A few months back Microsoft closed its $7 billion acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services division. Now it happens to be its own biggest Windows Phone OEM. Even before the acquisition the company was making tablets under the Surface branding. A new rumor suggests that in a bid to streamline branding for the entire hardware division Microsoft might make radical changes in the near future. One such change is believed to be the shift from “Surface” branding for tablets to “Lumia,” a moniker that synonymous with Windows Phone handsets around the world.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is in the final stages of licensing the iconic Nokia brand for its smartphones as well. The company did say that there would be a change in branding once the acquisition was completed. Many thought it may be Microsoft Mobile, but that was just to aid the acquisition process.
If what @evleaks hears is true, the companies smartphones might be marketed under the “Nokia by Microsoft brand.” The claim about Surface being replaced with the Lumia brand also comes from this source, who has a solid track record.
There’s no doubt in the fact that Nokia is worth more as a brand when it comes to smartphones than Microsoft. Even though there have been rumors that Microsoft will stop using the Nokia brand entirely, for now it looks like folks at Redmond are caught up with trying to figure out what is the best way to go about this.
What do you think, should Microsoft’s tablet lineup go from being Surface to Lumia?