Nokia working on an entire Windows Phone 7 range?

More fuel has been added to the long-blazing rumour fire that Nokia will be producing Windows Phone 7 devices in the near future.

Eldar Murtazin, the Russian mobile blogger who first outed Nokia’s flagship N8 device, has spoke with sources that claim Microsoft and Nokia have entered deep into talks about a possible collaboration.

“During the last month, behind closed doors is a discussion on Nokia and Microsoft enhanced cooperation (bilateral discussions, initiated a new direction of Nokia). Not just the exchange of technology, but a whole line of Windows Phone device that may go under mark Nokia, through the company, and will have the characteristics of its products,” reads a (poorly) translated quote from Murtazin on the Mobile-Review.com blog.

While Microsoft have declined to comment, there is at least one key point that has hinted at the rumour’s validity for quite some time. Back in September Nokia hired Stephen Elop, one-time president of Microsoft’s Business Division, to be its new CEO. With ties as close to that between the two companies, it would be mad if neither company had considered a partnership.

It follows news that Microsoft have now shipped 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 handsets to mobile operators and retailers. The figures don’t let on to how many of those devices have actually been sold and now sitting in the hands of customers, but it does show that the mobile industry is certainly buying into the platform.

Via: Enterprise Mobile Today