Nokia CEO: Google is making Android more closed

Those of you holding out for a Nokia Android phone may be waiting for quite some time, as Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop voiced his disapproval of Google’s recent handling of its platform.

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Speaking during Nokia’s earnings call today, Elop said:

The situation that Android is facing, where the amount of fragmentation that you’re seeing is increasing as people take it in different directions, is offset by Google’s efforts to turn an open ecosystem into something that’s quite a bit more closed — as we’ve seen quite recently.

He seems more than a little annoyed by Google’s recent choice to drop Exchange ActiveSync support, which is how Windows Phone devices previously delivered push Gmail messages. Elop also sounded confident in Nokia’s Asha and Windows Phone line to handle low-cost devices, which doesn’t leave much room for Android in Nokia’s lineup.

“We’re not in a situation where we’re considering something other than Windows Phone combined with what we’re doing with Asha,” Elop said during the call.

Google doesn’t yet offer any native apps for Windows Phone, even though it’s put plenty of resources behind official iOS aps like Gmail and Google Maps. As Windows Phone sales begin to pick up, Google will need a better reason than low market share to avoid Microsoft’s platform.

Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat