Microsoft releases first Android phone (no, that’s not a typo)

In what can only be described as a shocking announcement, Microsoft has unveiled its first phone since taking over Nokia’s mobile device division, and the handset is powered by Google’s Android operating system.

The popular operating system is seen as a direct rival to Microsoft’s own Windows Phone OS, but the company sees this less as a joining of forces, and more an opportunity to bring users into its cloud-based services, several of which come preinstalled apps on the new phone. (The new phone of course also presents Microsoft an opportunity to bank on Android’s popularity.)

“I still find it astounding that Microsoft is making Android phones, but there seems to be a steely determination to take a more open approach for the greater good of the whole company rather than just the Windows Phone platform,” explained Ben Wood, from the telecom consultancy CCS Insight, in an interview with the BBC. 

“If they don't do this, then someone else is going to get the business.” 

The device, called the Nokia X2, is a follow-up to the original X, which was well received in the international community — it was the best-selling device in Pakistan, and the third most popular handset in India. The company saw strong sales in Russia, Kenya, and Nigeria, too.

So what can users look forward to enjoying with the new X2?
• Bigger screen (4.3 inches)
• 1 GB of RAM (twice as much as the original model)
• More powerful battery
• Front-facing camera 

When it is released in July, it will carry a $135 price tag. In terms of Microsoft services that will be baked into the Android operating system, video chat app Skype, email service Outlook, and OneDrive Internet storage are all Microsoft services that will come included with the phone purchase. 

Other Microsoft apps, including Bing search, Yammer (social network), and OneNote, will all be offered as free downloads for the device. 

“The whole idea of bringing more people into Microsoft Cloud through these services is the very core of the strategy,” Jussi Nevanlinna, vice-president of mobile phones product marketing at Microsoft, told the BBC.

“In fact we're ahead of other Android devices [in this respect],” Nevanlinna adds. “But I want to stress that Lumia remains our primary smartphone strategy and that Nokia X is a stepping stone to it.”

One thing worth noting is the interface of the X2’s Android operating system — the tile-based home screen and ability to see apps as a scrollable list directly mirrors the Windows Phone user interface. In the long run of things, this might encourage users to later make the jump to Microsoft’s more expensive Lumia line of phones, which run the company’s Windows operating system. 

Story via bbc.com