[jpalomaki]

After the sale of mobiles phones to Microsoft I started thinking that maybe this was the plan-b all the time. Maybe Elop was recruited because Nokia expected this would open the possibility of selling the phone business to Microsoft if they could not make it succeed.

[Zigurd]

You are giving Nokia's management more credit than they deserve. Buying Nokia handsets was a tremendous own-goal by Ballmer that became a major factor in costing him his job. It made Google's purchase of Motorola look like a minor stubbed toe by comparison.

It was done to "save" Windows Phone only to have it die a more lingering death.

True Fact: Microsoft still lists at least one Nokia X handset on their site. The "Nokia X platform" is based on AOSP.

I would not bet against Nokia X becoming a "Microdroid" like Amazon Fire OS.