Fear of an Apple-Android planet* will cause carriers to embrace and push Windows Phone devices, according to Nokia CEO Stephen Elop. The Canadian tech exec said that carriers want a third ecosystem to reduce the power of the two heavyweights in the industry, and that their support will finally make Windows Phone 8 a thing.
The comments came during a conference call with analysts discussing Nokia's September quarter earnings report. As noted by ZDNet's Liam Tung, Nokia sold 6.3 million smartphones during the quarter, or 1 million more smartphones than Apple sold iPhone 5s during its first weekend of availability.
Nokia Lumia 820
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia is looking to November and the release of the Nokia Lumia 820 (above) and Lumia 920 (below), two devices that have been much heralded within the Windows Phone ecosystem. The predecessor Lumia 900 was also much heralded and much-supported by carriers and has largely been a flop, as demonstrated by Nokia's smartphone numbers for the September quarter.
Nonetheless, Mr. Elop remains ebullient about Windows Phone and its future with his company. During the conference call he said, “There's a dynamic I think we're seeing — and it's spilling out into public discourse particularly in the US — and that is increasing concern amongst operators about the concentration of, if you like, power that is landing with two particular ecosystems that are obviously quite strong out there today.”
Mr. Elop also said that if Microsoft enters the market with its own Surface-branded smartphone that it could help boost the overall Windows Phone platform, though he acknowledged that this would make Microsoft a direct competitor with his company.
*With apologies to Chuck D.