Nokia Reportedly Kills Current Android Plans

An Android-based smartphone coming from Nokia might never arrive on shelves, despite the fact that the vendor has been working on at least one for some time now, new reports on the matter suggest.

Nokia is currently the largest provider of Windows Phone devices out there, but the company has been recently rumored to be designing its own Android devices as well. However, it seems that the Finnish mobile phone maker has finally decided to kill all of its plans for the release of an Android smartphone or of any device running under Google’s platform, for that matter. The info comes from C Technology, which suggests that Nokia already has some Android-based prototype devices, including a 7-inch tablet PC, and that Peter Skillman, head of Nokia’s UX design team, was in charge with their development.

One of these products was recently leaked online under the form of Nokia Normandy, which was planned for launch in 2014 as an entry-level device, but which will never come to be. Apparently, Microsoft has asked the phone maker to leave aside any Android projects, and the company complied, despite the fact that it was conducted by that part of Nokia that won’t be transferred following the pending Microsoft purchase. As part of the agreement with the Redmond-based software giant, Nokia is not allowed to sell phones, smartphones, and tablet PCs under its name for the next two years, as UnwiredView notes. Instead, Nokia is expected to focus its CTO office R&D activities towards new emerging technologies, including wireless charging, low-power electromagnetic energy generation, flexible screens, and the like.

The leading mobile phone maker might have smart glasses on shelves by 2015, rumor has it. The company will work on the development of other wearable technologies as well. However, no official confirmation on this has been provided as of now, and we’ll take the info with a grain of salt. Keep an eye on this space for additional details on Nokia’s plans for the future.

Nokia reportedly kills Android plans
Image credits to Nokia

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