Nokia Joins the Android Line-up with the Normandy

The tech giant Nokia has manufactured quite a number of mobile phones ever since it has ventured into the telecommunications industry. It had pioneered a multitude of innovations that paved a way to make advanced mobile computing a reality. However, Nokia wasn’t able to maintain the momentum and keep up with the standards of the growing industry; to no avail, it resorted in selling its mobile division to Microsoft in order to prevent further losses and restore the empire it had once built.

In the light of the purchase agreement between the two, many Android fans have had their spirits broken, thinking that there will never be a way for Nokia to release a smartphone powered by Google’s open-source OS Android. Once the sale has been realized, it’s but expected that all handheld devices that will be coming out the works carrying the Nokia brand will have Windows Phone as their mobile platform.

Let’s not shut the doors of possibilities just yet; for as long as the merger isn’t yet legally acknowledged, Nokia still has absolute control over its handset business. In fact, speculations from multiple sources have sprouted like mushrooms that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer is planning on releasing its first-ever Android-powered mobile phone, and the said device will be codenamed as “Normandy.”

Given the fact that this move by Nokia is unprecedented, what reasons could there be for the company to come up with an Android device now that the merger will soon be made official, not to mention when it had always relied on the Windows Phone to run its devices? Apparently, the Normandy aims to target the market of low-end phones as an equivalent of the Asha to further push low cost devices to potential first-time smartphone users. As it turns out, the Asha struggled to achieve widely acclaimed fame for its target consumers allegedly due to its Series 40-powered system. The limited app ecosystem where the Asha is built into was perceived as a major shortcoming; thus, an Android device will be able to address this issue where the Nokia Asha line-up failed to triumph.

However, even if this rumor is true, there is yet no assurance that the project will ever see the light of day. The people behind the Normandy project were informed that the device is planned to be launched on 2014, with one insider describing the efforts on the project as “full steam ahead.” Timing is crucial. If Nokia manages to release the Normandy before the Microsoft acquisition is completed, we will be able to get hold of the first and last Android-powered Nokia device. Otherwise, if the Nokia-Microsoft deal overtakes this project’s release, it may not ever come into fruition, for Android is a conflict of interest for Microsoft over its own Windows Phone operating system. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Nokia 108 Begs to Differ

Mobile phone manufacturers have gone to great lengths just to produce the best handheld device there is. The arduous smartphone war to this very day is still at large. You hear patent suits being filed here and there, all around the world by one company to another. Every fierce battle is but a testament of how serious these tech giants are in securing their place on top and in increasing their market share.

All the drama behind every successful product launch brings more excitement to mobile consumers. But sad to say, some of those mobile manufacturers have looked past what others are in search for: a simple phone that is very affordable. Nokia still clings to its roots, and although there are preparations going on to change its company name and perhaps change its business direction, the Finnish phone maker still won’t be stopped from launching a well-thought, well-made, affordable handset that caters to first time mobile phone users, those who prefer it simple, or for people who just want a dependable backup device for emergencies. According to Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president of Nokia, “We continue to connect millions of people, including those for whom mobile phone ownership was previously out of reach.”

Not only will you find the powerful devices on shops or online stores like e_cell; you can now choose a feature phone that has decent features, equivalent to the cost of a few cell phone cases. Yes, the new Nokia 108 is this cheap. It is predicted to have a retail price of just $29. But mind you, not all cheap items are poor in quality. Nokia holds the title of having one of the sturdiest mobile phones on the market.

So, what will you get from the $29 feature phone? The Nokia 108 comes with a VGA camera that is capable of capturing photos and videos. It also features a music player to entertain the music lovers out there. Sharing media files is made better and faster by the use of Slam. After snapping a great photo, just touch your handset to another Bluetooth-enabled device to share that media file in an instant. Anxious about storage space? Well, this phone enables a user to expand the built-in memory using an SD card to up to 32 GB of space. The best feature is yet to be said; the best thing about this device is its battery life. Never again will you have to worry about having a replacement battery handy because the Nokia 108 has a standby time of up to 31 days.

Now, if you have decided to purchase your very own Nokia 108, you can choose among the different unit colors. It’s available in black, red, white, yellow, and cyan. Anytime soon, sometime in the 4^th quarter of 2013, you can now get hold of this $29 phone. Who knows, this might be the very last Nokia phone that you can ever own before it ultimately gets taken over by another tech giant, so better grab this opportunity to patronize the company that revolutionized the mobile phone industry before it’s too late.