If you thought that the fate of Windows Phone 7.5 is sealed and is going to be discontinued post Windows Phone 7.8 update, you are most likely to be wrong. According to a new report, the Finnish handset company is now in the process of making more handsets with the OS to keep its market share up especially in the low and mid-range segment.
Digitimes, which has quoted supply chain makers in Taiwan (who make phones for Nokia), reported this. It further added that Nokia is expected to continue to release orders for Windows Phone 7.5 handsets to Taiwan-based ODM (Original design manufacturer) makers in 2013 also.
Although Nokia has launched Windows Phone 8 smartphones, it is difficult for such smartphones to be available in entry to mid-range market segments because of high hardware standards and licensing charges required for the platform, the supply chain makers pointed out.
However that doesn’t mean that WP7.5 has a long life, as Microsoft is not likely to put its time and money in developing this platform beyond Windows Phone 7.8. Therefore Nokia will have to figure out an alternative platform, which can be a stripped down version of Windows Phone 8 or may be Android or some other platforms like Firefox OS or SailFish (based on Nokia’s own Meego OS). But there is no word from any quarter of the tech world if Nokia is indeed considering anything like that.