Following a difficult third quarter that saw Nokia post an $832 million loss, the company has made some big changes in recent months. Where smartphones are concerned, Nokia has publicly confirmed a shift from quantity to quality in 2010. Nokia has also named a new head of mobile phones, former CFO Rick Simonson.

In a recent interview with The Economic Times, Simonson covered a couple of big issues. First, The ET asked him to comment on rumors that Nokia is interested in acquiring troubled smartphone maker Palm, Inc.:

We have been hearing that for a long time now - maybe it is like one of those things that you keep predicting and hope that by 2010, or in the next 10 years, it will actually come true. It's like you keep saying, ‘it will rain, it will rain' and one day it finally rains, and then you say you predicted it!

While Simonson's response is hardly a denial, it seems apparent that a Palm acquisition is not in Nokia's short terms strategy.

The mobile Chief's second comment of note should of particular interest to investors and mobile enthusiasts alike:

I can even make a prediction for 2010: In Latin America, we will grow faster than (RIM). By 2011, our efforts will start producing results, as we will be at par with Apple and RIM in smartphones. Not only [will] we draw level with them, we will also win the war because, in addition to email, we will be adding content, chat, music, entertainment and several other features, which will soon become very critical for success of any company in this space.

While the features Simonson rattles off are all standard fare for any smartphone these days -- or even two years ago --he seems confident that Nokia will soon be able to recapture some of the consumer interest it has lost over the past few years.

Simonson's wording, however, is a bit troubling: "By 2011, our efforts will start producing results." This might lead us to believe that Nokia's outlook for the the majority of 2010 is bleak, as the Finnish manufacturer focuses on efforts that won't pay off until we near 2011.