Paul Thurott-Supersite for Windows
Thanks to blockbuster sales of the entry-level Lumia 520, Nokia recorded its best-ever quarter for Windows Phone sales, with 8.8 million units sold in the quarter ending September 30. The news comes as part of the firm’s interim report for Q3 2013, during which Microsoft announced its intention to purchase Nokia’s devices and services businesses.
“The third quarter was among the most transformative in our company’s history,” Nokia CFO and interim President Timo Ihamuotila said in a prepared statement. “We became the full owner of NSN [Nokia Solutions and Networks and HERE] and we agreed on the sale of our handset operations to Microsoft, transactions which we believe will radically reshape the future of Nokia for the better. Subject to the completion of the Microsoft transaction, Nokia will have a significantly improved earnings profile, a strong financial position, and a solid foundation from which to invest.”