Tag Archives: Normandy

Realistic Thoughts on Nokia’s Android Plans

Chris Davies

It's not hard to get looking forward to the thought of Nokia implementing Android. Since the organization first introduced intends to change from Symbian to Home windows Phone at the begining of 2011, many have asked the knowledge of tossing along with Microsoft and it is distant-third-place platform instead of Google's OS. Without fail, with every new Lumia - may it be the 41-megapixel 1020 or even the phablet-scale 1520 - there is a small but vocal crowd who'll say "I'd purchase it, whether it went Android." Now, having a Nokia-badged Android device thought to become imminent, it's not hard to get looking forward to the business's near-legendary quality and also the versatility from the common software, but let us not succeed of ourselves.

I have been responsible for wanting for any "Nokia + Android" love-in myself. Actually, I'm able to recall telling Nokia's engineers back in the launch of the E7 at the end of 2010 just how much I wanted it had been Android (in those days at v2.2 Froyo) instead of Symbian which was running around the superbly-built aluminum Texting phone. Basically remember appropriately, they nearly handled to prevent moving their eyes at me.

Home windows Phone would be a huge improvement over Symbian, certainly, however that has not stopped the Android longing from tickling the rear of my thoughts as I have examined Lumia products in the last couple of years. It's not hard to view it as getting guaranteed is the silver bullet to Nokia's worries: forget about awaiting Microsoft to the court Home windows Phone designers and fill industry no requirement for Nokia to construct its very own applications to patch within the gaps in functionality.

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With Microsoft's purchase of Nokia around the corner completion, you can reason that the OS gamble compensated off: if, that's, the thing is Lumia development being introduced underneath the same umbrella as Home windows Phone like a positive thing. What that leaves, though, is an extremely different segment that could be specific using its Android plans.

Remember Asha? Nokia surprised us using the Asha 501 in May of this past year, a financial budget touch screen phone that guaranteed a lot of the functionality of the smartphone while walking from the spec-treadmill. Nokia's wager was there will be a market - along with a large one - interested in the look connected with Lumia and also the versatility of the touch screen, but reluctant (or not able) to pay for a Home windows Phone.

Microsoft will require Asha too if this grabs Nokia's Wise Products devision, and it is expected is the alternative to current Asha products which should be the beneficiary of the new adopting of Android. Based on the newest chatter, Nokia will go ahead and take open-source areas of Google's software although not google's applications themselves, replacing such things as HERE Maps for Google Maps, and blend Radio for Google Play All Access.

Asha's existing core of the reworked S40 is going to be junked, so we are told, for any heavily-reskinned Android. The resulting OS could even look exactly the same as to the we have seen on newer Asha products, like the 503, pared to focus on low-cost, low-energy chipsets combined with minimal memory but still focusing on a financial budget cost.

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The upside to Nokia is the fact that effective designers to port over applications for budget products like Asha will probably be a great deal simpler, since it has the whole Android cohort to focus on. Additionally, it regrettably implies that our hopes for a Lumia 1020 run by KitKat will not become a reality.

There is evidence that the marketplace for low-cost Nokia products is available the ongoing success from the Lumia 520/525 is an indication of that. Despite the fact that the unit known variously as "Normandy" and "Nokia X" is not likely to challenge the Universe S5 or even the LG G Professional 2 expected within the coming days, it may be enough to provide companies some sleep deprived nights in the still-blooming low-finish. Not for free has HTC conceded it dropped the ball by disregarding basic level customers ironically it might be Nokia, not Samsung, Huawei, or ZTE, that sweeps along with Android to take advantage of that omission.

Initially, then, you can argue there's little in Nokia's Android plans for individuals people teasing in the cutting-fringe of mobile phones to obtain looking forward to. Nevertheless, as we have found - to some extent of surprise, maybe - when we have stayed with Asha mobile phone models previously, there is lots to become stated for any small, affordable, lengthy-lasting, flexible little touch screen semi-smartphone. Our residual doubts were around applications, but when Nokia can deal with by using its undercover OS switch-flop, we might have to reconsider before presuming Microsoft will junk Asha beyond control.

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Android Nokia Is More Than What You Think – A Great Upgrade For Asha

46 mins ago Jan. 13, 2014 - 7:32 AM PST

Last week the very first reported photos of Nokia’s Android software made an appearance as well as on Monday, additional images appeared, showing a bit more from the interface. The Verge spotted this picture on Twitter which, much like last week’s images, show two signal strength indications one for every Sim. That indicates the marketplaces for such phones: Exactly the same ones today offered by Nokia’s Asha line.

