What happened to Nokia camera technology that Microsoft bought?

[Renoktation]

Microsoft not only bought the patents on camera technology of Nokia but also hired many key technologists from the camera team.

As is evident from current Nokia Android phones, the camera is not that great. So the question that naturally comes is what happened to the team and the patents? Did Microsoft kill everything after buying them thereby putting years of research to waste?

 

[gmoore114]

Take a look at the soon to be released Nokia 7.2 camera.
HMD Global purchased 500 design patents from Microsoft Mobile that were originally created by Nokia.
HDM is run by former Nokia execs.

 

[Renoktation]

Take a look at the soon to be released Nokia 7.2 camera.
HMD Global purchased 500 design patents from Microsoft Mobile that were originally created by Nokia.
HDM is run by former Nokia execs.

May be the camera on Nokia 7.2 may surprise us but all their other smartphones pale when it comes to camera or other aspects when compared to the likes of Lumia 930 or 1520. It's really sad because Nokia was a trend setter even with Lumias and gave a tough fight to the likes of Galaxy and other crappy Android devices.

It seems that the Nokia "magic" is gone. Perhaps, they should have never sold their business to Microsoft.

 

[TechFreak1]

Did Microsoft kill everything after buying them thereby putting years of research to waste?

In a word, yes.

When the entire mobile division was axed by the current CEO - Satya Nadella all the people that moved over with the D & S acquisition under Steve Ballmer were let go.

Including many of the pureview team and one of the co-creators of that particular patent (Juha Alarkhu). Another co-creator of that patent works at Apple (Ari Partinen who was also the Camera Lead at Nokia).

 

[Renoktation]

In a word, yes.

Including many of the pureview team and one of the co-creators of that particular patent (Juha Alarkhu). Another co-creator of that patent works at Apple (Ari Partinen who was also the Camera Lead at Nokia).

Well that very much explains the camera quality on current Nokia Android smartphones. And they not great.

 

[TechFreak1]

Well that very much explains the camera quality on current Nokia Android smartphones. And they not great.

Interesting, I have yet to use one myself for a prolonged period so cannot attest to quality of the camera myself.

 

[rodneyej]

Hopefully it ends up on Andromeda.