The rumors really are true: Nokia plans to release an Android smartphone. Unnamed sources within Nokia have confirmed that the Android-based smartphone will debut at MWC 2014.
In spite of its close relationship with Microsoft, Nokia will reportedly release an Android smartphone before the end of the month. Rumors have been circling around the Internet since last year that Nokia was working on an Android-based smartphone. Initially, nobody believed that the rumors were true, but then the idea began to gain traction after a series of leaks by well-reputed leaker Evleaks appeared on Twitter.
Now that the Wall Street Journal has repeated the rumors and backed them up with unnamed sources from Nokia, the Android-based smartphone is all-but confirmed. The report also suggests that the Android-based Nokia smartphone will be unveiled at MWC 2014 in Barcelona, Spain.
Nokia started working on the Android smartphone before it signed its smartphone business and giant portfolio of patents over to Microsoft for $7.4 billion. The handset was intended for customers looking for a smartphone in the low-end part of the market. Nokia also hoped that the Android-based smartphone would be a big hit in emerging markets. Windows 8 requires a certain level of hardware to function and truly low-end smartphones are simply ot possible with Microsoft's new OS. So, the Android-based smartphone concept was born at Nokia.
Surprisingly, instead of killing the project once its sale to Microsoft went through, Nokia decided to carry on with production. Even more shocking is the fact that Microsoft decided to allow the project to continue. The Wall Street Journal's sources claim that Microsoft's decision was pragmatic; that the company is willing to let Nokia sell a handset with its competition's OS onboard in order to make more money and to boost sales.
Naturally, Microsoft's cooperativeness has its limits. The Android smartphone will reportedly not feature Google's Play store and instead of Google's app suite, it will feature standard apps from Microsoft and Nokia. Users will reportedly have to use a Nokia-made app store to buy Android apps instead. Still, these are small concessions that Nokia must make in comparison to those Microsoft has decided to make.
It is unknown whether this is the only Android-based Nokia smartphone that Microosft will allow, or if this will become a new case of business making the strangest bedfellows. Either way, it's a fascinating case and it will be interesting to see how well the Android-based Nokia smartphone sells.
Many users have commented that they love Nokia's smartphones, but just hate Windows 8 and its limited app offerings. Could Nokia's Android smartphone outperform its Windows 8 smartphones? If so, this Android-based Nokia smartphone could upset the happy balance between the two companies, which recently became one.
