The New York Times interviews Nokia CEO Stephen Elop

It's not a long or terribliy insightful interview, but the Times does manage to talk with Nokia's CEO at CES. As a public service, I translate:

How are you feeling as you enter this market, where you have so much ground to gain back?
What we needed to do first is establish that beachhead. And say, ‘O.K., we need great products with the support of operators and Microsoft.’ The expansion in our focus is about how, in every single one of those stores and every single one of those countries, do we make sure we’re presented as an alternative? How do we make sure our message is getting through in advertising?

Sometime this year, Americans will have a single Nokia Windows Phone phone -- on T-Mobile, and another on AT&T. Alongside 100 Android devices and iPhone 5.

You really had to fight to get a Windows Phone over the last year if you went into retail locations in the United States. There seemed to be no incentive for employees to push them. How is that going to change with AT&T?
In the U.S., it’s about who has got the fastest and best network. A key element in terms of making Windows Phone an important part of their competitive battle is to introduce products that have L.T.E. support. The reason we didn’t come sooner is we needed a device specific for the U.S. market.

We're Nokia. If we say it's gonna take 2 years, it'll take 4.  

In Europe, it's about who has got the slowest and shittiest network, ha!

But make no mistake, we're going straight for Apple's jugular. We took our time to build a "device specific for the US market." Cause that's exactly how Apple does it. They build devices for specific geographical markets!

Will sales people be given incentives in stores to sell your phone?
We don’t share specifics of our in-store marketing plans. But I think it’s safe to say it’s very important for AT&T that this third ecosystem get established.

Yes. 

Microsoft will make sure sales staff get a niceC-note for every Windows Phone one of those red shirts push.

Why three? Why is that a natural number of major players?
If you add a third, you have an opportunity to reach different consumers in different ways with a different type of experience. It creates a more competitive environment for [wireless carriers] in terms of suppliers like us approaching them.

No reason. None at all. It's just bullshit I use less with the press and more with the troops back in Finland to give them hope.

You’ve hinted before that you’re interested in doing a Windows 8 tablet. Is that still the case?
The official statement is we haven’t announced anything specific to tablets, but we look at the opportunity with a lot of interest.

No.

Because that would be fucking dumb. Unless Ballmer makes us.

You’ve said that you believe Nokia will remain independent, yet these rumors still pop up that Microsoft and Nokia are talking about something deeper than the collaboration that they have going on now. Any change at all in that?
We have said historically that the rumors are baseless. Nothing more to add.

August 2012.

Do you think the other handset makers, given the special relationship between Nokia and Microsoft, will continue to be supportive of Windows Phone?
I think so. I think some of the manufacturers are saying, “This Android thing, this Motorola acquisition, none of us know what that really means.” The signs are their investments will continue.

God I hope not. What a stupid fucking question! 

Unfortunately, Nokia was both burning and drowning, somehow at the same time, when Ballmer rescued us so I have absolutely zero say in the matter.

Do you think a combined Google and Motorola is going to be a more formidable competitor?
I just can’t predict how Google and Motorola are going to interact and what that means for the other big Android players. It’s a question on everybody’s mind at this point.

Google + Motorola is much more of a threat to other Android makers than to us.