[Follow-Up]Nokia Still Building Android Phone Until Nov; Already Has 10K Prototypes

[dgstorm]

The above is simply a fan rendering of a potential Android Lumia.​

And the plot thickens...

Here's a follow-up to our previous report indicating Nokia had actually already developed a Lumia Android phone as a "plan b" if Windows Phone failed for them. It appears that Nokia was/is fairly serious about their potential Android product. Not only do they already have 10,000 prototypes of the device on-hand already, they will reportedly continue to develop the device right up until the November deadline when shareholders make the final decision on the Microsoft buyout. Additionally, new details regarding the phone suggest it will be a low-end budget device. Here's a quote with a few more of the details,

Today Chinese site and Weibo account CTechnology, with a pretty good track record of China based smartphone leaks, has more details about this cheap Nokia Android.

The device, based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8225Q chip, was being developed and tested by Nokia’s Beijing based R&D team, and was already at somewhat advanced prototype stage. In fact, before the announcement of sale, Foxconn has already manufactured and delivered a batch of more than 10 000 prototype Mountain View units.

And now for the most interesting part. Mountain View development hasn’t stopped just yet. Foxconn is still making more of them, Beijing based Nokia R&D teams are still working on it, and the project will not be cancelled until/if Nokia shareholders approve Microsoft deal at General Meeting in November.

This gets the mind wondering about possibilities. Although the deal with Microsoft is very likely to go through, if for some reason it doesn't, a Nokia Android phone is likely to come. Alternatively, It also makes you wonder what Microsoft is going to do with all of those Nokia Android devices once the purchase goes through.

Source: UnWiredView

 

[johnomaz]

With appropriate specs, I would buy a Nokia Android phone. Would love for them to go Vanilla Android but I doubt that.

 

[cereal killer]

In my opinion, no one builds a smartphone like Nokia with the exception of Sony. Sony handsets are sick as well

 

[akhenax]

What makes one manufacturer better than another? What is "build quality" when compared to cost of ownership? Sure a phone that costs $800 USD would hopefully be better than a phone that cost $200 USD, but if both phones cost the same, what would make one better than the other?

The only thing that comes to mind is vendor software, and your experience with it.

 

[liftedplane]

M$ should just sell it... seriously why not buy nokia, make your lumia AND make an android lumia as well... diversify. diversify diversify.

 

[kodiak799]

M$ should just sell it... seriously why not buy nokia, make your lumia AND make an android lumia as well... diversify. diversify diversify.

And why just throw away that R&D? They'd literally be flushing money down the toilet.

Plus, if people like the Nokia phone they might be attracted to a Nokia running WinMo. Although I suppose by the same token a flop would hurt the Nokia brand they just bought.

And what could be really slick is they could offer full-blown Office for Android - but exclusive to Nokia handsets. That's a slam-dunk. Seems like it would make more sense to attack the Google threat to Windows and Office on both fronts.