Nokia users are in for quite a bit of an overhaul when it comes to their app store, as their parent company, Microsoft, has just signed an agreement with Opera Software to replace the Nokia Store with the Opera Mobile Store as the default app store for their feature phones.
The announcement follows a separate agreement, announced in August 2014, which will see Opera become the default browser on Nokia-branded phones, including Series 30+, Series 40, Asha and Nokia X handsets.
The changeover will be implemented in the first quarter of next year, with the company saying that they expect the migration to be completed in the first half of 2015. The current Nokia Store will then be closed once the transition is complete.
Because of this transition, the Opera Mobile Store looks set to become the third largest app store in terms of downloads – something that the company is obviously excited about.
“When the current users of the Nokia Store are migrated to Opera Mobile Store, they will continue to get fresh, interesting apps for their Nokia phones…[sic] The Opera Mobile Store becomes an even more significant player in the app store market, and Nokia mobile phone users get a first-class app store for years to come” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software.
Users who want to access the Nokia Store will be automatically redirected to the Opera Mobile Store. Here, they will be able to join as customers of the Opera Store.
The automatic redirect applies to all users using Series 40, Series 60, Asha, Symbian and Nokia X devices.
The Opera Mobile Store offers users access to thousands upon thousands of apps, games and other wonderful content. The transition will enable millions of classic Nokia phone users to still have a trusted and diverse source for content, albeit a different store.
Microsoft also seems to be delighted with this new direction:
“We continue to sell and support classic Nokia devices, which remain popular in many parts of the world…[sic] We’re delighted to partner with Opera Software and continue to provide a reliable app store experience for consumers and developers alike” says Rich Bernardo, Vice President of Phones at Microsoft.
If you are a Nokia user, then you can definitely start to get excited about this transition. The Opera Mobile Store has close to 300 000 apps and games and caters for millions of downloads everyday, making it ideal for developers looking to access a wide reach in distributing their apps.
The store also supports more than 7500 different devices – from feature phones to smartphones – and is currently a being used by more than 40 000 developers around the globe.
Developers looking to publish apps on the Opera Mobile Store can do so by visiting apps.opera.com.
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