Nokia calls on Android O/S in reversal of fortune bid

The Nokia X is seen at its unveiling at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 24, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

It is because of a perceived weakness in the Windows Phone operating system compared with the other two major mobile platforms - Android and Apple Inc's iOS - that prompted Nokia to compromise, said Sandy Shen, a telecoms analyst with Gartner Inc. "If Nokia wants to secure its position as a mainstream mobile phone brand, it has to develop handsets running on the Android platform," Shen pointed out.

Microsoft's efforts to get more handset makers to offer Windows phones have so far failed to shake the dominance of Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which account for 96 percent of the smartphone market, according to public figures. Of the more than 1 billion smartphones shipped in 2013, only 3.3 percent ran Windows, according to market-research firm IDC.

Although Nokia manufactured about 90 percent of the world's Windows phones, the company lost ground in the global smartphone market, Shen said."But I doubt Nokia will significantly change its market status in China by only launching Android phones."

Yang Haifeng, a Beijing-based telecom analyst, said whether Nokia's Android phones will become popular on the Chinese mainland depends on customers' attitude toward its user interface. "Generally speaking, Chinese people have become used to the traditional Android user interface. If Nokia changes its style, will most people accept it?" Yang asked.

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