Microsoft has steadily been integrating Nokia’s Devices & Services team into its own company ever since the acquisition was completed in April, and today the next major step in that process was confirmed.
Microsoft Lumia is officially replacing the Nokia Lumia brand. Tuula Rytilä, SVP of Marketing for Phones at Microsoft, says that Nokia’s Lumia websites and social media accounts are currently undergoing the branding change and that devices, packaging and retail will be rebranded in the future.
Rytilä wouldn’t say when we’ll see the first Microsoft Lumia-branded device, but she did tease that such a product will be revealed “soon.” Microsoft will continue to use the Nokia brand on its entry-level phones like the Nokia 130, and Rytilä says that Microsoft will continue to sell and support its existing Nokia Lumia-branded products.
The decision to move to Microsoft Lumia branding isn’t a surprising one. Not only is “Nokia” still a company that deals with software, networking and more, but Microsoft is a widely-known brand of its own. That said, it seems smart for Microsoft to continue using the Nokia brand for its entry-level phones, which are popular in emerging markets and will continue to be recognizable in the future.
Now that it’s official, what do you think of this change? Do you think that some consumers might be more drawn to Lumia devices with Microsoft’s branding than they were with Nokia’s?
