Path is preparing to cross to the Windows Phone mobile platform - one of the more 'private' mobile OSes currently in play, with its marginal marketshare compared to the dominant duo of Android and iOS. Which sounds like a perfect fit for a private social network. Path co-founder and CEO, Dave Morin, confirmed to TechCrunch the network is 'coming to Windows Phone in full partnership with Nokia'.

Path was also named as one of the forthcoming apps at the launch of Nokia's new Windows Phone flagship, the Lumia 1020, taking place in New York today, as Nokia announced a new imaging SDK specific to that device.

It's unclear whether Path will be exclusive to the Lumia 1020 at this point, or available on any Windows Phone handset. We'll update this post as soon as we confirm.

It's also unclear whether the partnership means Nokia is part-funding development of the Windows Phone version of the app but it seems likely. And if not Nokia, then Microsoft - who has been spending considerable cash encouraging developers not to overlook its third ecosystem.

What is abundantly clear is that Nokia is hoping Path can be the Lumia 1020′s Instagram substitute - in the absence of the real deal. In a press release announcing the partnership, the pair play up the photo filter aspect of their partnership:

Path with Nokia will bring more than 50 free and premium filter effects; along with high resolution & deep zoom imaging capabilities that allow users to capture and share those personal moments and every day works of art. Path users can also share their location, what music they are listening to or movie they are watching as well as express thoughts and moments, chat with private messages, and share emotions with no words through fun-loving stickers from the Path store.

Path has been eyeing up Windows Phone for a while. Back in March Morin told Pandodaily it was 'beginning work on Windows Phone'. At the time he also said Path was committing to the Windows Phone platform because 'we believe that the product is really good' . And last year described himself as ' bullish on Windows Phone '.

Nokia has also been been working hard to support the wider Windows Phone ecosystem by spending time trying to convince developers to port flagship apps across ( see: Instagram, for instance), and also making its own apps - such as its Here mapping software - available to the whole WP ecosystem, not just its own Windows Phones. At its last device launch event, the Lumia 925, it made much of Hipstamatic's Oggl being available on Windows Phone.

Path's arrival on the Lumia 1020 is another Windows Phone stepping stone that Nokia will be keen to shout about - especially in light of the ongoing absence of Instagram. But a private social networking app, however well known, does not detract from the fact Nokia has been forced to unbox a 41MP cameraphone on a platform without the current photo-sharing social network du jour.

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