Rumour: Microsoft Trying To Buy Nokia Handset Business

Microsoft and Nokia are known to have a very good company relationship as Nokia is Microsoft’s number one partner when it comes to shifting Windows based smartphones. According to The Wall Street Journal Microsoft is looking to buy Nokia’s handset business.

Apparently though the discussions were going well until the two companies couldn’t agree on the price and were both concerned about Nokia’s declining market position. According to the WSJ Microsoft refused to comment on the speculation but Nokia said the following:

“We have a deep partnership with Microsoft, and it is not uncommon for Nokia and Microsoft to meet on a regular basis,” a Nokia spokeswoman said

Despite the success of the partnership between the two companies, in the overall market Microsoft’s Windows Phone is struggling to gain traction with just 3.3% OS market share for Q1 of 2013 and Nokia has just 2.8% of market share for handsets in Q1 of 2013.

It isn’t known how much the value of the deal could be but with Nokia’s U.S stock market value at more than $14 billion and with their mobile phone revenue at $40.15 billion for 2012 it seems unlikely Nokia would be willing to part ways with their mobile segment for a low price. Surely if they did sell it off this spell the end of Nokia altogether, or of Nokia as we know them today.

Image courtesy of Gadgetadda.com