Despite Nokia's sworn allegiance to Microsoft and Windows Phone, the company may be working on a low-end Android phone for emerging markets.
Images of Nokia's Android handset, codenamed Normandy, first appeared in November, and at the time it seemed like either a hedge or a bargaining chip for Nokia. After all, Nokia is the main producer of Windows Phones, and as the New York Times reported in September, a potential switch to Android might have made Microsoft more eager to acquire the Finnish phone maker.
But now, The Verge and All Things D are reporting that Nokia plans to go ahead with the launch, even with Microsoft's Nokia acquisition pending. And Microsoft might even be willing to let it happen.
It's not as crazy as it sounds. Nokia doesn't only produce Windows Phones. The company also has a low-end handset line called Asha, but it's based on aging software and it's not a great platform for apps. Normandy, which reportedly also has the codename AoL (for Asha on Linux), would be a successor.
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