Nokia to pass on Android, focus on MeeGo and Symbian

Anssi Vanjoki, the head of Nokia’s new Mobile Solutions unit, sat down with the Wall Street Journal on Thursday to discuss the future of Nokia’s struggling mobile phone business. In the brief but pointed interview, Vanjoki re-confirmed Nokia’s commitment to Symbian and MeeGo, a Linux-based mobile OS  jointly created Nokia and Intel. For the time being, Symbian will remain an integral part of the mobile giant’s handset lineup while MeeGo will form the base for a growing number of upcoming handheld gadgets, including its flagship N-series lineup. Nokia continues to push out handsets, with the Symbian^3-powered N8 slated for launch in Q3, while the first MeeGo devices are expected to land by the end of the year. Nokia shot down any possibility of an Android handset by claiming that it can best create value by focusing on its own hardware and software. Speaking of hardware, Vanjoki assures US consumers that Nokia has not forgotten about the US market and expects to bring additional handsets like the T-Mobile 5230 Neuron stateside. The interview sets the stage for the future of Nokia and addresses many of the weak points singled out by Ricky Cadden in his Farewell to Symbian-Guru post which announced the closing of his popular Symbian blog. Wonder if there is any correlation?

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