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One of my favorite aspects of Android is the sheer versatility of the operating system. When a manufacturer releases a product and power users wish for the product to have a bit more functionality, there’s a good chance that a talented Android developer will arise to do just that. The Nokia X was announced last week with a full set of Nokia and Microsoft services, completely lacking Google’s widely recognized applications that make Android into the behemoth of an operating system that it is today. The usefulness of the Nokia X was questioned and now Android hackers have done what they do best, customizing devices, increasing their usefulness.
No matter how you slice it, Android is still Android. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Nokia X has been rooted shortly after the phone was announced. Remember, the Nokia X is launching with Android 4.1.2, which launched back in November 2012. That’s ancient in terms of Android releases. Since then, we’ve seen 6 updates, including 2 major revisions, bringing us to Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
Thanks to Nokia using such an outdated version of Android, a user over at XDA Developers was able to run an old and well known exploit (Gandalf) to obtain root on the Nokia X. After that, he simply installed a file system explorer that can read system partitions, such as Root Explorer, and manually pushed all of the standard Google applications on to Nokia X’s system directory. With minimal effort, the Nokia X now has Google apps like Google Now, Google Maps, Google Now Launcher, most importantly the Google Play Store, and the Play Store’s plethora of apps, games, music, movies, and books.
This question still remains. Why would you buy the Nokia X and put Google Services on it? It’s a cheaply made device, has low end hardware specs, runs an old version of Android, and you have to hack it to run Google services. Answer: Because you can.
Elop did say that the Nokia X did allow other apps and app stores to be sideloaded. I’m not sure this is what he meant though.
Source: XDA Developers
Nokia’s phone comes without Gapps.
Let’s hope somebody makes CM11 nighties for this phone, wouldn’t mind having it as my new “bat phone”
Why even bother? Who’s buying this pos?
Because you can.
Not even root can save this device
If hackers can do it for the Lumia 1020, I will grab this phone for sure. The X phone could be good if the specs were better seriously.Hehehhe
Exactly. With Android support for the X, maybe they can come up with a decent ROM for better phones like the 1020.
I remember a friend of mine was running android on a HTC windows phone so I don’t see why it can’t be done
Was it one of the old Windows Mobile phones or was it a WP7 or WP8 phone?
If the latter, please tell us more..
I believe it was the hd7
They’re working on that too:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1483377
Nokia intentionally wanted to make cheap Android phone without crucial Google Apps so that it can show Microsoft and Nokia users how bad Android is. But they are making a mockery of their own brand!
But I think few people will know it’s Android because it’s skinned to look like WP. So most folks will probably associate the lackluster experience with Microsoft and Nokia more than Android.
I think it’s the opposite. The fact that it is Android in Windows Phone’s clothing will make people say “wow, maybe Windows Phone isn’t as horrible as I have heard”. It doesn’t crash.
[Even though the OS nobody wants (eg, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone) forces you to use the Search Engine nobody wants (Bing) and the browser nobody wants (Internet Explorer).]
This actually makes me want to get this devoice. We all know Nokia makes a solid build, throw in a few native apps and you’ve got a decent cheap device.
Has nothing to do with your post just an observation. Used to love the Play Store, life has moved on without it on WP8 on the 1020. With all of Googles efforts to keep its own services off WP devices, I’ve found that I really don’t need or even like Googles services all that much anymore. Not making excuses, just saying I would never buy a device just to root it for Play Store. As for all the other Apps I’m missing, well it’s hard to miss something I have never known and with 300,000 apps in the WP Store, not looking like a lot of those are even all that important anymore.
Nokia x from ms is like lipstick on a pig ..another pos phone from ms
Squeal, piggy, squeal!
You just cannot vote with your wallet for that.
if this installation were blocked , nokia would have been in a better position
I will buy this phone, bcz its android and i dont need to have Google PLUS account to use this phone.