Nokia 'Normandy' Android smartphone scrapped?
Nokia has reportedly ditched its planned Android devices in favour of creating wearable technology products.
The latest information suggested Nokia was “full steam ahead” for an Android product launch in early 2014, but it seems the Finnish smartphone manufacturer’s plans have changed.
According to C Technology sources, Nokia was working on several cheaper Android devices including a 7-inch tablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor.
The Android effort was being headed by Nokia’s Head of Mobile User Experience, Pete Skillman, under the codename Nokia Normandy.
However, Nokia has now shifted focus from Android smartphones and tablets entirely according to the CTech sources. What’s more, that decision was made entirely without Microsoft intervention, which is currently in the process of buying Nokia.
Android development was being carried out in the Nokia CTO office, which isn’t actually part of the Microsoft buyout and so wouldn’t be affected by the Windows Phone giant.
Nokia now has some other plans for its CTO office’s research and development activities. The sources suggest it will be working on emerging technology like wireless power transmission, low powered electromagnetic energy, flexible displays and augmented reality.
These would all influence future wearable technology products from Nokia.
Nokia prototyped and patented a multi-faceted smartwatch design earlier this year, which may well be engulfed by Microsoft’s own smartwatch plans. However, that doesn’t mean other wearable technology from Nokia wouldn’t be possible.
We may well see some Google Glass rivalling smart glasses from Nokia in the next couple of years.
Read more: Google Glass – The privacy problem and how to solve it
Via: UnwiredView
