Nokia boss Elop says cheaper Windows Phones soon

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Aims to bring Microsoft OS to wider market Cheaper smartphones based on Microsoft's Windows Phone OS will arrive quickly according to Nokia CEO Stephen Elop. The Nokia chief moved on Friday to reassure the market that the firm has plans to follow the general trend towards cheaper smartphones, despite the recent 'unprecidented' partnership with Microsoft. Still the world's largest phone maker, the bulk of Nokia's business is in non- smartphone handsets or so-called 'feature phones' while so far Windows Phone 7 has only been appeared on top-shelf devices. "We have become convinced that we can do that very quickly," Elop told Finnish journalists according to a Reuters report. The ex-Microsoft boss said that the ability to ship phones at a "very low price point" was one of the key factors in the negotiations surrounding the firm's adoption of Microsoft's smartphone OS. The current crop of Windows Phone devices are all based on virtually identical hardware, strictly mandated by Microsoft as the firm targetted one specific Qualcomm chipset in order to deliver a 3D accelerated interface. Microsoft is reportedly set to open up the platform to the wider ecosystem of competing smartphone hardware manufacturers, clearing the way for lower-end devices. The trend towards ever cheaper smartphones, particularly the influx of Android devices, has put Nokia increasingly under pressure leading to Elop describing the firm's position as a 'burning platform'.

Aims to bring Microsoft OS to wider market

Cheaper smartphones based on Microsoft's
Windows Phone OS will arrive quickly according
to Nokia CEO Stephen Elop. The Nokia chief
moved on Friday to reassure the market that the
firm has plans to follow the general trend
towards cheaper smartphones, despite the recent 'unprecidented' partnership with
Microsoft. Still the world's largest phone maker,
the bulk of Nokia's business is in non-
smartphone handsets or so-called 'feature
phones' while so far Windows Phone 7 has only
been appeared on top-shelf devices. "We have become convinced that we can do that very
quickly," Elop told Finnish journalists according to
a Reuters report. The ex-Microsoft boss said that
the ability to ship phones at a "very low price
point" was one of the key factors in the
negotiations surrounding the firm's adoption of Microsoft's smartphone OS. The current crop of
Windows Phone devices are all based on
virtually identical hardware, strictly mandated by
Microsoft as the firm targetted one specific
Qualcomm chipset in order to deliver a 3D
accelerated interface. Microsoft is reportedly set to open up the platform to the wider ecosystem
of competing smartphone hardware
manufacturers, clearing the way for lower-end
devices. The trend towards ever cheaper
smartphones, particularly the influx of Android
devices, has put Nokia increasingly under pressure leading to Elop describing the firm's
position as a 'burning platform'.