Head of devices for Microsoft admits the company has no intention of keeping the Nokia name going.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised, it was always likely that Microsoft would want its name on Nokia's Windows Phone products, but it's a sad day when we learn that Nokia will no longer be used as a phone brand. And let's be honest, most of us have owned and loved a Nokia at some point in the past.
And, few companies have given as much to mobile phones over the years as Nokia has, with handsets that sold in huge numbers and were incredibly well-built. But, the company was slow to innovate when Apple launched its iPhone, and it paid the ultimate price for failing to adapt to a touchscreen world.
This isn't curtains for the whole of Nokia though. Only the "Devices and Services" part of the business was sold to Microsoft. Nokia still owns its "Here" brand which deals with mapping and location services. The firm also maintains its patent portfolio through its "Advanced Technologies" business. It also runs network infrastructure though a division called Nokia Solutions and Networks.
Microsoft will also need to come up with a new name to brand its phones with. Perhaps it will go with just "Windows Phone" although that might upset the few remaining third-party businesses that make handsets for the platform.
Time will tell, but for now it's time to bid farewell to one of the best names in mobile phones. Goodbye Nokia, we'll cherish our N95s forever.
Via: CNET