14 DAY TRIAL // Since Microsoft acquired Nokia back in April, there has been a lot of confusion regarding the use of the Nokia and Lumia brands for smartphones and in Windows Phone apps.
The initial terms released for the press weren’t too clear regarding the timeframe for which Microsoft would be allowed to use the Nokia brand on its Lumia smartphones.
Further statements from Microsoft officials confirmed that the company could put the Nokia name on its Lumia phones for another 18 months, but it could use the name for any feature phones it planned to release for much longer (probably 10 years).
Regarding the Nokia X family of smartphones, Microsoft has confirmed that it can use the Finnish company’s name until December 31, 2015, so Android enthusiasts should expect a name change in the next couple of months.
Even though there’s still time for Microsoft to make the changes to its brand, it looks like the Redmond company has already started to remove the Nokia name from most of the Lumia exclusive apps available in Windows Phone Store.
I expect that this will not end here and we will get more surprises from Microsoft this year rather than the next. The most important thing for Microsoft now is to launch the new version of its mobile platform, Windows Phone 8.1.
Most of the features included in the new operating system are likely to give Microsoft enough momentum to replace the Nokia brand that represents a psychological threshold for most smartphone users.
The sooner people start associating the quality of Nokia’s products with Microsoft’s, the smoother the transition to a new name will be for the Redmond-based company.
Obviously, it’s too early to talk about any possible naming schemes for the next Lumia smartphones, but I’m sure Microsoft will surprise us all. Based on previous experiences, I would say that Microsoft will want to know Windows Phone fans’ opinions regarding the replacement of the Nokia name on its smartphones.
That’s why I expect Microsoft to “leak” some of the names its marketing team comes up with, so that it can decided upon which one should be used for its smartphones.
Take it as a pure speculation though, but know that the procedure is old and well known among marketing gurus. But Microsoft may solely decide on the name of its next Lumia smartphones, that’s also entirely possible.
The company is expected to announce new Windows Phone handsets in the next couple of months, but for the time being, the company relies on partnerships with local handset makers to expand its market share worldwide.
Several OEMs have already announced Windows Phone devices, which should go on sale in July/August. Allview, Prestigio, Micromax are just some of Microsoft’s partners that have recently introduced their Windows Phone handsets in various countries.
Given the fact that Microsoft has already started to remove the Nokia name from its Windows Phone apps, the next step should be replacing the brand for its devices.
Whether or not that will happen with the next Windows Phone 8.1 handset to be announced by Microsoft, or much later this year, it’s clear that the Redmond company has started the purge process.
Last but not least, the new name that Microsoft plans to put on its Lumia smartphones should come at the right time, otherwise people may not be ready to accept the change. This is another aspect that Microsoft needs to take into consideration before acting.