Nokia’s handset sale and the separate patent license
The announcement and closing records distinguish the handset business transferred to Microsoft from the patent rights it licensed.
Updated Nov 8, 2026
The acquisition and the patent agreement
The 2013 announcement allocated €3,790,000,000 to substantially all of Devices & Services and €1,650,000,000 to patent licensing. Nokia would retain its portfolio and grant Microsoft a 10-year license. Microsoft announced the completion of the business acquisition on 2014-04-25.
Separate the business from its assets
Compare handset shipments, the operating-system ecosystem and patent activity separately. Listing what changed hands alongside the rights that stayed with Nokia makes the two companies’ subsequent paths easier to compare.
What the transaction records can establish
The announcement and closing documents establish the scope of the sale. Comparing market shares or the effects of operating-system choices requires shipment data matched by geography and period.
Sources
- Microsoft | Announcement of the Nokia business acquisition and licensesAccessed Nov 8, 2026
- Microsoft | Closing of the Nokia Devices and Services acquisitionAccessed Nov 8, 2026