Opera Mobile Store now the default on Nokia feature phones

If you’re part of the increasingly small portion of the planet that owns a Nokia feature phone then you might notice something different come early 2015. Along with Symbian and Nokia X smartphone users, your default app store will be replaced with the Opera Mobile Store.

The switch is the result of a deal struck between Microsoft and Opera, with the latter saying that it 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.

“We continue to sell and support classic Nokia devices, which remain popular in many parts of the world,” said Rich Bernardo, Vice President, Phones, Microsoft. “We’re delighted to partner with Opera Software and continue to provide a reliable app store experience for consumers and developers alike.”

Read more: The next Nokia you own may not even be a phone

Opera is effectively selling the deal as way for Nokia owners to keep their phone experiences fresh, but there’s no doubt that it’ll come with some serious bragging rights.

“When the current users of the Nokia Store are migrated to Opera Mobile Store, they will continue to get fresh, interesting apps for their Nokia phones,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. “The Opera Mobile Store becomes an even more significant player in the app store market, and Nokia mobile phone users get a first-class app store for years to come.”

When the transition of customers from the Nokia Store to the Opera Mobile Store is complete, Opera is positioned to become the third largest app store in terms of downloads.

According to Opera, there are close to 300 000 apps and games available in the store today. It also claims to supports more than 7 500 different devices, from feature phones to the most advanced smartphones. It also claims to have been used by more than 40 000 developers around the world.