Nokia X Android phone already hacked to run Google Apps, Now and Play Store

The Nokia X, the company's first-and-potentially-last handset running the Android operating system, doesn't really have much to identify it as a handset running Google-based software.

There's no access to core Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, Hangouts, Google Now and users are unable to download items from the Google Play store. Everything is decidedly Windows Phone flavoured.

However, thanks to a little bit of ingenuity from one of the clever folks on the XDA Developers forum, anyone can access those Android essentials on the new handset.

Forum member Kashamalaga has unveiled a pretty easy method (the man himself called it rudimentary) for restoring the phone to its Google roots.

Holy Grail

Microsoft hopes the Windows Phone-style user-interface, with the likes of Skype and OneDrive front and centre will give users an incentive to jump on board with the company's own OS next time they're in the market for a phone.

However, what users really wanted from this release was the smartphone Holy Grail of a Nokia handset running full-fat Android. This little exploit doesn't offer that, but it brings the dream a little closer to reality.

• Microsoft needs to stop worrying about Android and learn to love the Nokia X.

Via Engadget