Ever since Nokia started using Windows Phone operating system, there were a few people who wanted to see the Finnish manufacturer Android devices in the start then adopting Microsoft’s Windows Phone as its operating system. This is not a possibility now as Microsoft purchased Nokia’s devices unit for a whopping $7.2b.
A new report from NYT claims that Nokia had Android running on its Lumia devices for testing purposes, before the acquisition talks began with Microsoft. Nokia could have launched an Android-powered smartphone sometime in late-2014; and Microsoft knew about it the whole time. It could have been a disaster for Windows Phone OS and Microsoft, as Nokia manufactures more than 70 percent of Windows Phone devices that are available in the market.
According to NYT,
A team within Nokia had Android up and running on the Lumia handsets well before Microsoft and Nokia began negotiating Microsoft’s $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone and services business, according to two people briefed on the effort who declined to be identified because the project was confidential. Microsoft executives were aware of the existence of the project, these people said.
Another source speaking with New York Times said that Nokia adopting Android OS was not part of the negotiations with Microsoft. There is no word if Nokia is still testing Google’s Android operating system on its device, but even if they, they won’t be able to do so after the purchase is complete. However, choosing Android over Windows Phone could have been a better deal for Nokia because of the large number of applications in Google Play Store. But, we cannot be sure about it.
Source: NYT
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