By Mobile World Congress is approaching faster than a bullet from a desert eagle, and Nokia is continuing to tease us a about an announcement they’ll be making at the big show in Barcelona. We’re almost certain it’s going to be the “Nokia Normandy” phone we’ve been hearing about so much, an Android-running entry level device that is said to cost just $100.
Recent rumors have given it a name change, of course, with the latest suggesting it’ll be called the Nokia X. It looks like the Finnish company could indeed be running with that, as all their official teaser image for the announcement shows some sort of green X.
Not convinced that the arrows in the photo above make up an X? How about the “X” marking the spot on the map, or the X shape in the stand of DNA making up the tree’s roots in the couple of images used to tease the announcement on Chinese social network Weibo? That other picture with the kid in a monkey costume and an actual monkey? Well, yea, we’ve got nothing on that.
Nonetheless, it’s all very interesting and it all points to us seeing this peculiar device launched in the week to come. The device itself might not be setting the world on fire, though. Just look at these specs it’s said to don:
- OS: Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
- Processor: Dual-core Snapdragon 1 GHz MSM8225Q (Snapdragon 200)
- Display: TFT technology, size 4 “- 480×854 ~ 285ppi
- GPS: Yes, A-GPS support
- Memory: 4 GB, 512 MB RAM
- Card slot: microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB support
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Wi-Fi hotspot
- Bluetooth: Yes, v4.0 with A2DP
- Main Camera: 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels
And now you see where that $100 price tag comes from. It’s safe to say this thing is headed straight for developing markets, but it has our attention regardless. Part of that might be due to the fact that Nokia’s new potential owner is the maker of Windows Phone, and because Nokia practically swore they’d never make an Android phone.
This won’t be your typical Android phone, it seems. All of the UI leaks suggest this will be heavily skinned by Nokia, giving us a style that’s reminiscent of Windows phone while neglecting to employ some of Android’s most unique features such as customizable home-screens.
We’re not even sure if this thing will have access to Google Play, as Nokia seems to be positioning the X as more of a supercharged feature phone than a smartphone. We’ll have to wait for the big unveiling to see what exactly we’re getting, though, so stay tuned as Mobile World Congress kicks off next week.
So, a 5 year old tech phone to send to developing markets to see if this Android thing will do them (Nokia) any solids. Normany? Maybe, but certainly not Omaha beach.
5 years old? Damn, time really flies in the Android world. The Snapdragon 200 was just announced in February 2013.
Thanks for the correction on the processor, the other components sure seem about 5 years ago to me.
Good god this phone is going to flop. It’s going to go double plastic.
“…faster than a bullet from a desert eagle”
Desert Eagle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_Desert_Eagle
Why are people excited about a phone with the specs equivalent to a Droid 2? If Nokia made the next Nexus with top specs and features, nobody would buy an iPhone. I don’t k ow why they’re wasting their time with low-end garbage.
It may be worth picking up for a second device in case my main handset needs to be repaired. Only if it has access to the play store though
I wouldn’t even buy that as an emergency phone or as a loaner phone if I was a business owner who sold phones.
It’s certainly not an ideal device – but my current backup phone is an old candybar which as a screen tech selling point lists that it’s ‘colour’ ;)
Nokia provides superior customer support for their devices. Their hardware is pretty well built as well. Nokia has a high level of customer loyalty. Microkia has produced an android phone… That’s big news. If devs can root it and dev it. The thought of AOSP running on Nokia hardware is pretty exciting.
But as the article states, which I tend to agree with, this is being positioned as a really high end feature phone.
“That other picture with the kid in a monkey costume and an actual monkey? Well, yea, we’ve got nothing on that.”
Theory’s are fun! Here’s one:
Windows Phone OS is equivalent to a kid, yet Nokia sees Android as a monkey. They are simply implying that they are the new kid on the block that’s temporarily dressed as a monkey, possibly until the deal with Microsoft goes through.
The Microsoft deal is already done.
So are Microsoft’s dreams of becoming the next big mobile platform, at this rate.
A monkey dressed like a child is still a monkey, but a child dressed like a monkey is a horse’s ass.
I was confused by the headline and hoping to read about an updated Moto X.
1st mistake: forking Android. 2nd mistake: low-end phone.