Nokia X [Formally Normandy] Android OS

somebody_else · 24-02-2014 2:43pm

Hi Guys

Quick look at it:
XL version

and quick compare:
http://www.nokia.com/global/products/compare/?action=productcompareaction&products=3386852-3385696-3389538#environment

Tom

jester77 · 24-02-2014 2:46pm

somebody_else wrote: »

Hi Guys

Quick look at it:
XL version

and quick compare:
http://www.nokia.com/global/products/compare/?action=productcompareaction&products=3386852-3385696-3389538#environment

Tom

That is one ugly interface, looks like a scroll nightmare that would make your eyes bleed. What where they ever thinking of

somebody_else · 24-02-2014 3:29pm

Yeah

IT looks like WP 8 or 8.1

If You have few aps it's ok (I'm using Lumia like launcher myself) but with more it is messy.

Tom

long_b · 25-02-2014 4:46pm

Well ... I will be all over.the Nokia XL when it launches.
Perfect as a second phone - especially if , like me, your main phone is WP.

Someone on Twitter confirmed that it runs Dolphin and Chrome browsers OK.

Don't know of anyone mentioned it already but it runs about 70%.of Android apps out of the box. Ones.that aren't too tightly integrated with the big G's services.

BionicRasher · 25-02-2014 5:09pm

long_b wrote: »

Well ... I will be all over.the Nokia XL when it launches.
Perfect as a second phone - especially if , like me, your main phone is WP.

Someone on Twitter confirmed that it runs Dolphin and Chrome browsers OK.

Don't know of anyone mentioned it already but it runs about 70%.of Android apps out of the box. Ones.that aren't too tightly integrated with the big G's services.

I dont get it - if its Android it should run 100% of the apps - why are they locking it down
doomed to fail I think

jester77 · 25-02-2014 5:31pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

I dont get it - if its Android it should run 100% of the apps - why are they locking it down
doomed to fail I think

My theory is that Windows OS is unable to run on low powered devices and MS/Nokia are losing out big time to this market. And they are unable to compete with Samsung and Apple at the upper end. So this is their attempt to break into budget end of the market. Android can run on low powered devices, so they create a bastardised Android version that run their own apps and put a similar skin to windows OS on it.

I don't see any other way it can make sense.

Dudda · 25-02-2014 5:34pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

I dont get it - if its Android it should run 100% of the apps - why are they locking it down
doomed to fail I think

Google can introduce API's which developers use two ways. It can be in a new version of Android like moving from 4.3 to 4.4 or it can be in an update to Google Play Services.

Google is introducing a lot of API's that run through it's Play Services so apps that use these API's won't work on forked versions of Android or will need to be ported to work. The 70% will probably reduce further over time as Google introduces more API's through it's Play Services. It does this as it's easier to get new features out to all users rather than waiting for manufactures to push out updates to the OS which rarely happens. A typical example of a new one would be chromecast which had the public API rolled out to all Android Phones in the update to the Google Play Services. This would have taken ages if every user had to update the version of Android. If an app uses the chromecast api it's unlikely to work on a forked version of Android.

It's not Nokia's or Amazon's (kindle fire) fault as they don't have these API's and you can't blame Google too much either as it would take ages to update everyone to the latest Android OS to get new services out to people.

beauf · 25-02-2014 5:35pm

jester77 wrote: »

My theory is that Windows OS is unable to run on low powered devices and MS/Nokia are losing out big time to this market. And they are unable to compete with Samsung and Apple at the upper end. So this is their attempt to break into budget end of the market. Android can run on low powered devices, so they create a bastardised Android version that run their own apps and put a similar skin to windows OS on it.

I don't see any other way it can make sense.

Where are you getting that from? WP is better than Android at the low end?

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/nokia-520-outsold-all-android-phones-in-the-uk-in-december

http://www.wpcentral.com/nokias-affordable-lumia-520-range-storm-amazon-best-sellers-chart

jester77 · 25-02-2014 5:45pm

beauf wrote: »

Where are you getting that from? WP is better than Android at the low end?

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/nokia-520-outsold-all-android-phones-in-the-uk-in-december

http://www.wpcentral.com/nokias-affordable-lumia-520-range-storm-amazon-best-sellers-chart

It was just a theory of mine. I was trying to find a logical explanation to what they have done. But your links dispels that theory and make their decision even more dumbfounding

Professey Chin · 25-02-2014 5:51pm

jester77 wrote: »

It was just a theory of mine. I was trying to find a logical explanation to what they have done. But your links dispels that theory and make their decision even more dumbfounding

Their decision is their own platform hasnt made a dent so to get their services in use, theyre trying to leech off the most successful platform in the hope that people will prefer Microsofts services to Googles. Blackberry tried a similar thing with the Android runtime and failed. Amazon used it very successfully but the Kindle brand was already really popular. Nokia arent that popular anymore and have really underpowered their offering. It'll run a lot of apps but I bet a massive amount will run like complete crap.
Plus when upgrade time comes the decision will have to be made. Do I prefer my apps or the services?

beauf · 25-02-2014 6:14pm

Nokia failed for years to learn from their failure with Nokia Store and their own app store. TBH its looks like the same people are still there and are doomed to repeat their past mistakes. They should concentrate on the hardware, and produce a stock android device, or very light skin like the moto. THis isn't Rocket science, but some people just can't make things simple. It looks those guys, or that mentality are still influential at Nokia.

