Google CEO: we tried to convince Nokia to go Android

Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that his company held extensive talks with Nokia about replacing Symbian with Android. The company tried very hard to convince Nokia to pick Android as its future platform over Windows Phone 7.

"We would have loved if they had chosen Android. They chose the other guys," Schmidt said his keynote speech. "We had confidential negotiations with Nokia that were very extensive," he later told reporters during a roundtable discussion. "I hope at some time in the future they will be willing to choose Android again." Something very groundbreaking would have to happen at the Finnish company for that to occur.

As we already know, Nokia ended up switching to Windows Phone as its primary smartphone platform. As a result,thousands of employees will lose their jobs, and at least some Nokia shareholders are offering a Plan B.

All Things Digital has a run down of the keynote if you want to know what else Schmidt said. Larry Page will be replacing Eric Schmidt as Google's CEO on April 4, 2011.