A message posted on Nokia France’s official Facebook page has given away Microsoft’s plan, saying “In the coming days, you will receive a message about the renaming of this page. We are about to become Microsoft Lumia.” Although it’s not officially confirmed outside of this Facebook page, there are other rumors the overdue rebranding is about to happen. According to The Verge, the Nokia France page will be the first in a series of social networking sites to take the new name, and that the changeover will continue over the coming weeks.
Is Microsoft Lumia going to be the new name stamped on future smartphones? It’s very likely. While not the most creative new name, it will ensure there’s the minimum amount of disruption, and avoid unnecessary confusion during the transition. The Lumia name is synonymous with Windows Phone hardware, and is respected by smartphone aficionados, making it the obvious choice for Microsoft.
Evidence of Nokia’s name can still be found on Microsoft’s website, where smartphones are listed as Nokia Lumia devices, but inside the Windows Phone store, apps like My Nokia are being renamed, with our example becoming My Lumia. Microsoft’s slow pace when it comes to the rebranding points to it being a long, measured process, so there’s a chance even the next Windows Phone releases may still wear the Nokia name.
However, the first major steps in banishing Nokia’s name from its mobile division could begin very soon.