Venom · 25-02-2014 9:09pm

beauf wrote: »

Nokia failed for years to learn from their failure with Nokia Store and their own app store. TBH its looks like the same people are still there and are doomed to repeat their past mistakes. They should concentrate on the hardware, and produce a stock android device, or very light skin like the moto. THis is Rocket science, but some people just can't make things simple. It looks those guys, or that mentality are still influential at Nokia.

This.

Nokia has nearly always gotten the hardware side of things right on there phones. Sadly this hardware then gets turned over to drooling mouth breathing retards who proceed to make a clusterfcuk of the software.

How many years now has Nokia continued to use crap smart phone operating systems such as Symbian, Meego and now this awful hybrid of Android that haven't and won't get any support from the dev community at large.

BionicRasher · 25-02-2014 9:17pm

So maybe the title of the thread should be changed to
Nokia X..... Almost Android but not really.

Sir Oxman · 25-02-2014 9:39pm

That looks bloody awful.

irishchris · 26-02-2014 10:24am

Looks like they are getting the app community behind them already. Big plus that viber will come preinstalled in this series.

http://www.wpxbox.com/viber-come-pre-installed-nokia-x-series-phones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Wpxbox+(WPXBOX)

Sadly for me I would need a full android os on a daily basis but for the wife this will make an ideal phone for a very reasonable price.

jacksie66 · 26-02-2014 10:30am

This post has been deleted.

BionicRasher · 26-02-2014 11:02am

irishchris wrote: »

Looks like they are getting the app community behind them already. Big plus that viber will come preinstalled in this series.

but anyone can install Viber - its free and seems to be available on any device already
Whats the advantage of having it pre installed?

irishchris wrote: »

Sadly for me I would need a full android os on a daily basis but for the wife this will make an ideal phone for a very reasonable price.

What price is this phone going to be?
for €149 you can get the Moto G which is 100 times better than this attempt by Nokia

beauf · 26-02-2014 11:34am

jacksie66 wrote: »

Meego was pretty good IMO. Just never got a chance..

Theres a decent argument that Nokia should have stuck to Meego instead of going with MS.

They stuck with S60 way too long. Then there was about 6~12 months where there were hardly any Nokia's in the shops. Took too long to get the Nokia 800 out. Thats what really killed them right there.

beauf · 26-02-2014 2:11pm

There a piece on it here

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/25/5445150/why-is-nokia-making-android-phones

I think Mokia risk damaging the momentum of the low end windows phones. Which could be fatal for WP.

White Heart Loon · 26-02-2014 2:21pm

Has anyone mentioned that Microsoft already make lots of money from Android, it's in their interest that Nokia dip their toes in the water

beauf · 26-02-2014 3:17pm

2 Billion a year from Android. Nokia had 500 million profit last year, from a loss of €795 million in 2012.

http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-earns-2-billion-per-year-from-android-patent-royalties-2013-11
http://windowsphonedaily.com/2013/10/nokia-lumia-sales-q3-2013-global-north-america.html#.Uw30hH-0M9k

It wouldn't take much of a kick to drive Windows Phone out of the Market.

Francie Barrett · 26-02-2014 3:32pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

for €149 you can get the Moto G which is 100 times better than this attempt by Nokia

The Moto G is an anomaly with regard to specs and value for money. With Motorola being subsumed by Lenovo, we won't see the like of it again.

Also, this phone is going to be sold for €89 - its main aim is to compete with the bottom-end Android phones, which are woeful.

White Heart Loon · 26-02-2014 3:33pm

beauf wrote: »

2 Billion a year from Android.

Yeah, I thought it was something big like that

irishchris · 26-02-2014 6:14pm

BionicRasher wrote: »

but anyone can install Viber - its free and seems to be available on any device already
Whats the advantage of having it pre installed

No advantage to having it pre installed. The point I was making is it is available which is a good sign that app makers will support the X series even though is not stock android

BionicRasher wrote: »

What price is this phone going to be?
for €149 you can get the Moto G which is 100 times better than this attempt by Nokia

109 euro the the XL version. So 40 euro cheaper for a bigger phone 5"
Granted it has a modified version of Android but for many who only use the basics eg Facebook,email,viber etc it is a perfect phone fir a cheap price

J_E · 26-02-2014 6:49pm

It's a case of too little, too late to be honest. Nokia had a good chance with Android pre-WP, I don't think they're going to be creating any splashes now though. Stick with the Lumia.

The UI is a hideous concoction but it's early days. Why they're locking down apps is just strange, they're only hurting themselves.

If Nokia put their dignity to the side and taken on Android way back as opposed to WP, they'd be doing an awful lot better now in terms of business. I respect their commitment to an aesthetic, but it's kind of missing the mark.

Wonder will HTC have a problem with Nokia calling their phones X and X+?