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You might be thinking Nokia has gone a little quiet since announcing its tie-in with Microsoft to produce Windows Phone handsets. And you’d be right, seeing as the announcement was all the way back in February. But now Stephen Elop has said we will see Nokia Windows Phone handsets before the end of the year.
Elop promises the first Nokia-Microsoft handset will be on show this quarter, Reuters reports — and seeing as it’s already October, that means we should see it this year. Exciting stuff.
Nokia originally announced its first WP handset would see the light of day this autumn, so this would be in keeping with it. A couple of weeks ago, Elop stated a Nokia Windows Phone would be out this year, this time in an interview with a Chinese publication, so it looks like there’s not long to wait now.
So what can we expect? A few days ago Microsoft let slip the first Nokia Windows Phone handsets will be the Nokia Sabre and Searay (or Sea Ray, it’s not certain yet). Canadian competition entrants spotted the names in some promotional bumf — we’ve heard the Sea Ray before, since Elop showed it off earlier in the year, but not the Sabre. The Sea Ray appeared to be the same shell as the Nokia N9, which used MeeGo software and won’t launch in the UK.
Nokia is holding its Nokia World conference from 26 October, so expect an official announcement then. Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said a while ago that Windows Phone was still “very small“, though that could all change once Nokia gets on board. If its apps work on Windows 8, that wouldn’t hurt either.
Would you buy a Nokia Windows Phone handset? And what would you like to see from one? Let us know down in the comments or on our Facebook page.
