Before Nokia came into Microsoft's fold, the company was rumored to be developing an Android phone. Back then, Nokia's Symbian OS wasn't doing too well. Moreover, persistent and overwhelming encroachments from both Apple and Android whittled down Nokia's once overwhelming market presence into a shadow of its former self. Because of these factors, it made sense for the company to experiment with developing Android handsets. With the Microsoft deal however, Nokia's Android phone will probably never see the light of day.
In spite of bleak prospects for an Android-powered phone release by Nokia, tech aficionados can still get a glimpse of what might have been. Photos of what could be an Android prototype phone developed by Nokia, have been leaked on Twitter.
The photos, courtesy Evleaks, show a Nokia phone, dubbed Normandy, that bears a striking resemblance to Nokia's Lumia 520. The main difference between the Normandy and the Lumia 520 is the lack of the Windows Phone Logo. The leaked photos also suggest the lack of capacitive buttons, a camera flash, and a dedicated camera button.
According to some, rumors Normandy may be a prototype Windows phone, while rumors indicate that the device may actually ship with a different version of Android. This version may not be connected to Google. If true, this would make the device similar to the Kindle Fire, which sports a non-Google affiliated version of the open source OS.
