While most leaks concerning the Lumia series fall under the purview of Windows Phone, a recent rumor by @evleaks suggests that Microsoft may be considering launching a Lumia branded handset that runs on Android.
There is no further information regarding the handset, when Microsoft intends to launch it. Nokia had previously launched Android powered handsets under the X series, but those devices ran a forked version of Android with Nokia’s own digital store in lieu of Google’s services.
Do Lumias running Android exist? No doubt. Will they actually make it onto shelves? Honestly, I don’t think anybody knows for sure at this point. The Nokia X is weird enough as it is, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Microsoft releasing an Android Lumia. If they do, however, the real question is going to be if it’ll come with the suite of Google applications, or with nothing but Microsoft services – greatly reducing its usefulness, at least here in the west.
I’d be very interested in a Lumia running Android, but only if it’s got Google services. I don’t think we need another Frankendroid.
I wouldn’t want a Kindle Fire DX type of frankendroid without google apps / services as you suggest.
But the other, more ridiculously unlikely frankendroid of a MS Lumia phone dual booting into WP with MS Apps and services alongside ability to boot into Android with full playstore access and google service.. I’d go for that monster!!
Why NOT have the Microsoft Services instead of the Google Services? I would put OneDrive on par with Google Drive and all the other Microsoft services higher, especially if Office would be ready. The Nokia Here services are just way better than Google Maps, especially because you can just download maps for a whole country in advance.
The 1 big thing that would be missing…the Play Store.
But the day that Microsoft does this would also be the day that most of their Windows Phone Developers will start questioning WHY they would develop for Windows Phone which might very well become a problem that really hurts Windows Phone
Why would Microsoft release something running an other operating system ?
If you can’t answer that, I doubt it is going to happen.
Edited 2014-07-07 17:45 UTC
Why not, they sell keyboards, mice and joysticks without any OS. Phones are just hardware with an OS attached.
Then again, it is MS, so… I don’t see this happening, unless they try to make it extra crappy, so to give Android a bad name.
Because their own OS isn’t selling so hot?
Nobody is selling their mobile OS anymore. (actually, the latest Desktop OS-ses have also been free updates)
Well… Selling does not always imply a financial transaction.
Personally I am not convinced that had Nokia gone Android (or N9) they would be doing much better than the ~4% market share that Windows Phone gets them.
The Android Marketplace it pretty crowded and may be headed for a shakeup (just my personal prediction). They would have been a small fish in a very large pond playing catchup.
At the rate they were hemorrhaging money and users I don’t know if they could have survived to get a foothold…
Did You know that AFTER hiring Elop Nokia had BEST quarter? Like literally RECORD sales, RECORD growth… and record PROFITS.
I mean PROFITS. PROFITS. PROFITS.
Now go back to Your statements about bleeding cash, and time table to it, and corelate it with:
a) hiring Elop
b) “burning platform” memo (one can omit “platform” and it still suitable name)
c) first introduction of WinP from Nokia
d) year after WinP from Nokia
If You need a helping hand, then start at Nokia quarterly reports.
(And when You do that, also compute Nokia when hiring Elop MARKETSHARE, and compare with Apple and Samsung combined market share – yes, combined)
Edited 2014-07-08 15:34 UTC
Nokia had declining profit (YoY down 14%, QoQ down 35%) and declining marketshare (YoY they were actually flat and QoQ they were down 18%) the quarter after Elop was hired (Q1 2011).
What they did have was increased sales because the mobile market was rapidly expanding, but we all saw how long that lasted.
So no, Nokia was in a dilemma before Elop was hired (contrary to what you seem to be implying).
I’d read the Nokia financials myself if I were you before spreading misinformation. Also, lay off of the caps lock.
You spreading misinformation. Elop was President and CEO of Nokia before Q1 2011.
