Microsoft to drop Nokia name from Lumia smartphones

Microsoft's line of Lumia mobile devices will undergo a subtle name change over the next several weeks.

The company confirmed it will drop the Nokia name from its devices, switching to the name "Microsoft Lumia." The first device to carry the MIcrosoft Lumia name is expected to launch soon, says Tuula Rytilä, Microsoft's Senior Vice President of Marketing for Phones.

"This is of course a natural progression as all devices that once came from Nokia now come from Microsoft," says Rytilä in a blog post explaining the switch.

The move comes as little surprise, since Microsoft acquired Nokia's handset business for more than $7 billion. The deal was completed earlier this year.

Microsoft has secured the No. 3 spot in the smartphone market, behind industry giants including Apple and Google. Microsoft boasts a 4.8% share of the smartphone market, according to eMarketer. Last quarter, Microsoft sold 9.3 million Lumia smartphones.

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