The general look of both phone and also the software within this picture complement with prior images from noted tipster @evleaks. This latest image is apparently from an engineering prototype from the Normandy, the alleged codename for that phone. It really doesn’t seem sensible for Nokia to go in the standard Android phone market with Normandy.

Rather, using Android to bolster their Asha line-up appears the likely play in my experience.

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While Nokia required on Home windows Phone since it's primary smartphone platform in Feb 2011, a brand new Android line could provide the organization having a platform alternative for its Asha line, that are limited, low-cost mobile phone models offered in emerging marketplaces built on Nokia’s aging S40 platform.

By changing S40 with Android because the underlying platform to energy the Asha line, Nokia can engage in Android’s wide usage and developer support. Nokia can personalize the feel and look of Android, similar in method of Amazon’s Kindle, while building in use of Microsoft’s software and services. Think SkyDrive, Skype and Office.

Skype on Android

This method would gain Microsoft use of 100s of countless additional customers and achieve this through Android of sorts. Google’s platform may be the engine underneath the hood of these mobile phones to supply elderly features than S40. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Google re-labored Android with KitKat, or Android 4.4: The brand new platform can run well on phones with less than 512 Megabytes of memory.

I’m still attempting to wrap my mind around application support though. Turn to the Kindle for example. Since Amazon . com uses the Android Free Project, or AOSP, form of Android it doesn’t provide use of Google’s services for example Gmail, Chrome and also the Play Store.

That’s fine in Amazon’s situation because it produced its very own email client and Silk Browser, as well as it own application store. How Nokia would manage this — particularly by having an application store that supports software written to operate on Android — continues to be a wide open question.

Nokia Asha 501

No matter that, the process appears seem. Microsoft spent $7.17 billion on Nokia’s device business in September. Included in that deal, Microsoft acquired the Asha brand, passing on a foothold into new marketplaces.

It isn't likely that Microsoft could possibly get easily get its software and services running on S40 products however it is not sensible to abandon the company. Rather, switching it to Android gives the organization a method to push Asha like a modern-searching, low-cost line being an access point for Microsoft software. So when individuals Asha customers are prepared for some thing robust, they are able to step-up to Home windows Phone later on.

Why don't you use Home windows Phone for that Asha line to start with? It’s a legitimate question. But because Microsoft seems heading perfectly into a merger of sorts between Home windows Phone and Home windows RT, it appears as though the smartphone platform needs more horsepower underneath the hood, not less. Asha running Home windows services atop a light-weight form of Android will work better in the basic level.

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Android Nokia “Normandy” – Resurfaces

Chris Burns

Assuming you have had a look in the Nokia smartphone platform in the last couple of years, you realize good and well a couple of things are true. The very first is that Nokia runs either Home windows Phone or perhaps an odder, more compact operating-system known as Asha. The second reason is the phones produced by Nokia are vibrantly colored, distinctively formed, and definitely aren't designed for Android. This second affirmation appears to become breaking apart in the seams here at the beginning of 2014.

What we have heard about within the last couple of several weeks - and years, even - is the fact that Nokia continues to be available to dealing with Android, but was restricted by their contract with Microsoft. Here since Nokia generally is possessed by Microsoft in 2014, it appears that the break has happened. However little sense it can make now that certain is the owner of another, Microsoft's Nokia appears to possess sprung a leak, one which consists of a tool with codename "Normandy."

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This little animal works together with an operating-system that's a minimum of according to Android, working with lots of exactly the same symbols along with a pull-lower status bar up top. There also seems to become two Sim slots, as evidenced through the two status bars up over the display in advance, along with a rather unique interface with simple one-color symbols and short text game titles.

This machine is "also simpler than Asha years old", states another through the title of Zhang Zhicheng who provides among the leaked photos now. Another photo originates from Twitter user Seamissu through GSMArena where they have got basically exactly the same phone, but this time around having a cover on the top. This really is much more likely an engineering sample inside a situation that hides (somewhat) the design from the device while it's being examined.

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It might be an extremely strange occurrence if the device really did begin to see the light of day, but stranger everything has happened. Microsoft could equally well be permitting this device's creation to unfold to determine some ultra-low-cost sales worldwide while their Home windows Phone products still build steam right alongside.

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