Nokia still planning MeeGo devices

Nokia has moved to quash speculation that its new partnership with Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 will mean an end to its MeeGo and Symbian systems.

In a statement sent to TechRadar Nokia stated that it will still be supporting both platforms, and still plans to release a MeeGo 'product' later this year:

"With Nokia's planned move to Windows Phone as its primary smartphone platform, Symbian becomes a franchise platform, leveraging previous investments to harvest additional value. This strategy recognizes the opportunity to retain and transition the installed base of 200 million Symbian owners.

"Nokia expects to sell approximately 150 million more Symbian devices in the years to come."

We still go with MeeGo

"Under the new strategy, MeeGo becomes an open-source, mobile operating system project. MeeGo will place increased emphasis on longer-term market exploration of next-generation devices, platforms and user experiences. Nokia still plans to ship a MeeGo-related product later this year.

"In feature phones, Nokia unveiled a renewed strategy to leverage its innovation and strength in growth markets to connect the next billion people to their first Internet and application experience."

We're hoping that today's investor conference, where new CEO Stephen Elop is likely to be in attendance, will shed some light on what it means for Symbian as a 'franchise' and whether, in the future, Nokia will put MeeGo on any smartphones at all.