Nokia Camera Expert Heads to Apple to Avoid Working for Microsoft
As you’ve no doubt heard, Microsoft has finally completed the process of purchasing Nokia’s devices division. That means that Microsoft owns the company responsible for making its Windows Phone handsets, including the impressive Lumia 1020 super-camera smartphone. Unfortunately for Redmond, though, the main guy responsible for that device has jumped ship for—who else?—Apple.
According to a post on Engadget, senior Lumia engineer Ari Partinen, Nokia’s “camera expert,” announced on Twitter late last night that he’s going to be heading for Apple starting in June:
Today will be my last day working for the amazing #Lumia family. In June I will start a new chapter in Cupertino, California. Much love!
— Ari Partinen (@Partinen) May 9, 2014
@bharadc23 Thank you for great discussions and feedback! (And it is the company you are thinking assuming you are thinking Apple) =)
— Ari Partinen (@Partinen) May 9, 2014
That might mean that one of the biggest arguments for the Nokia brand’s relevance has left for one of the Microsoft’s oldest rivals. Having a “camera expert” like Partinen on the iPhone team will simply make one of the best smartphones on the market that much better. Considering what a big role photography has in the smartphone industry, it stands to reason that this could be a pretty big blow to Microsoft’s smartphone fortunes.
Even still, it’s not like the work Partinen has done on Nokia’s handsets has disappeared. The teams who worked with him have obviously learned from him and will hopefully be able to keep that knowledge rolling for future Nokia releases. But there’s no question that one of the edges Microsoft might’ve had in the smartphone game has been diminished.
So all that Microsoft sadness aside, how happy must iPhone fans be? The iPhone 6 is clearly already in production, so Apple diehards won’t be able to reap the benefits of Partinen’s experience just yet. But clearly the iPhone 7, and whatever other camera-equipped devices the company will start putting out in the not-so-distant future, will be packed with some more expertly crafted camera hardware. It’ll be interesting to see what happens as Partinen starts working for Tim Cook and the rest of the gang this June.
[Source: Engadget]