It started out as a pie-in-the-sky rumor: Nokia is making an Android device. Surely not, given the Finnish firm has only recently been acquired by software giant (and the Windows Phone peddling) Microsoft. So why would Nokia jump into bed with the enemy?
While many eyebrows were raised, and eyes rolled, when news of the Nokia X first took to the web (under the moniker Normandy), the sheer deluge of leaks have added more and more credibility to the handset's existence.
There are differing opinions to the name it will officially launch under though. In the red corner you have seasoned mobile leaker @evleaks claiming "Project Normandy = Nokia X", while in the blue there's a new Twitter player @NextLeaks who reckons "Nokia Asha 4xx = Nokia Normandy".
However going by the volume of leaks surrounding the "Nokia X" name that's the one we're inclined to believe.
What is it? Nokia's first smartphone to run Google's Android OS
When is it out? All eyes are on MWC 2014
What will it cost? Not a lot, around £70/$110/AU$120
Nokia X release date and price
Most Nokia X rumors are currently highlighting MWC 2014 in Barcelona as the platform for the Nokia Android smartphone to make its international appearance.
Nokia has a press conference confirmed for February 24, and all eyes will be on the Finnish firm to see if the Android Normandy handset does indeed exist.
We've even had Nokia tease us about the Nokia X's launch, as it's revealed images of tress, monkeys, UFOs, and treasure maps - with "X" references scattered throughout.
It's not clear when, or even if, you'll be able to get your hands on the Nokia X, as its low-end credentials means it could be destined for emerging markets only - skipping the likes of the UK, US and Australia.
With low-end specs comes an equally low-end price, so you can expect the Nokia X to be a pretty affordable - if hard to come by - Android device, with figures of £70/$110/AU$120 being thrown around.
Here's what we reckon the Nokia X should look like:
Nokia X operating system
The signal biggest feature on the Nokia X will be its operating system. Nokia is heavily invested in the Windows Phone platform for its Lumia range, while its Asha devices run its own, in-house Asha OS.
The Nokia Normandy isn't expected to run either of these, instead opting for Google's Android operating system - albeit a hugely modified version.
We've seen numerous screen grabs appear online, claiming to show the Android setup on the Nokia X, with many drawing more comparisons with Windows Phone or the defunct MeeGo platform rather than its supposed Android base.
The first screens to appear don't give a great deal away, but the more detailed lockscreen notifications, an Android style dialer app and a Google-esque notifications bar hint that the Nokia X is packing a different, Google-flavored, OS.
Then came a snap claiming to show the app list on Nokia Normandy - and this has an air of MeeGo about it as well as a similar notification bar to the previous screens.
The most detailed screenshots to date however come via @evleaks, and show what appears to be a long, vertical, scrollable homescreen made up of various live-tile esque boxes and application icons.
Some of the apps which appear in these screens (e.g. BBM and Plants vs. Zombies 2) are not currently available on the Windows Phone store, but do exist on Google Play, once again pointing towards an Android influence for the Nokia X.
Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-x-normandy-1219003
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