Microsoft is looking to approach its phone hardware business in a completely re-structured manner. The software giant had acquired Nokia’s phone and services division just last year for $7.1 billion, but that has clearly failed to provide the needed momentum, and now it will be writing off $7.6 billion against the Nokia business, in addition to laying off 7,800 employees across the globe.

Microsoft may be working to move the Nokia brand away from its high-end and mid-range Windows Phone devices, but it is still more than happy to keep Nokia as the face of its feature phone and low-end smartphone market. The latest entrant into the Nokia side of the family is the Nokia 215, a phone that Microsoft says is its cheapest Internet device yet.

With the year now drawing to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on some of the great product releases of 2014, and with numerous big-named companies having rolled out some exceptional tablets over the past twelve months, we’ve compiled a list of our top five.

The first ever Nokia Android tablet has been announced, and the device happens to be called the ‘Nokia N1′. It’s the first tablet being released under Nokia brand after company’s acquisition to Microsoft, and it looks like a finer version of iPad mini from Apple.

Where Microsoft has been busy hogging the headlines with its strategic shift lately, with Nokia since having foregone its mobile division to the software giant, has been pretty silent on what the future holds for the Finnish company. Akin to how Microsoft revealed its plans for unveiling a Microsoft branded Lumia by teasing us with obscure photos of the Lumia 535, Nokia has just released a photo of a black box via its Twitter account, the details to which will be revealed on the 18th of October, in a day.

We now have official confirmation that Microsoft is dropping the Nokia Lumia, as well as Windows Phone brand in favor or Microsoft Lumia for all its smartphone devices. A Microsoft Lumia smartphone is also set to be revealed by the software giant in the coming days.

Microsoft is finally dropping the Nokia and Windows Phone branding for all its smartphones. And as we move forward, all Windows Phone devices from Nokia will now be carrying the Microsoft Lumia branding. Earlier, there were rumors that Microsoft, having acquired Nokia’s phone division, was now looking to kill the Nokia and Windows Phone brand, but we weren’t entirely sure what the replacement was.

It wasn’t too long ago when Finnish Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, openly blamed Apple, or more appropriately, Steve Jobs for Finland’s economic struggles. Stubb, in a recent interview on CNBC, said that Apple has caused the decline of two major industries of Finland: IT industry led by Nokia, and the paper industry. Stubb was replying to a question about the country’s business environment following a decline in its credit rating.

Having wrapped up the acquisition of Nokia earlier on in the year, Microsoft’s BUILD developers conference was largely focused around the Windows Phone 8.1 update. Having been seen as a distant third place to iOS and Android thanks to its lack of key features, Windows Phone has struggled to make a dent in the market share of the Big Two, but with the newer software promising some great features including a voice assistant in Cortana, there’s renewed optimism that the software giant may finally stake more than just a token claim to the smartphone industry. After the developer preview launch shortly after BUILD, Windows Phone 8.1 is this week rolling out to Lumia devices via the Cyan update, and as ever, we’ve got all of the major details right here.

Nokia, which was recently acquired by Microsoft, has long built great smartphones, particularly those of the Lumia variety. But while the market has been enticed by the sleek, funky designs and top-notch rear-facing camera technology, most have been put-off by the Windows Phone OS, which is nowhere near as evolved as, say, Android.

The Nokia Lumia 830 may have only made its first appearance in a spy shot that popped up a few days ago, but it’s already making headlines once again after new renders were leaked which appear to show the unannounced smartphone with some rather new branding.

As most of you will be aware, Microsoft’s deal to acquire Finnish telecommunications outfit Nokia was recently given the rubber stamp of approval by the relevant bodies overseeing such takeovers, and even though ties between the two firms have been fairly close for years now, the software giant has gradually been integrating Nokia’s staff and product lines with its own business model. As a part of this ongoing process, Microsoft is said to be on the cusp of licensing the iconic Nokia brand, and according to leaked info, may opt for “Nokia by Microsoft” labeling on its smartphone line-up.