The Development Timeline of Microsoft Nokia Lumia Smartphones

Microsoft Lumia devices are flagship smartphones developed, produced, and marketed by Microsoft, succeeding Nokia's legacy. Before 2012, Nokia dominated global mobile sales with a significant market share. As consumers shifted towards modern smartphones, Nokia struggled to keep pace and was eventually surpassed by brands like Samsung and Apple. Despite this, Lumia remained popular among users.

The Lumia series originated in 2011 when Nokia partnered with Microsoft to launch Windows-based smartphones.

Under this collaboration, Nokia produced phones featuring Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The agreement included using Bing as the default search engine and Nokia Maps for navigation. The first Lumia models, Lumia 710 and Lumia 800, debuted in October 2011 at a Nokia event, both running Windows 7. As LTE technology expanded in the US, Lumia 900, supporting LTE, entered the market in 2012, becoming a market hit. Nokia also launched Lumia 610 as an affordable option for China and India. Transitioning to Windows 8, models like Lumia 820 and 920 were launched with enhanced features including NFC. The Lumia 520 became the best-selling Windows phone ever. In 2013, Microsoft acquired Nokia for $7 billion. Models like Lumia 950, 950 XL, and Lumia 550 introduced Windows 10 support. However, Lumia sales declined sharply between 2015 and 2017 due to the rise of Android and iOS devices. Microsoft slowed Lumia production in late 2016, leading to speculation about discontinuation, though no official statement was made.