Nokia is set to halt sales of Symbian-powered phones in the United States and instead emphasise the Windows Phone 7 software, All Things Digital has reported.
The rumour comes as Nokia and Microsoft have brokered a deal this year to ensure that Nokia phones are manufactured with Windows software in-built. Analysts expect it to become a major player in the smartphone war over the next few years.
“When we launch Windows Phones we will essentially be out of the Symbian business, the S40 business, etc,” Nokia president Chris Weber said in an interview.
“It will be Windows Phone and the accessories around that. The reality is if we are not successful with Windows Phone, it doesn’t matter what we do (elsewhere).”
Weber also said the company is placing a substantial amount of money into marketing in the US, determined to take back market share.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
