Nokia’s Chief Executive Says Phone Manufacturer’s Should Worry about Google/Motorola Mobility Merger
The CEO of Motorola Mobility’s main rival, Nokia, says that phone makers that depend on Android software from Google should be worried about the merger between the two companies. Stephen Elop said that there should be some serious concern as to whether Motorola will get preferential treatment over other rivals, such as HTC and Samsung.
At a seminar in Helsinki, Elop said “I happened to be someone who was an Android manufacturer or an operator, or anyone with a stake in that environment, I would be picking up my phone and calling certain executives at Google and say ‘I see signs of danger ahead.’”
Nokia, it appears, does believe that the agreement the company made with Microsoft is quite logical in light of Google’s acquisition. Elop said that the importance of the partnership with Microsoft was clearer than ever before.
Google has officially promised that Android will always remain an open OS. About the merger, Google said that Motorola Mobility will be a separate company within Google. The search engine giant also said that Google will work closely (as it always has) with other Android partners to continue to develop the OS.
One of the most common conceptions is that Google wanted Motorola Mobility for its patent portfolio, which is one area that Google is lacking in. Elop, though, believes that Google will also capitalize on selling cell phones, too, and if preference is given to Motorola, it could ruin sales for other Android partners.
While Nokia is making the switch to the Windows Phone platform, it’s obvious that Google Android was not the best thing to pick up for Nokia. However, Windows Phone only has 1.6 percent of the market share and that cannot be a good choice for Nokia, either. Samsung and HTC are pleased with the news of the Google/Motorola Mobility merger and it’s easy to see why Nokia is not.
