This one should not come as a surprise: Nokia CEO Stephen Elop today confirmed that work is already underway on its first Windows Phone 7 smartphone. Despite having already indicated that such a device will not go on sale until 2012, Elop is hoping that Nokia can deliver it by the end of the year.
A partnership between Microsoft and Nokia that would see the latter use Windows Phone 7 on its smartphones going forward was announced in February. The deal’s details are still being worked out but a final agreement is expected within the next couple of months.
Early prototypes surfaced last month, suggesting that Nokia has been at work on its new devices for a while now.