Why Microsoft is using Android OS in its "Nokia X2" phone?

Recently Microsoft unveiled a low cost smartphone "Nokia X2", targeting Emerging market Countries like India, China, Russia and Nigeria.

Nokia X2 is provided with a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, a 5MP camera, a big screen (4.3-inch display), dual-sim, and 15GB of inbuilt storage space.

It is coming in various colours like green, orange, black, yellow and grey.

Nokia X2 will compete with dual-SIM models like Moto G, HTC Desire and Samsung Duos.

And, interestingly Nokia X2 is powered by Android OS. Everyone was surprised as Microsoft opted Android OS instead of its own Windowsphone OS.

Although the Nokia X2 is running Android, the OS has been heavily modified to look more like a Windows Phone interface.

Anyway, it is big surprise to see Microsoft preferring Android instead of its own OS.

This Reddit discussion is giving some insights about Why Microsoft is using Android OS in its Nokia X2 phone

Mostly they are highlighting two things in the disucssion. One is, Nokia might have developed this phone with Android before the Microsoft acquisition. Second is, Microsoft is trying to attract the Android fans, and it may force them to WP in future.

Find below the comments made in this discussion.

My understanding is that it's mostly for emerging markets. The phones have generally been lower spec devices than what you'd get with a phone running wp81 and the cost is also lower as a result.

Personally I think it's a bad business decision for MS, even though I'm actually a big Android fan. If MS wants to compete in third world markets, they need to optimize Windows Phone OS to work on low end hardware, just as Android has done with its KitKat release.

But the phone was in the works at Nokia long before MS' acquisition, so it may be a question of the right arm not quite yet having control of the left arm, if you know what I mean.

I think it is to turn people on to the MS way of doing things, I think my next phone might be a MS phone if they can come out with something with a huge screen. While still an android phone it looks and behaves like windows. Get used to the style and maybe switch at their next upgrade.

Its for people who use google services or an app that they can't get on windows phone, but they still want the experience of having wp8. The hope is they start to use microsoft services instead of google's, this would then make them more likely to buy a wp8 device in the future.

Nokia was apparently already working on it before the merger. Now that you have this asset, what would you do with it? In theory, you could just throw away that work. But the more strategic minded could probably make use of just about any asset as a tool in their grand plan - whatever it happens to be.

Maybe it's a classic bait and switch - come for the Android apps, stay for the MS interface (and other stuff).

Maybe it's meant to ease the transition to the WP-world for Android-addicts - calm fears of lacking apps, while at the same time serving as temptation to try full WP. Seems MS saw that Apple won the sprint, but was eventually passed by Google in the marathon, and whichever companies are relentless enough, they may just run forever.

(And if there's any company with the software chops to wrest control of the most popular Android fork away from Google, it would probably be MS.)

What is your thought about it? Share your thoughts thro' comments.



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