A Disturbing Trend with Nokia

[socialcarpet]

Perhaps my title is a little misleading. It was meant as an attention grabber. Maybe it should have read A noticeable trend with Nokia and other Windows Phone 8 OEMs. My point is I sure wouldn't want Windows Phone to be dominated by a single OEM. But now it seems like an inevitability. With Andriod, Samsung feels safe and maybe this is why they feel.comfortable not being first to market with new tech. We see this with Apple.

I don't think Nokia is going to feel safe or comfortable enough to rest on it's laurels for a long time.

Even if they were the only Windows Phone hardware maker, which they aren't and will never be, they would still have a huge battle to fight to win customers from iPhone and Android, not to mention Blackberry.

Resting on their laurels is what got Nokia so far behind in the smartphone arms race to begin with. I wouldn't worry about them making that mistake again.
They will probably never be in as comfortable a position as Apple and Samsung are now, Nokia once had the phone world by the balls, but Apple and Google walked right in and took the smartphone market right out from under them because they were too busy dinking around with Symbian and fiddling with Maemo and Meego way too late in the game.

They can't afford to relax now and I'm pretty sure they are quite aware of that. I wouldn't worry about any complacency from them.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

So far, Windows Phone has less than 10% Marketshare overall.
Nokia lost 3 billion dollars in 2012 alone.
The HTC 8X (barring internal storage) is a great device.
Microsoft is also getting cozy with HTC and Samsung. More of HTC, though.
When the time comes, Samsung can flatten Nokia with a "flagship" phone and a ton of ads.

It is Nokia that still needs to watch over themselves.

 

[Slai]

I completely disagree. Even as a 920 owner, i feel the 8x was a definite competitor.


The 8x was stunning to look at and hold . Good spec, good price, and a good association with beats. I wish the 920 had the audio amp from the 920.

I think its a real shame it didn't sell as well as the 920.
Sent from my RM-821_eu_euro1_342 using Board Express

I found the 8x disgusting to look at and weird to hold, myself. It also has a weirdly placed lockkey. Plus no advantage over the 920 except for Beats, which to me is not worth the disadvantages.

If the 920 wasn't released, Id still be using my SGS3.

 

[WinFan1]

I found the 8x disgusting to look at and weird to hold, myself. It also has a weirdly placed lockkey. Plus no advantage over the 920 except for Beats, which to me is not worth the disadvantages.

If the 920 wasn't released, Id still be using my SGS3.

i would say to each their own. i personally find the 8x to be a stunning looking device. one of the few things i never liked about htc is that for some reason they tend to make their buttons flimsy. had this same issue on the hd7 and every other htc ive ever owned.

 

[Slai]

Yes of course. Some like brunettes, some like redheads, some like 74 year old bald chicks with three teeth and an amputated left arm.
Matter of taste.

 

[AngryNil]

I think the 8X is "stunning", but it really stinks of form over function. The power button is an eternity away from your hands and all the hardware buttons feel absolutely terrible to press. Then, we have the stories of the coloured coating rubbing off. HTC needs some serious quality control and usability testing, not the approval of Ballmer's eyes.

Nokia lost 3 billion dollars in 2012 alone.
The HTC 8X (barring internal storage) is a great device.
Microsoft is also getting cozy with HTC and Samsung. More of HTC, though.
When the time comes, Samsung can flatten Nokia with a "flagship" phone and a ton of ads.

1. HTC isn't doing too hot either.
2. The Nokia Lumia 920 (not barring internal storage) is a great device.
3. HTC failed to sell Windows Phones and Samsung has barely released any.
4. Samsung can, doesn't mean it will. What does it gain from becoming the dominant WP manufacturer when it has 50% market share of Android and is evaluating its own operating system?

 

[Gaichuke]

Given that WP hardware is pretty much standardized and the fact that they haven't shown any interest on improving WP software,

1) Samsung can't compete by pushing their device prices down by using their own components.
2) Samsung doesn't compete by offering their own exclusive application suite and services
3) Samsung doesn't compete by offering new innovative hardware (they've themselves admitted this, "we don't need to be the first to bring new HW")

I fail to see how their flagship would do any dent to Lumia dominance unless something changes and while they rule the Android world, why bother?

 

[omniusovermind]

What I dislike is that there are similarities to Android's less endearing qualities. Samsung dominating android isn't a good thing. Both the HTC droid dna and the LG Optimus G run circles around the SG3 in all respects, yet people continue to buy that piece of plasticky mediocrity because they've managed to popularize their brand better. If Nokia becomes the defacto wp8 brand, that wouldn't encourage choice.

Android fragmentation is now a part of life with wp8 too. You have the same carrier controlled updates, devices with differing hardware and resolutions all releasing at different dates, just like android does (hello portico, I'm talking to you ). Be thankful you also don't have different skin overlays on the OS too.

 

[conanheath]

Nokia and HTC are just approaching the market differently. Its all numbers to the suits. Nokia wants dominance in a small market and HTC wants a percentage of a larger market. Neither approach is wrong it just places their priorities differently. Unfortunately, you are going to see the problems trickle down to support between the devices. HTC is going to focus on Android because that is where their priority lies. Nokia has a do or die situation and it shows with their support of WP.