Nokia Shows Concerns Over Microsoft’s Alleged Surface Phone in a SEC Filing

By: Ali Raza  |   March 9th, 2013   |   Android, News, Smartphones

Yesterday TQ reported that Nokia’s 20-F filling has revealed that Microsoft will pay it more money during the year than what it gets from the Finnish mobile maker for licensing each Windows Phone-based mobile device as per the agreement between the two companies. Now the 20-F SEC filing of Nokia has uncovered another secret that the Lumia handset maker has shown in the filing. Nokia has indicated that there is a possibility of it facing Microsoft as a rival in the smartphone market space. The reason behind this concern from the smartphone manufacturer is that Microsoft is reportedly readying its own Surface phone that would be running Windows Phone. This means that if the report turns out to be true then, Microsoft may not pay the same attention to the Windows Phone line of the Finnish company, as it gives them now because its focus is likely to shift towards its own devices.

 

Here are the exact words from the 20-F filing of Nokia, “Microsoft may make strategic decisions or changes that may be detrimental to us. For example, in addition to the Surface tablet, Microsoft may broaden its strategy to sell other mobile devices under its own brand, including smartphones. This could lead Microsoft to focus more on their own devices and less on mobile devices of other manufacturers that operate on the Windows Phone platform, including Nokia.”

 

Another major reason behind Nokia’s concern is that unlike other smartphone manufacturers the Finnish company completely relies on Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS when it comes to producing its entire Lumia line-up. Therefore, unlike Huawei, Samsung or Taiwan-based HTC, Nokia would not be able to concentrate on Android devices. Therefore, the arrival of a Microsoft Surface phone could put Nokia into a lot of trouble and only a timely change in strategy can save it from the disaster.

 

The alleged leaked images of the Microsoft Surface phone first appeared on the scene back in October last year, which created a lot of buzz in the tech world. The prototype of the handset was dubbed as Juggernaut Alpha. So far Microsoft has remained tight lipped about its Surface phones, as we did not get to hear much about the alleged device during the year. Reports indicate that Microsoft has kept the Surface phones in its Redmond campus and it is expected to launch the device in the first quarter of 2013.

 

Source: PhoneArena