Lev Lazinskiy

New Nokia Phone will Use Windows OS: What is the fate of MeeGo?

update 6/11/2024: this is a post from a blog that I contributed to in 2011 called TechHacking, it shut down eventually but I was happy to be able to find some of my work through the internet archive.

Nokia and Microsoft announced a new partnership today stating that the next line of Nokia phones will in fact have the Microsoft Mobile Operating System.

” Nokia and Microsoft intend to jointly create market-leading mobile products and services designed to offer consumers, operators and developers unrivalled choice and opportunity. As each company would focus on its core competencies, the partnership would create the opportunity for rapid time to market execution. Additionally, Nokia and Microsoft plan to work together to integrate key assets and create completely new service offerings, while extending established products and services to new markets. “

Nokia, once a frontrunner of cell phone technology and a market leader, has found itself on the sidelines – unable to keep up with the constant flow of new technology from RIM, Apple, and Android-based smartphones. At the same time, Microsoft just recently got in on the smartphone revolution with their Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system. Windows Phone 7 shows some promise. It is definitely a much more polished product then their buggy Windows CE/Mobile that plagued smartphone users for the last several years. It is possible that this new partnership will be a good thing. Since neither one of these two companies can seem to get ahead of the game on their own, together they may actually create a great product.

While this may or may not be good news for these two companies, lurking in the background is the fate of the little known mobile operating system that Nokia was using on several phones called MeeGo. MeeGo was a joint venture between Intel, Maemo and Nokia – essentially it is an embedded operating system that is based on Linux that runs on a variety of devices including the Nokia N900.

Intel stated in a press release:

“By now you’ve probably heard that today, Nokia announced a new relationship with Windows focused around handsets and Windows 7. While Nokia mentioned they will still participate in the MeeGo ecosystem and ship a MeeGo-based product this year, they outlined a primary strategy strongly aligned with Microsoft.

Although Nokia has been an important partner to Intel and MeeGo and we are disappointed by this decision, it’s important to know that this is by no means the end of MeeGo or the end to Intel’s commitment and the continued progress MeeGo has made and is making to the multi-device ecosystem.

Our strategy has always been to provide choice when it comes to operating systems. MeeGo is one of those choices. We support a port of choice strategy that includes Windows, Android, and MeeGo. This is not changing.

There is a solid value proposition for an open source OS that crosses different devices. End users want a consistent experience across all of their devices. MeeGo is a great solution to deliver that single experience.

MeeGo is not just a phone OS, it supports multiple devices. It is already shipping and we’re seeing early momentum across multiple segments today, including automotive systems, netbooks, tablets, and set-top boxes. “

I am glad to see that Intel is not pulling the plug and sticking with MeeGo. It is a very promising and powerful operating system. I wish Nokia the best of luck as they scramble to find a solution that works for them. Although it is unclear whether any other manufacturers will support MeeGo on their handsets, we can look forward to Intel pushing the integration of MeeGo on many other devices they create using the atom processor. This will either turn out really great for both Nokia and Microsoft, or it will be a complete disaster.