Like I read today on some blog comment about the election Nokia had on Android vs WP7:

"Do you really want Google to have around 60% smartphone marketshare?"

Hell, no. I pray that Nokia is able to sanitize as much they can from WP7 (not holding my breath...) i.e.: un-tie it from Zune, provide missing features, etc.

More and more the phone market seems to be about in which way you want to be squeezed for data, personal info, click revenues, etc...

"Welcome good sir, do you prefer the good ol' headshot or just cyanide?"

I don't get people who rush going on the Android train. I think its rather an advantage NOT using Android as it might chew away your privacy and spit it - tidy and well digested - at Google's front door.

Sure, I too have nothing to hide really, its not that I'm a secret agent or a fugitive criminal that I'm so afraid of Google knowing everything about me, but I STILL refuse to give all that information to Google that easily... I don't know, maybe I just value my privacy too much, or maybe I'm just too proud of the fact that Googling my real name returns 0 relevant results.

This way or another, I truly hope that in the future, one's privacy would not be so rare but I bet that if it will - most of the fault on this matter will be on Google's side, so I don't think I'll willingly help them with it and buy an Android device...

I'm a big fan of Symbian, but psssstt did you know that you can compile a lean linux kernel stripped of everything but what you need? Yeah I know its black magic bit like proper coding nowadays. Lets throw hardware at a problem rather then code around it. Zoinks Scoob, we are out of Scooby Snacks!

I don't understand the data mining at all. Why is it so valuable to be able to make Google rich and why do users stay away from it. I've never gotten an add that targets me personally in any way, what else can this information be used for?

That said I have never actually put any genuine information on the internet at all, I basically have a fake person alias online when signing up for anything that goes to my "bs" email account, my real email gets hosted on my domain and that ends that. Aside from any location services there isn't much to mine from my usage... or is there?

And to whoever put "buy something else" as a tag:

What platform gives me the independence, battery life, features, bang for your buck, customization, flexibility that Symbian has?

What platform gives me the openness, features, independence and sheer power of Maemo/MeeGo?

It's actually in google's interest to maintain their user's (relative) privacy. If they ever suffer a significant privacy breach, think of how quickly their (non search related) services will be abandoned.

If you're google, what would you do?

hint: non personally identifiable information models

lol, you just them your real name.

The irony is that Nokia is a Google competitor, and that Nokia would have eventually done the same with Ovi. However, being a EU corporation with data being hosted in EU (which Google refuses), I already have more faith in that.

As for The Oracle. Yep, Oracle would have fit in the very description zwer put forth.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it have made sense for Nokia to accelerate their Qt/Meego strategy (for the latest multi-core ARM chips) while making Android apps work seamlessly too?

Google can't change Android APIs overnight any longer since they now have critical mass. OTOH there are lots of little Android (and iOS) applets that some users somewhere might find important to them. HTML5 isn't going to be a major factor for at least the next couple of years.

With hardware level control over their own OS (present and future), Nokia could have shamed the Android-only market/OEMs by providing their users with true long-term support, e.g. minimum of two years of feature updates and afterwards there's still the capable community providing security updates etc.

The most egregious problem the average Android user has is simply the lack of support by the short term-minded manufacturers, Google doesn't care either. Therefore most of today's Android phones run outdated (and possibly insecure) versions of the OS and they will never get updates.

Be the caring one.

Apart from the obsessed lunatic fringe of gadget hoppers, everyone prefers to deal with a decent company that doesn't dump you as soon as you've handed over the cash!

And before I forget, rebrand MeeGo. It's a disaster of a brand. Do it now before it goes mainstream. It's easy. 1-2-3.

Now, pick a multi-core ARM chipset to plan your 1st gen devices around and don't skimp on RAM. You'll support this platform for at least two years after you've sold the last device! In return the users will be living, breathing and buying within your new ecosystem for the same period. They'll love it since they don't have to suffer the frequent abandonments of the Android side but still get the features.

Meanwhile drastically simplify your Symbian lineup, keep the underlying hardware simple and easy to support. Build Qt-based set of tools (Phone Manager) for managing updates and data shuffling that works on any plaform. Even between Symbian and the new top end platform (previously known as "MeeGo").

Now go back to the 1st gen new hardware and design *one* (initially) modern 7-inch (emerging sweet spot) WIFI-only companion tablet that works seamlessly with any new Qt-based Nokia phones (there are endless ways for creating usability there!) and with the new eco-system. It brings users to the new eco-system while adding value to the humongous lower-end userbase Nokia has traditionally owned. Those users will keep paying Nokia's bills for years to come. I'm quite certain that despite the new smartphone platforms most people on the planet like it simple. Give them the option without forcing them to change. Simple and affordable multi-user companion tablets would help maintain Nokia's leadership especially in the emerging markets. Hmm... to get poorly supported and poor quality low-end Android handsets for everyone, or a well-made reasonably well-featured new Symbians with cutting-edge features on a companion tablet that can be shared and which works standalone on WIFI networks too??

Use your economies-of-scale to mass produce these three new manageable hardware lines and price them competitively, even in family/business bundles.

And Nokia's "Borat of Directors", read both the Risku manifest and the Plan B and take them to heart. Step down instead of dragging the whole institution under just because of your personal vanity.

Well...

and the cherry fiasco should give you a good idea of how much they care about your privacy.