Nokia was testing Android on Lumias before Microsoft sale

[techbeck]

Before Nokia bet its smartphone ambitions on Windows Phone, the idea of an Android-powered Nokia device was not so hard to believe. Now, according to a new report from The New York Times, it turns out Nokia engineers had developed Lumia phones that ran Google's Android operating system. The report says that Android was running on Nokia smartphones internally "well before" discussions that led to Microsoft's purchase of the company's handset division. Additionally, it's said that while Microsoft knew about the project ? and confirmed its existence to the Times ?it "wasn?t a part of Microsoft?s discussions" prior to the acquisition. Still, the threat of Nokia abandoning Windows Phone (a move that it was free to make at the end of 2014) for Android would have been devastating for Microsoft's struggling mobile operating system.

 

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/13/4727950/nokia-was-testing-android-on-lumias-before-microsoft-sale

[Draconian Guppy]

wow, that would've been awesome. moar competition! ( Nokia build quality ftw)

[KeR]

If only, I would buy a Lumia phone in a heart beat if they ran Android.

[Max Norris]

Still, the threat of Nokia abandoning Windows Phone (a move that it was free to make at the end of 2014) for Android would have been devastating for Microsoft's struggling mobile operating system.

Probably would have been somewhat devastating for Nokia as well. There's already a lot (understatement) of Android devices out there. Trying to squeeze into an already over-saturated market would be difficult to say the least. Trying to stand out when you're producing the same thing as everybody else.. not easy. With my Windows Phone it was dead easy to pick a Nokia, love it. With my Android I'd have a much tougher time of it, there's some crappy devices out there sure but plenty of good ones as well.. nowhere near as certain I'd have picked a Nokia if it was an Android phone.