There’s fresh hope for anyone wanting more from the Android-powered Nokia X line of products: the Microsoft devices team has published a countdown on the Nokia Conversations blog that promises a new product this coming Tuesday. “Stay tuned to find out what we’ve got in store,” runs the message, accompanied by a green logo reminiscent of the Nokia X line that was unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February.
In case you’re new to the whole Nokia X party, these handsets run code from the Android Open Source Project — at their heart they are Android machines, but there are no Google apps running on them. Instead, Microsoft and Nokia services are to the fore. With three handsets in the wild and (presumably) another on the way, it would seem Microsoft is happy to produce low-cost Android handsets as long as it gets users signed up for its apps and services.
Last month we saw a leaked set of benchmarks that hinted that a new X2 device was on the way, complete with 1GB of RAM and a dual-core MSM8x10 processor. If proved to be correct, these specs would put the Nokia X2 firmly at the lower end of the smartphone market. Some industry insiders expect the forthcoming device to be aimed at developing markets and it may well miss the U.S. completely.
Still, it’s interesting to see Microsoft and its new Nokia arm pursuing Android-powered handsets as well as those running Windows Phone. The countdown will hit zero at 3am Eastern time, adding further credence to the idea that this isn’t a launch focused on the United States, but if you want to be sat at your computer when the curtain is pulled back them you know when to set your alarm clock for.
