Um… so why was Nokia teaming up with MS again? First HTC was the flagship launch phone and now MS is possibly going for their own. If this is true, what exactly does Nokia get out of this that it wouldn't have it it had gone Android as well? I'd like to see MS make a iPod-touch iteration of the Zune hardware with WiFi (and Skype?).

I think Nokia got boned, but it won't be common knowledge for a while. Microsoft isn't putting all it's eggs in one basket, they're trying to be somewhere between Apple and Google it terms of their business model it seems.

Tpyo
Um… so why was Nokia teaming up with MS again? First HTC was the flagship launch phone and now MS is possibly going for their own. If this is true, what exactly does Nokia get out of this that it wouldn't have it it had gone Android as well? I'd like to see MS make a iPod-touch iteration of the Zune hardware with WiFi (and Skype?).

Why is HTC who went heavily towards Android retreating more towards WP.

Nokia are making money via their maps on every phone sold, they are also taking forever to get their act together. When you look at the physical assembly simalarities between the 800, 900 and 920, and take in to account that was from their N9, you have to say, what have they been up to!

Microsoft doing their own phone? Dumb idea imho, they'd be better off spending the money on propping up Nokia as lead WP8 developer (and they have some nice looking designs to boot). On the other hand if the “Surface Phone” is an attempt to do a Nexus style device (really designed for developers and early adopters) then that make a heck of a lot more sense.

Tpyo
I'd like to see MS make a iPod-touch iteration of the Zune hardware with WiFi (and Skype?).

Great idea - yes, there's some other vendors out there already (Sony, Samsung, Archos and Cowon come to mind). But doing a real iPod Touch competitor - so a phone but without the 3G radios - could be a big seller on the back of Microsoft's name and presumably the no-brainer/no-effort sync of your library with your Windows8 desktop.

crossy
Great idea - yes, there's some other vendors out there already (Sony, Samsung, Archos and Cowon come to mind). But doing a real iPod Touch competitor - so a phone but without the 3G radios - could be a big seller on the back of Microsoft's name and presumably the no-brainer/no-effort sync of your library with your Windows8 desktop.

Also - MS being the owners of Skype and not having a phone/carrier business of their own, the way I see it, it doesn't scupper/interfere with any of their other products. A free WiFi/Skype system (granted you may need to sign up with soem kind of WiFi hotspot company of your chocie) may also help to encourage a lowering of the (frankly quite ridiculous) data contract prices we've been seeing of late.

Elop got a 3 year deal. They clearly had a long-term strategy. I expect devices coming thick and fast in 2013 with different variations.