Nokia Mulling Closer Partnerships With Carriers for Next Crop of Windows Phones

The cellphone industry is known for its open relationships between carriers and device makers.

Phone makers typically sell their key devices through multiple carriers, while the carriers look to stock models from all the major brands.

However, with its core business struggling, Nokia is said to be looking to go steady with a key European partner or two. According to a report from the Financial Times, Nokia is looking to form more exclusive partnerships with carriers, in exchange for greater commitment and promotion for its next batch of Windows Phones.

Nokia declined comment on the report, but the company has already tried a variant on that strategy in the U.S. The company sold its Lumia 710 exclusively through T-Mobile, while the Lumia 900 has been sold solely by AT&T.

Although it is not the typical approach, the move could help Nokia’s effort to stand out from the pack, at least with whichever carriers it partners with. European carriers have been seeking to better differentiate themselves, as well as ensure that the iPhone and Android don’t run away with the phone market.

Microsoft has said that the first devices running Windows Phone 8 should hit the market in the fall, and that Nokia would, naturally, be among the first manufacturers using the new operating system. Current phones won’t be upgradeable to the new software, making the launch of the new devices even more critical to the company’s future.