We have been posting about Nokia’s future plans which include consumer hardware and services based on what we come to know from our sources and job postings. Now, we have some more information for you.
It seems Nokia had started planning for impending Nokia-Microsoft deal in advance by shifting some of its top designers and highly-skilled team from D&S division to emerging devices team in CTO office. This team never existed in past, so it is easy to assume that it was a vehicle to retain the talented few with Nokia and the team had names like Peter Skillman, Hans Peter Brondmo, and Axel Meyer. Now all of them are part of HERE. Similarly, many joined Nokia Technologies team too.
Now coming to what these talented design people are doing in HERE and Nokia Technologies. Per our source, Nokia will see a relaunch into consumer hardware space with what is codenamed as “Project Crystal”. Nokia has an alternative product team under Here brand umbrella and Here will launch the wearable and location-based lifestyle products. Interestingly, we have reported Nokia’s intention of bringing consumer hardware under HERE’s Everyday Adventures brand from a job posting as well.
Our source also claims that Nokia may not be able to sell smart wearable or devices directly under Nokia brand, until 2015 / 2016, due to the deal ( we are a bit doubtful though ). But Here brand being independent of Nokia won’t violate the deal clause. So, again it looks like that new Nokia consumer devices may come from HERE first, as reported earlier. Though, we have also reported Nokia working on something related to Android and camera, which seems to be under Nokia Technologies.
