Microsoft hints at new Lumia phone, the first without Nokia's name
In a classic tech industry move, Microsoft has the tech world abuzz by releasing a single date: 11.11.2014.
On that date, Microsoft will unveil its new Microsoft Lumia smart phone. It will be the first Lumia without the Nokia label. Microsoft posted a blog late Thursday announcing the release date, but it didn't explain much about what we can expect from the new device. All that is currently known is what is shown in the photo that Microsoft released. It will have an orange case and a front camera. The post simply stated, "Microsoft is delivering the power of everyday mobile technology to everyone."
In an effort to gain full control of its smart phone business, Microsoft's new phone will drop the Nokia label and replace it with Microsoft's name. In April, Microsoft bought Nokia's mobile devices unit for $7.2 billion. Then in October, Microsoft stated it would officially end the Nokia line. Microsoft told The Verge that Nokia France would be the first company to transition to Microsoft Lumia for its Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Other countries would soon follow suit.
The Nokia brand isn't going away completely. It will still be found on the Lumina 730, 735, and 830. The company will continue to make budget devices like the Nokia 130.
Window's mobile operating system has struggled to find users. Only 2.5 percent of the world's mobile devices use the operating system, according to research firm IDC. Google's Android is on 85 percent of mobile devices worldwide.
On Thursday, Microsoft, in a major move, released a free version of its Office suite for iPhones and iPads. It marks a major shift for Microsoft, whose new chief executive, Satya Nadella, is pushing the company to mobile and Web-based products.
"The relaunch of the company’s most iconic suite as free software on its arch-rival’s most iconic mobile device marks a turning point," wrote Wired's Marcus Wohlsen. "Instead of trying to cram mobile computing into a shape that fits its old model, Microsoft is reshaping itself to fit what mobile computing already has become."
