The first Microsoft Lumia smartphone sans Nokia is ready to debut soon, with the unveiling set for Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The idea of a Nokia-less Lumia line has stirred the curiosity of many, ever since Microsoft completed the acquisition of Nokia's device unit. The software giant later announced that it will rebrand the Nokia Lumia line as the Microsoft Lumia, eliminating the Nokia name from the equation.
Late on Thursday, Nov. 6, Microsoft has posted another teaser to boost anticipation for what's to come. As you can see in the image above, (part of) a smartphone with a #MoreLumia hashtag appears with an orange frame around what looks like the front camera.
"Microsoft is delivering the power of everyday mobile technology to everyone," Microsoft touts on the recently-renamed Conversations blog, where Nokia and Microsoft often posted news regarding Lumia devices.
This upcoming Lumia smartphone will be the first one to herald the new Lumia line without the Nokia moniker, signaling a new era for the mobile devices and for Microsoft.
Nokia has done great things for the Windows Phone platform, as it has made a significant difference in the years it has dedicated itself to launch devices running Microsoft's mobile operating system (OS). While Windows Phone has grown in the last few years, however, the platform still powers juts 2.5 percent of the world's mobile devices. Google's Android covers the vast majority with a whopping 85 percent, followed by Apple's iOS.
Windows Phone has dethroned BlackBerry to grab the third spot behind Android and iOS, but it still needs a spark to see a wider adoption and gain even more market share. Microsoft wants to turn things around with the new Lumia brand, and the first smartphone to launch under the reinvented Lumia will make its official debut in just a few days.
At the same time, the new Lumia strategy is only the latest effort from Microsoft to push its platforms through its own hardware instead of relying on other OEMs. As a reminder, the software maker took everyone by surprise when it turned to hardware with its Surface line of tablets, which run the company's popular Windows OS. While the Surface line had a somewhat rocky start, Microsoft persisted and launched a second, then a third generation of Surface tablets that sport notable improvements and are starting to catch on.
Surface tablets have helped Microsoft boost sales on the tablet front, and the company now plans to do the same on the smartphone market with the new Lumia lineup.
As previously mentioned, the first Microsoft Lumia smartphone without the Nokia moniker will make its debut on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and we'll keep you up to date as soon as we have the official scoop.
