Samsung's Ativ S Windows Phone 8 launch undermines Nokia's Microsoft partnership

Finnish firm must be feeling deflated after South Korean rival steals its thunder

Those working at Nokia must be feeling pretty flat this morning. The company is in a perilous position, its share price has slumped over recent months and despite putting out some impressive devices, punters are sticking to Android and iOS in their droves.

Now, on top of this and to the surprise of many, key rival Samsung has just launched the world's first Windows Phone 8 device, the weirdly named Ativ S, at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin.

Given Nokia's long-standing partnership with Microsoft, you would have thought it would have first dips on who got to launch devices on the new platform, set to occur on 5 September at a joint event hosted by the two firms.

But Samsung's release has rather lessened the buzz of this event and calls into question Microsoft's commitment to the Nokia relationship, and where it will go in the future.

Microsoft clearly sees Nokia as important, giving it $1bn in instalments as part of its partnership deal. But surely it should want to give Nokia all the help it can get as the only firm that really seems truly committed to the platform?

Samsung launched some Windows Phone 7 devices last year, but it never really made any push to sell them. It could well do the same with the Ativ S device. Nokia, meanwhile, is staking its future, its very existence, on the platform.

So why did Microsoft not ensure Nokia would be the first to launch, the first to grab the headlines, the first to generate buzz among consumers with its new platform?

Maybe Steve Ballmer and co didn't want to stop Samsung, as they know the South Korean giant may become more important to the firm over time if the Nokia tie-up fails, or perhaps the contracts it signed with partners like Samsung didn't stipulate exclusive launch rights.

Whatever the reasons, those at Nokia must be feeling a little deflated, and it wouldn't be surprising if some heated words were had between Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop and Ballmer - former Microsoft colleagues - over the situation.

Still, the positive for Nokia in all this is that with Samsung bringing its strong brand and presence in the mobile market to Windows Phone 8, it may help make more consumers aware of the platform, which can only be good news for Nokia, and Microsoft.