Nokia, the world’s largest handset supplier whose alliance with Microsoft Corp. could revive its position in the smartphone market, may not release a device based on the Windows Phone 7 operating system until 2012, according to a report.
Nokia’s top U.S. executive, Chris Weber, downplayed expectations that Nokia will release a superphone based on Microsoft’s platform in 2011, in an interview with VentureBeat. However, he confirmed that the devices would hit this country “in volume" next year.
Weber told VentureBeat Nokia CEO Stephen Elop commited to releasing a Nokia Windows Phone device at some point this year, but he didn’t provide any specifics as to where the phone would be released.
A former Microsoft executive, Weber joined Nokia in February – coinciding with Nokia’s leadership changes and an alliance with Microsoft in a partnership that could help Nokia sell more smartphones around the world.
Finland-based Nokia has been losing market share to the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google, which owns the Android operating system that is incorporated in many smartphones today.
In the second quarter, Nokia shipped 16.7 million smartphones, falling behind Samsung (19 million) and Apple (20.3 million), according to ABI Research. Nokia controls 16 percent of the smartphone market, down from 38 percent last year and 24 percent last quarter, the research firm said.
