Nokia to embrace Windows Phone 7?

Rumours are pointing to a possible partnership between Finnish mobile giant Nokia and Microsoft that could see the latter’s mobile phone OS Windows Phone 7 installed on Nokia smartphones in the future.

The New York Times reports that Nokia’s shares have grown for four straight days as the whispering continues to intensify.

The paper believes an official announcement will be made at an investor speech in london on Friday February 11th.

The news comes as Android for the first time in Q4 2010 overtook Symbian as the best selling smartphone OS in the world.

It follows a period of extended turbulence for Symbian, which has received criticism for many observers for failing to keep up with the advances made by the likes of Apple, Google and Microsoft.

The possible inclusion of WP7 on Nokia devices could overnight drastically increase the new software’s install base, which until now has struggled in the face of high-profile competitors and the less than perfect reputation left by its unpopular predecessor Windows Mobile 6.

The race for handheld racing supremacy is now more important than ever following Sony’s recent alliance with Google Android for its new PlayStation Suite platform.