It’s not likely that
Microsoft can get easily get its software and services running on S40 devices but it makes no sense to abandon the brand. Instead, switching it over to Android gives the company a way to push Asha as a modern-looking, low-cost line as an entry point for Microsoft software. And when those Asha users are ready for something more robust, they can step up to
Windows Phone in the future.
Why not use Windows Phone for the Asha line to begin with? It’s a valid question. But as Microsoft appears heading towards a merger of sorts between Windows Phone and Windows RT, it looks like the
smartphone platform is going to need more horsepower under the hood, not less. Asha running Windows services atop a lightweight version of Android makes more sense at the entry level.
