Will Nokia Opt For Android?

It’s been just a few days since Nokia announced its not so inspiring Q4 2010 results and people are already talking about the possibility of the company opting for Android sometime in the near future. The latest reason for this rumor is CEO Stephen Elop’s announcement at a recent Conference Call where he admitted that the company is falling behind most of its rivals.

“Nokia faces some significant challenges in our competitiveness and our execution,” Elop said. “In short, the industry changed, and now it’s time for Nokia to change faster.” The he went on to say how the smartphone consumer of today has become choosy on the kind of software his phone runs and that they are also on the lookout for skilled hardware combined with an excellent software and services – an area where Nokia is yet to catch up with rivals like Android and iOS platforms. “The game has changed from a battle of devices to a war of ecosystems and competitive ecosystems are gaining momentum and share….We must build, catalyze or join a competitive ecosystem,” he said.

That last sentence does make us wonder. Would Nokia ever join the Android fraternity? Think about the things that could happen if the company does manage to do so. Without having to invest on a platform and building it right from the scratch, Android would provide Nokia enough ability to leverage its already existing clout and increase it exponentially. I for once do not doubt Nokia’s ability to dominate the Android platform even if enters the fold late.

The good thing about this is that they can still choose to keep Symbian and MeeGo alive even while supporting Android.

Anyway, a Nokia handset running Android might sound preposterous in the current scheme of things – but then so were heavier than air flying machines once upon a time! You never know!