Is Microsoft getting rid of its Android Nokia X line?

Microsoft is reportedly getting rid of its Android Nokia X line, which all comes in the wake of the corporate giant cutting 18,000 jobs in the next year.

Stephen Elop of Microsoft has written an email to all employees detailing that they’re focusing all energy on Nokia Windows Phone while still selling and supporting the existing Nokia X line. I, personally, think this isn’t a shot at Google, but its just a matter of them putting all concerted efforts into maintaining and growing the Windows Phone OS and hardware.

Elop also states: ‘In addition to the portfolio already planned, we plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices’.

It’s also said to be making a massive impact to the team structure and they are merging ‘Smart Devices and Mobile Phones business units into one phone business unit that is responsible for all of our phone efforts’.

Of course with such big shake-ups comes a massive amount of job loss.

Elop says: ‘We plan to right-size our manufacturing operations to align to the new strategy and take advantage of integration opportunities. We expect to focus phone production mainly in Hanoi, with some production to continue in Beijing and Dongguan. We plan to shift other Microsoft manufacturing and repair operations to Manaus and Reynosa respectively, and start a phased exit from Komaron, Hungary’.

This is incredibly hard for anyone that is not involved with Microsoft at a higher level to comprehend, but it seems like a huge business model shift.

Image; doi-toshin