Nokia and Microsoft have signed the strategic agreement that will see the Windows Phone platform become the chosen smartphone OS for Nokia built handsets going forward. It’s a bold new direction that could bear fruit this year with volume shipments in 2012. Read on to find out about Nokia Windows Phones becoming a reality in 2011.

Was it really only back in February that the whole ecosystem for Nokia changed? It has taken roughly 10 weeks for the deal to be signed that will make Nokia Windows smartphones a reality as the two companies have signed the definitive agreement to brings together their strategic partnership.

10 Things your Nokia Windows Phone Will Have

This means the Windows Phone OS will lead the fight back against rivals such as Android and Apple’s iOS, while Symbian will slowly be phased out over the next couple of years.

We know this won’t happen overnight, Nokia has recently quoted they expect to sell another 150 million Symbian handsets in the near future. However, the announcement did say that Nokia and Microsoft were already working in development and Nokia Windows Phone devices will ship in volume in 2012. It’s hinted at in the video below that the first device could hit this year but we’ll have to wait for final details to se whether this becomes a reality or not.

So, we can look forward to having the best in class from Nokia in terms of hardware, such as knock-out cameras and free sat-nav, while Microsoft will bring Bing search, it’s gaming expertise and the juggernaut that is Microsoft itself to play at the forefront of the smartphone market.

What do you think, are you looking forward to seeing the first Nokia Windows Phone devices ship?

Check out the Nokia Microsoft announcement video: