Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia 'more than $1 billion' to make Windows Phones

[Jezter]

Though neither Nokia nor CEO Stephen Elop ever said there was an exchange of billions of dollars as a part of the company's tie-up with Microsoft for the Windows Phone platform, Bloomberg is sourcing "two people with knowledge of the terms" in saying that something in excess of $1 billion is flowing from Redmond to Espoo. Though the deal isn't yet finalized -- Elop said as much back at MWC -- it'd apparently call for Microsoft to pay out at least some of the cash upfront with Nokia sending cash in the other direction for device licenses. Interestingly, the deal is said to give Microsoft access to parts of Nokia's expansive patent portfolio -- and they'll have it for quite some time, too: the contract's apparently going to be good for "more than five years." That's more than most marriages, it seems (and roughly as expensive).

[SOURCE]

[Arkady Renko]

makes sense, no? It seems Microsoft were pretty desperate to sign a long term agreement with one of the few remaining mobile phone producers who weren't betting on Android yet. As a matter of fact - was there anyone left but Nokia? So Nokia were in a fairly good bargaining position.

In my opinion, they might just have done the smartest thing available. Developing Symbian on their own was clearly a dead end. Their hardware is excellent though, if maybe a bit over priced. So if the next Windows mobile is successful, Nokia will have the best phones for it. If it isn't, they'll just switch to Android a little later than they would have otherwise.

[Jezter]

I agree with Arkday "Rokr" Renko.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Way to go, sign a deal with the worst phone OS.

[Jezter]

Well, it is a bit buggy just like Windows is/was... but since Nokia can now dabble with it, lets hope they make something good out of it. And not another Symbian or MeeGo.
To me, the OS looks good. I have no idea about the usability of it other than the demos I've seen on phone reviews. Looks fast and easy to handle. The live tiles are exciting.

[Arkady Renko]

Way to go, sign a deal with the worst phone OS.

I'm not an expert but I thought Symbian was even worse than Windows Mobile, so actually they moved up from the worst to the second worst. Seeing how iPhoneOS probably wasn't available and they didn't want to sell their sould to google, that was the least of evils...unless you want to consider WebOS.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I'm not an expert but I thought Symbian was even worse than Windows Mobile, so actually they moved up from the worst to the second worst. Seeing how iPhoneOS probably wasn't available and they didn't want to sell their sould to google, that was the least of evils...unless you want to consider WebOS.

Thats probably true, but they would have been better off with google. Its free and everyone loves it, I know a lot of people, myself included will not buy a phone just because its running windows. So it seems to me they may have shot themselves in the foot if they plan on running exclusively windows.

[redred]

i think the main thing they have to get right is the app's get the good app companies in imo will make or break this deal nokia's ovi store was shite most didn't work or weren't worth having , both iphone and droid have got this right in different ways both have stuff that people want to use

[Jezter]

But phones are supposed to be something else than about how many apps you can shove into them...gameboys are different ffs.

[Arkady Renko]

But phones are supposed to be something else than about how many apps you can shove into them...gameboys are different ffs.

since there are hardly any significant differences between the hardware configurations, it all comes down to apps and design.

[Jezter]

since there are hardly any significant differences between the hardware configurations, it all comes down to apps and design.

The differences in HW become apparent when going a little deeper in the phone use. Such as multitasking and running browser and lets say some office tools at the same time. And so on. It doesn't always have to be how many games you run. You don't need much juice to run the majority of games and other useless shit people DL from the market/store. They are pretty simple and primitive...so it is such waste of phone and makes me mad.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I remember when phones were for making calls.

[RBP]

I remember when phones were for making calls.

Old fuck

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I have a cell phone with a crank on it, it only makes operator assisted calls

[redred]

But phones are supposed to be something else than about how many apps you can shove into them...gameboys are different ffs.

very true but having a look round this country pretty much every kid will some how have a close to top spec phone and i'm pretty sure most won't be checking stocks and shares or using the phone to the fullest , and i'm pretty sure apple,samsung,htc don't give a shit who has there phones or what they use it for they just want sells and to beat the next brand