Nokia and its Symbian OS have never really been huge here in the U.S., despite the fact that both have earned quite a bit of success just about everywhere else in the world. Taking that fact into consideration, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that Nokia today revealed that it plans to stop offering both feature phones and Symbian smartphones in North America in order to put all of its focus on its Windows Phone devices.
In an interview with AllThingsD, Chris Weber, the head of Nokia's U.S. branch, said that when Nokia launches its first Windows Phones, "[it] will essentially be out of the Symbian business, the S40 business, etc.” Weber went on to say that Nokia intends to sell its products exclusively through carriers rather than offering them for full retail price. Nokia's newfound focus on the North American market can be attributed to the fact that it's an important market for Microsoft and because Nokia feels that winning here is an important step in winning the global smartphone war, Weber explained.
Continuing with the Nokia-U.S. news, it was announced today that the company has no plans to release the MeeGo-powered N9 stateside. In a statement sent to Engadget, Nokia said that it "takes a market by market approach to product rollout" and that "each country makes its own decisions about which products to introduce from those available." The firm's full statement is as follows:
"After the very positive reception to the launch of the Nokia N9, the product is now being rolled out in countries around the world. At this time we will not be making it available in the US. Nokia takes a market by market approach to product rollout, and each country makes its own decisions about which products to introduce from those available. Decisions are based on an assessment of existing and upcoming products that make up Nokia's extensive product portfolio and the best way in which to address local market opportunities."
The news that Nokia is planning such a strong push for its Windows Phone-based devices here in the U.S. is exciting for anyone that's been lusting after the Sea Ray since we first saw the device back in June. Plus, the fact that Nokia plans to release its devices through the carriers, which most U.S. customers are more comfortable with, increases its chances of finding success in North America. It remains to be seen whether or not folks here will actually purchase Nokia's Windows Phones, though. After all, Microsoft's mobile OS hasn't really caught fire yet here in the U.S., and when Nokia does finally launch its first Windows Phones later this year, it'll likely be facing some stiff competition in the form of Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices and Apple's iPhone 5. How do you think Nokia's Windows Phone handsets will fare here in the U.S.?
Via Engadget, AllThingsD
