That’s the bet, and always has been. Windows Phone 8 is going to get a lot of visibility because the UI is a common experience that everyone will interact with to some degree on another device.

The phone cycle is a two year cycle, based on contracts.

To all the folks suggesting Android is the answer, consider this: only Samsung seem to have made it a profitable business for themselves. Not HTC. Not Motorola. Not LG. Possible Sony. Android is not a sure bet either.

As has been shown, most people buy the phone they are guided to by the store employee. If a customer asks for an iPhone they’ll be shown one. But carriers have actively requested their employees to steer customers to iPhone alternatives because the subsidy costs kill carrier profitability.

In conversations with many Android users about this, it seems their driving desire to see Nokia build an Android phone is they love what they see coming from Nokia and don’t like their current available Android choices. That’s a positive thing for Nokia. Anytime I show my Lumia 900 to these same Android phone users they are surprised: “wow, that’s really nice. That’s not what I expected. I like it.” are typical comments.

Try it. If you like it, buy it.

Nokia are making a platform bet on Windows 8 ecosystem. Their goal is to be the Apple of Windows. They seem to be making all the right moves so far.

Now, as has been correctly pointed out, it comes to pricing, promotion, and distribution. They need to get those right too. It’s too early to tell one way or another if they will.

They would be stupid not to do it. I’m surprised it wasn’t already done.

I am unsure how Nokia could survive the onslaught of the iPhone and Android, other than to have actively fought in multiple platforms and investing heavily in product as Samsung did. Nokia laughed in the face of competition, and were badly bitten. With bad numbers ahead, investment is likely to be cut further.

Nokia Maps is at least a solid product. Windows Phone itself is decreasing in market share. This is a very bad sign for the platform after a year. Microsoft is simply trying to save its investment, and Nokia isn’t high on its list of priorities. They’ll buy them for the maps and services.

Fanboys still think Apple is running the show here while 68% of consumers, the people with the money, are telling you that Android runs the show. Only an Apple fanboy will argue with that number or start that crap about multiple devices blah blah. But the truth remains that if you want your phone to sell it better have Android on it.

Then there’s the fanboyish idea that Nokia released a true answer to the iPhone. In what way? What is that even supposes to mean? In the consumer world, again the people with the money, nothing. Nevermind that the only mainstream device even remotely mimicking the iPhone has been the Galaxy S. For all those so called mocks you’d think people would stop and purchase the cheaper iPhone 4 or 4s and get the real thing. But they pass right by it and buy the “clone” for more money. That’s because the only place these devices are seen as clones are in the minds of fanboys.

As long as this fanboy mentality is guiding Nokia they are doomed no matter how great their hardware is. It does nothing for you without an OS to run it and the people have shown time and time again their OS of choice. I leave it right there and allow the fanboys to prove my point.