Nokia reportedly drops plans for Android smartphone

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nokia has dumped all plans to launch an Android smartphone, t3.com reported, citing Chinese-language C Technology.

According to C Technology, Nokia has now ditched all plans to make an Android smartphone. Instead, the company will now focus on wearable technology. The blog said that Nokia will be focusing specifically on devices that come with flexible displays and augmented reality.

It is unclear if it is an internal decision of the first sign of Microsoft’s influence at the company. The device was said to be under development at Nokia’s CTO office, which was not part of the Microsoft deal, t3.com says.

The news is not that surprising considering Microsoft has essentially bought the company. The two firms are now just waiting on regulatory clearance in Europe, the U.S. and China. Last week, the European Competition Commission said that it would not block the purchase. While the deal is going through, Microsoft is likely to continue to exert a large influence at the parts of Nokia that aren’t part of the deal, t3.com says.

The claim comes just a week after another report said that Microsoft was considering allowing the device to come to market.

That report claimed that Nokia was developing a heavily forked version of Android that would bear more resemblance to Windows Phone. It would have replaced its Asha feature phone operating system.

Details of Nokia’s Android smartphone first emerged when a press shot was leaked in September.