The assumption is that people who have purchased Nokia phones in the past will continue to purchase Nokia phones with Microsoft software on them.
Marketing will sell a few. Brand loyalty a few more... but if MS fails to deliver compelling software or Nokia fails to deliver compelling hardware, they aren't the third horse in the iOS / Android race. They are nothing.
Combining two companies that have failed to prove themselves in the smartphone market doesn't make a great smartphone.
I don't want to say neither Microsoft or Nokia can deliver a top-notch smartphone experience. I am, however, highly doubtful they will, for both have been trying to do it for quite some time now and without much success.
The fact is neither has much to show. Why would someone believe that, together, they can pull this off is a mystery to me.
Microsoft really needs this to work. As mobile phones get more powerful, they have the potential to replace desktop and laptop computers. Imagine using a dock to use a full monitor, keyboard, and mouse on your mobile phone. Why would most people then need a Windows computers? They wouldn't.
I really don't understand how easily everyone discards laptop computers. Do you think I will write code on ipads/mobile phones using the virtual keyboard whenever I step outside my house? No thanks.
Ah yes. That is what I would have thought. I was out of home for the last 4 days with no internet connectivity on my laptop. I actually made checkins to production with ssh on my iphone. It was an absolute pain to do but got the job done. Not so much the "screen size" but more the painful typing. Point is if push came to shove, I actually managed to fixing critical bugs SSHing from my phone. Marginal improvement in my productivity would be higher from a better keyboard than a bigger screen!
You wouldn't, I wouldn't, but we are at the extreme right end of the spectrum. Most people don't have nearly as high requirements as we do, nor do they have the same skills we have.
So don't base your guesses for the future on what you need. Base them on what your mother needs (unless she is Admiral Grace Hopper).
This sums up the average computer user. If iOS can handle their email/office needs there isn't anything stopping them from using a blue tooth keyboard.
Marketing will sell a few. Brand loyalty a few more... but if MS fails to deliver compelling software or Nokia fails to deliver compelling hardware, they aren't the third horse in the iOS / Android race. They are nothing.
Combining two companies that have failed to prove themselves in the smartphone market doesn't make a great smartphone.