basic "feature" phone (14 day standby). I'm looking for a decent tablet, though my old Android serves that role now -- access to WiFi is pretty decent, and accessing locally-stored content (music, books, and articles) is the most productive use I've got for the device. Form-factor of a tablet, plus a Bluetooth keyboard, fits the actual data uses of a phone far better than a smartphone. The feature phone is tiny, cheap, and ultimately disposable.

dredmorbius 13y ago

I'd have considered a Nokia phone. No way I'd look at a Windows device. Actually, if I found out the Nokia was running Microsoft code, I'd ditch it as well. RIP Symbian.