The Nokia Sea Ray. This isn’t the first time that I’ve talked about the future Windows Phone-based device from Nokia, but the first time ‘round I wasn’t necessarily all that optimistic about the device’s upcoming release. It had nothing to do with the specifications of the phone, though, which this article is centered around. That initial article was all about how Nokia was just taking the easy way out, but honestly, with that aside, I think that Nokia has a winning device on their hands, and I’m hoping this phone gets released sooner rather than later.

That’s the whole point about this partnership with Microsoft and Nokia. It’s about the hardware and the software. A marriage of the two that actually creates something that people want. When Taylor talked about his perfect superphone, Nokia’s name was thrown in there, and that’s not just a singular occurrence. People want Nokia’s hardware, and that’s here in the United States where Nokia’s hardware hasn’t even been given its upmost attention. High-end devices from Nokia, with their impressive cameras and sexy form factors are a desired product, and now that Windows Phone is being thrown into the mix, I think it’s something that customers will jump on.

While the point for the partnership between Nokia and Microsoft is the marriage of two outstanding features, for the consumer it’s about getting something that actually shows off not just one thing, but the whole package. Having the Sea Ray will not just show off the hardware, but it will also show off Windows Phone Mango, and vice versa. When we talk about having our next great phone, we don’t want to just talk about one thing, we want to show off a whole lot of things our phone can do. And while we’re doing that, we want people to be impressed with the hardware that we have in our hands. It’s all part of the bigger picture, and with the Sea Ray, Nokia/Microsoft have the real possibility of giving the consumer exactly what they want.

But there’s a lot of room here for failure. After all, Nokia isn’t the only company that’s got a Windows Phone Mango-based device coming down the pipe. And with Microsoft’s new rule-set for Windows Phone, the game will definitely change for the mobile OS from the Redmond-based company. Hardware from manufacturers like Samsung and HTC are going to be impressive in their own right, but Nokia has a trick up their sleeve. They will be the only company that’s going to be able to tweak Windows Phone as they see fit, and to showcase what they want to showcase. HTC, Samsung, and any other manufacturer don’t have that luxury, so once again Nokia’s close partnership with Microsoft may come in handy for Nokia.

Unless, of course, their customizations aren’t up to par with the OS itself. Nokia’s tweaks to the operating system need to keep the flow of Metro UI, and they also need to not bog down the whole show. Proprietary software is great, but only when it doesn’t ruin the main course. So, if Nokia can stay on the main course and not screw anything up, then the Sea Ray is a device that may start selling Windows Phone the way that Microsoft wants Windows Phone to sell.

I want the Sea Ray, and I want it right now. I don’t want to have to wait until the end of the year, but I know I will have to. What has me interested, though, is that Mango will probably release before the Sea Ray ships, which means devices like the Samsung Focus and the HTC HD7S will more than likely be running the latest software from Microsoft even before I get a chance to play with the Sea Ray. Will those devices, and whatever new devices that HTC and Samsung release at the end of the year, be enough to make me forget about the Sea Ray? Only time will tell.

What do you think of the Sea Ray? Do you think this will be the ace that Microsoft and Nokia have been waiting for? Or will it just be another Nokia device that flounders here in the States? Let me know what you think in the comments below.