The Opera Mobile Store is set to replace the Nokia Store as the default app store for Nokia feature phones, following an agreement reached between Opera Software and Microsoft.
According to a statement released by Opera Software, the store will also cater for Symbian and Nokia X smartphones.
"Beginning in the first quarter of 2015, people who access Nokia Store from Series 40, Series 60, Symbian, Asha and Nokia X devices will be automatically redirected to Opera Mobile Store, where they will be offered the opportunity to become customers of Opera Mobile Store and have access to tens of thousands of apps for their Nokia phones," the statement read.
The company says the transition to Opera Mobile Store "will enable millions of people who use classic Nokia phones to continue to have a trusted source for apps, games and content". The process of migrating customers from Nokia Store to Opera Mobile Store is expected to be complete in the first half of 2015, at which point Nokia Store will be closed.
Rich Bernardo, VP of phones at Microsoft, said: "We continue to sell and support classic Nokia devices, which remain popular in many parts of the world."
Upward trajectory
According to Opera Software, when the transition of customers to the Opera Mobile Store is complete, Opera is positioned to become the third largest app store in terms of downloads.
"With close to 300 000 apps and games available in the store today, and millions of downloads each day, the Opera Mobile Store has a wide reach for developers looking to distribute apps," the company said.
Opera Mobile Store currently supports more than 7 500 different devices, from feature phones to smartphones, and is used by more than 40 000 developers around the world.
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