Microsoft Nokia X2 Android is a paradox of possibilities, but the Windows manufacturer has confirmed it is powering its new line of Nokia handsets with the Google OS.
Microsoft finally reveals its first phone handsets after its Nokia acquisition. In an unlikely turn of events, the company has also confirmed the new Nokia X2 will be installed with Android OS.
The move is seen as a contradiction in Microsoft's marketing strategy, since the company has previously developed its own Windows Phone OS, for mobile devices. Microsoft maintains the combination makes it easier for Nokia X2 users to access its cloud-based services, though, with pre-installed apps to boot (yahoo.com).
Industry expert Ben Woods perceive Microsoft will pass on the opportunity for serious profits if it opposes an Android-powered Nokia phone. "I still find it astounding that Microsoft is making Android phones, but there seems to be a steely determination to take a more open approach for the greater good of the whole company rather than just the Windows Phone platform."
The new Nokia handsets come in the wake of the lackluster Asha series. Wood says "If [Microsoft] don't do this, then someone else is going to get the business." Scrapping a Microsoft Nokia X2 Android tie-up would be considered as leaving "money on the table".
Microsoft acquired Nokia for 5.4 billion Euros, finalized April 25th. The company intends to follow through with the Nokia X's success, leaving the Asha dud behind. Nokia X saturated the Pakistan, India, Russia, Kenya, and Nigeria markets upon release.
With a larger screen (4.3 inches), double the RAM (1GB), longer battery life, and a front-facing camera installed, the Nokia X2 is set to be a solid device at $135, slated for a July launch.
The company claims the Microsoft Nokia X2 Android is merely a transition device to Windows-powered devices. Microsoft Marketing Executive Jussi Nevanlinna asserts: "The whole idea of bringing more people into Microsoft Cloud through these services is the very core of the strategy." (bbc.com)