September 2010 – April 2014 (3 years 8 months) Espoo, Finland https://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-elop/1/3a0/b31
Recalculate your YoY and QoQ numbers, please 😉
Sorry. Here’s Q42010 numbers (he came in Q32010):
Profits down 28% YoY, up 119% QoQ (seasonality though, wouldn’t read too much into it)
Sales were down 3% YoY and up 12% QoQ (mobile phones as a whole, smartphones actually saw positive gains QoQ and YoY due to a vastly expanding market)
Marketshare was tanking and had been tanking since earlier in the year.
So pretty much the same story with different percentages, a far cry from the “PROFITS PROFITS PROFITS” of the parent poster.
Thanks for pointing that out though.
Your numbers are misleading, but it doesn’t surprise anyone
You mixing IFSR (Q4/2010) and non-IFSR (Q1/2011). Q4/2010 YoY was -23% (not -28%). Devices & Services net sales were 4% YoY (not 3%) and 18% QoQ (not 12%).
http://company.nokia.com/sites/default/files/download/investors/req…
Elop accelerated Nokias downfall even more.
Assuming you’re right (and I don’t really care enough to bother atm), but the differences between IFRS/non-IFRS are inconsequential to my point IMO:
But let’s run with it anyway.
So profits tanked a few percentage points less than expected. Sales were down more than expected (-4% YoY) and QoQ they increased due to seasonality, and thoroughly collapsed the quarter following.
My point is that things were not roses when Elop became CEO, so he didn’t piss away some mythical era of prosperity at Nokia.
To satisfy different markets or market segments.
And why would they release a dual-boot — mostly to satisfy me! (why I said I know it’s unlikely) – but there’s definately a market that would like WP for the design, maybe even for some of MS services – I quite like their maps and integration for instance — but I’ve only played with others WP phones, I don’t think I’d buy one. I’d almost certain get one if they could run android for the app breadth (as a secondary OS). I reckon Google are probably even confidant enough these days, they might let them do it! maaaybe. MS wouldn’t dare though….
We had many dual-boot devices anounced some moths ago.
No release as of yet.
Google and MS do not want such thing to happen.
Ummm….
http://www.nokia.com/global/products/nokia-x/
But they can’t release a Lumia with Android, not everyone is done eating their crow from the Nokia X.
Your point is moot. As @tkeith has noted — “They already did,Peg!”
It’s called the X2 and it was released after the takeover of Devices and Services and before any other new phones from MSFT.
Edited 2014-07-07 19:00 UTC
They used to be the largest UNIX vendor outside of AT&T once with Xenix you know…..
I’m not saying they aren’t making money on Android right now (the patent money they currently get on per unit sold).
Because they already make more money off of Android patent licensing than they do from Lumia?
So, if they make android phones, they can produce them at a cheaper cost than their competitors ( because those competitors are paying Microsoft a fee. ).
At some point, Microsoft is just going to lose its pride and just start doing what makes shareholders the most money, weather that upholds the sanctity of their operating systems or not.
Edited 2014-07-07 21:51 UTC
Seeing huge billboards with Nokia Android on them initially also surprised me. They never advertised Windows MobilePhone so much. Now the same with Windows tablets being pretty much non-existant (only my own experience though), I suppose it makes sense that they have a plan B which is not dependent on their OS.
I’m skeptical, but it would be nice, even if only to demonstrate that MSFT has dropped the “Windows everywhere” mantra and, instead, is focused on getting it’s APPLICATIONS onto as many platforms as possible. Of course, MSFT doesn’t have to build a phone to make this happen, but it’s a lot more likely that an Android-based Lumia would sell better than a non-Android one nonetheless…
Edited 2014-07-07 20:35 UTC
Would make sense to drop the Nokia X branding and just have those phones branded/styled like Lumia phones.
I don’t expect an Android Lumia with a 41MP sensor or anything though.
Who knows at this point anymore, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
“Come to Crazy Satya’s phone emporium! Who knows what you’ll find!”(Like those ridiculous American commercials)