Nokia’s Hardware Division Will Become ‘Microsoft Mobile’

Nokia and Microsoft’s deal will officially close April 25, and at that time the hardware division Nokia is selling to Redmond will get a rebrand, according to a new leaked memo (via Mashable). It’s not that surprising that Microsoft would opt for something closer to home with its new mobile division, and it’s gone with the straightforward route in picking a new name: Microsoft Mobile.

The memo is from Nokia to its business partners, advising them of the change. Back when the sale was first announced, then-Nokia CEO Stephen Elop admitted that the name would likely change, but also noted that there wasn’t yet a definite replacement for what would come after. Microsoft Mobile may not be the most exciting name for a Microsoft mobile devices division, but arguably Microsoft needs recognizability and reliability more than fancy marketing pizzaz.

Remember that Microsoft also acquired the rights to the Nokia name for 10 years as part of its deal, and that it also bought the rights to the ‘Lumia’ and ‘Asha’ brands for devices, too. That means we could see their continued use even as Microsoft rebrands the business to Microsoft Mobile. There was some suggestion in the early announcements around the deal that Microsoft will continue to use the Nokia branding on entry-level devices, as a way to funnel feature phone users to the Windows Phone (and now, Microsoft Mobile) line of hardware and services.