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  • ST-Ericsson's NovaThor to power Nokia's Windows Phone devices, loosens Qualcomm's grip

    by 
    Amar Toor
    Amar Toor
    11.02.2011

    Earlier this year, as you may recall, we learned that at least some of Nokia's Windows Phone devices would be powered by a dual-core chip from ST-Ericsson. At the time, this report came as something of a surprise, considering the fact that Qualcomm had long enjoyed hegemony over the Windows Phone market. Today, however, it becomes official, as Nokia has now selected ST-Ericsson's NovaThor platform as its Windows Phone supplier. There is no sign, however, that this deal will be exclusive, so it's likely that the manufacturer will continue to use Qualcomm silicon in addition to ST-Ericsson's ARM-based line of U9500, U8500, and U5500 dual-core CPUs. We also have yet to hear any confirmation on the specific devices that these chips will power, or when they'll go into production, though we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we get word. Skip past the break for a really short press release.