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Nokia courted RIM before jumping into bed with Microsoft, report claims

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 7:03PM EST
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According to an unconfirmed report from TechCrunch Europe, Nokia explored a possible partnership with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion before announcing its decision to adopt Windows Phone 7. It had been widely reported that Nokia was deciding between Google’s Android platform and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS when considering its future, but RIM’s BlackBerry platform was apparently also in the running to become Nokia’s potential savior. Citing “well-placed sources,” the blog claims that RIM wasn’t interested in a partnership and so the decision came down to two options. The report goes on to suggest that Google’s refusal to let Nokia make certain changes to the Android platform also played a big role in the Finnish giant’s final decision. Nokia, for example, wanted to replace Google Maps with Ovi Maps and change the way Android handles various PIM data, and Google said no. Nokia could have foregone Google’s blessing and done whatever it wanted with the open source platform, of course, but then it would just end up back where it started. In the end, Microsoft and its Windows Phone 7 operating system won — possibly by default — and the rest is history… or “future,” as it were.

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Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.