Is Nokia just another OEM for Microsoft with no real benefits for Nokia phone users?

[muhan]

Let me start by saying I think the Lumia 920 is a fantastic piece of hardware. Best built on the planet along with the iPhone 5.

However, I was led to believe that Nokia had a special relationship with Microsoft that would let Nokia make modfications to the OS that no other OEM would be allowed to do.

However, I don't see anything special about Windows Phone 8 on the Lumia 920. Nokia has their own apps like every other OEM and carrier does. Their Nokia maps for instance is just another slow loading non-native app, with an utter lack of integration with the rest of the OS. See this post for more details on this point with acknowledgement from a Nokia rep. http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/202762-nokia-maps-giant-step-backwards.html

So I'm genuinely curious, are there any substantial changes to the OS that benefit users that Nokia was able to make that other OEM's can't?

Is the Nokia/Microsoft special relationship just a business relationship that has no tangible benefits for Nokia phone users?

 

[Reflexx]

Elop has stated that Nokia has chosen not to customize the OS itself at this point. I believe it was about helping the entire ecosystem first.

For all we know, Nokia has had major influence the development of WP8, but just nothing exclusive OS-wise to Nokia. I wouldn't expect that level of customization until market share is big enough that pissing off other OEMs doesn't hurt the platform.

 

[SnailUK]

By the time Nokia got to WP7, it was a fairly mature platform, therefore the changes in the underlying platform were minimal. Therefore it was pretty easy to start improving the platform using their access to the source. And thats why everything points to the fact Nokia are actually still updating WP7, to make it better for Nokia WP7 users.

WP8 is a very different beast, its new, immature, and with all the shared resources with Windows, i doubt Nokia have the same level of OS access. I would expect huge changes to still be going on, so its not really the right time for Nokia to be playing about with the OS. I would expect Nokia to have had some influence in the APIs available on WP8, so Nokia's vision for what they want to achieve on WP8 can be achieved, without messing with the underlying platform.

Having seen all the Apps Nokia have created, without touching the OS, i don't currently see the need for them to be playing with the OS.

 

[muhan]

Having seen all the Apps Nokia have created, without touching the OS, i don't currently see the need for them to be playing with the OS.

I couldn't disagree more with you. Nokia maps is a mess precisely because it is not integrated with the OS. I click an address in an email or a website, I get Windows Phone maps. Click an address in the people hub, I get Windows Phone maps. The lack of integration in a phone that touts integration as one of it's strong points is just amateurish on Nokia's part.

 

[Mrkdilkington]

I'm quite disappointed that Nokia has not added things like Samsung's "Extra Settings" tab & smart capacitive lighting, and HTC's "Attentive Phone" settings.

 

[SnailUK]

@muhan.

I don't disagree, but i also don't see anything that cant be fixed.

I've not used the maps extensively, but what i have used works well. That for me is most important. Get the apps right, then start integrating more tightly.

From watching WP news, Nokia have a very quick turn around on updates. I don't expect that to change. So it shouldn't be long before these things start getting sorted.
Sent from my RM-821_eu_euro1_342 using Board Express

 

[NickA]

I am glad Nokia did not alter the OS. The last thing this platform needs is to have different manufactures running a different version of the OS (see Android).

 

[Mrkdilkington]

I am glad Nokia did not alter the OS. The last thing this platform needs is to have different manufactures running a different version of the OS (see Android).

Nokia already "altered" the OS by adding in some extra settings tabs, such as Display Sensitivity. Adding in a couple more is not a big deal and it wouldn't be a "different version of the OS".

 

[muhan]

I am glad Nokia did not alter the OS. The last thing this platform needs is to have different manufactures running a different version of the OS (see Android).

They altered the OS by removing Windows Phone Maps from the apps list but not correctly integrating their replacement, Nokia Maps into the OS. Click an address on a website, see what app opens.