Nokia abandons Android dream, eyeing wearables segment instead

If you were one of those who got excited thinking of the prospect of a Nokia manufactured Android phone, there’s some bad news. The rumoured device, called Normandy, has been reportedly shelved. Nokia is instead eyeing the fast-growing wearable segment for their next big device.

Unwired View has carried a report based off Chinese publication C Technology stating that Nokia shelved plans of manufacturing Android based smartphones and tablets. The decision was reportedly made without direct intervention of Microsoft, even while the company is set to pick of Nokia’s mobile division. The report suggests that the Android development was done under the Nokia CTO office, which is not part of the Nokia-Microsoft deal.

No Android for Nokia (Image credit: @evleaks)

It does confirm that Nokia was indeed looking at building certain cheap Android devices, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 powered 7-inch tablet. The effort had been lead by Nokia’s head of UX design, Peter Skillman. He had previously also been a part of the Nokia HERE design team. The project, however, has been pulled for unspecified reasons.

The Chinese publication has also suggested that Nokia is actively considering wearables, as far as R&D is concerned. It will shift its focus to emerging technologies, including wireless power transmission, low power electromagnetic energy generation, flexible displays, graphene sensors and augmented reality. It suggests that a Nokia smartglass may even hit markets as soon as 2015.

An image of a Lumia-like phone, codenamed Normandy, first surfaced late in November, thanks to serial-leakster @evleaks. A couple of weeks ago, though, rumours started circulating, suggesting that Normandy was a cheap Asha-like Android phone that Nokia was manufacturing. Numerous reports had also suggested that Normandy would feature a Nokia-flavour of Android, kind of like what Amazon does with its Kindle Fire range of tablets. This is, however, not meant to be anymore.