Nokia CEO warns Android OEMs of 'danger' following Google/Motorola deal

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) CEO Stephen Elop said Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI) should worry other Android handset makers. The Nokia chief's comments appeared geared toward planting seeds of doubt in the minds of Android licensees while concurrently bolstering Nokia's case for choosing to partner with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) for Windows Phone.

Nokia CEO Stephen elop

Elop

"If 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,'" Elop told a Helsinki business forum Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Interestingly, Elop said the Google deal reinforced his belief in the importance of a strong third mobile ecosystem based around Windows Phone. "In February when we announced the new strategy going forward, we made a decision to enter into a partnership that ensures the promise of what we described here today as well as many other things that we still have not shared and are still in our future," he said.

Nokia, which intends to release its first Windows Phone device by year-end, is under pressure to deliver a turnaround in its smartphone business. Nokia President Chris Weber, the head of Nokia's U.S. subsidiary, said last week the company intends to release numerous phones at a variety of price points, including some that undercut the cheapest Android phones.

Media reports out of South Korea this week indicated that Samsung is looking to bolster its software prowess in the wake of the Google-Motorola deal, possibly though an acquisition. Google has maintained that despite the Motorola acquisition, Android will remain an open source platform and nothing will change in terms of its relationship with its Android licensees. However, some analysts have said that Google intends to use the Motorola deal to muscle more directly into the smartphone market.

For more:
- see this Reuters article
- see this Bloomberg article

Related Articles:
Samsung seeks deals to expand software reach
What does Google's Motorola acquisition mean for Nokia, RIM?
Google shields Android from patent lawyers with $12.5B Motorola Mobility deal
Nokia to undercut Android pricing in U.S. Windows Phone push
Google: Rivals seeking to cripple Android with 'bogus patents'