Nokia has a backup plan if Windows Phone 8 fails

Nokia has been frantically rejecting the possibility of putting Android on its smartphones, but this might change if Windows Phone 8 fails to gain traction.

In an interview aired on a Finnish TV, Risto Siilasmaa, a member of the Nokia board of directors, said that Android is the company's "backup plan" if Windows Phone 8 fails.

However, Siilasmaa also added that he is happy with how things are currently shaping up for Windows Phone 8 and switching to plan B probably won't be required. Microsoft and Nokia are betting on more features and less bugs to turn things in their favor.

Many people are going to be quite happy if in fact Nokia joins the Android camp and starts manufacturing some truly high-end devices. However, such a turn of events seems unlikely as the contract between Nokia and Microsoft is said to contain clauses, which force the Finns to focus all their effort on WP.

Update: Nokia got in touch with us and it turns out the interview was wrongly interpreted. When asked what the company's backup plan was, Nokia's chairman hasn't explicitly stated that Android is in it. Here's the exact quote: "[...] like any responsible board, we must be prepared for alternatives, but that is not our focus today [...]".

However, we can't think of any other mobile OS, which can be a viable alternative to the Windows Phone strategy, other than Android.