Why was this stupid? The Android space is way too cluttered to really make an entrance. Nokia probably couldn't get much marketshare from Samsung or HTC in either the high-end or low-end Android markets at this point. They have years of experience in getting the software to work with their hardware, and are making great phones at this point. Nokia, as a newcomer, can't really compete with them.
Symbian is basically dead, so what would they put on their phones? Win 7 makes a lot of sense in that context, especially with the discounts that they're surely getting from MS. Google doesn't have much incentive to give anything to Nokia, considering the overall success of Android with everyone else.
It's a huge market and Nokia's handsets have always been very high-quality. I doubt they would have a problem competing on quality.
> Win 7 makes a lot of sense in that context
Why? Any other manufacturer has been able to make it sell? When the same manufacturers that sell Android well can't make an attractive WP7 phone you start suspecting the difference between the products may be the problem.
But this whole thing looks suspicious to the point I can risk a couple predictions:
- Microsoft will become immune to lawsuits for violating Nokia patents (either by eventually acquiring whatever will be left a couple years down the road or by licensing them for peanuts as part of a WP7-related deal). This may be particularly relevant with W8's new interface.
- The patents will be sold to a fund that will then use those patents to extort Android phone makers (Apple is probably already immune), creating a pressure for manufacturers to endorse WP7 as a patent-safe alternative
- Elop will retire or be hired by a company where Microsoft holds a stake, either directly or indirectly.