Nokia reveals the Nokia X 'Android' phone family

It's official: Nokia has a phone running a mashed up version of Google's mobile OS. It's Android, Jim, but not quite as we know it.

Nic Healey Senior Editor / Australia

Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.

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Nic Healey

Feb. 24, 2014 12:03 a.m. PT

Previously codenamed Normandy, Nokia has used its MWC conference to unveil the Nokia X — a phone that's technically running Android, but with more than a few tweaks.

Described as a "three way mashup" the Nokia X isn't just the smartphone family itself, it's also the name of the operating system. Basically a bedrock of Android 4.1, Nokia X pulls in elements of Asha and Windows Phone to create a unique experience — but one that can still use Android apps (although not the Google Play store, it seems — your app experience will be curated by Nokia).

The first Nokia X phone will be a rather mid-range number, with a 4-inch screen (800 x 480 resolution) and a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor. It's also only €89 or around AUD$140. It's joined by the Nokia X+ which has more storage and an SD card slot. The Nokia XL has a larger, 5-inch screen, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

While this family of phones isn't the full-blown Android experience people may have been anticipating, the handsets are priced to sell in emerging markets