Microsoft kills Android for Nokia

Microsoft kills Android for Nokia
No more heavily modified Android for you

In the wake of Microsoft's announcement that it will be slashing 18,000 jobs from the business - including 14,500 from Nokia - it's been revealed it's also cutting Android out of its life.

Nokia's first Android handsets arrived to much fanfare at MWC 2014 in Barcelona in February with the Nokia X, X+ and XL set to make waves in developing market.

But less than six months since Stephen Elop took to the stage Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella closed the door on the project in an open letter to all employees.

Nadella said: "we plan to shift selected Nokia X product designs to become Lumia products running Windows. This builds on our success in the affordable smartphone space and aligns with our focus on Windows Universal Apps."

Android angst

This doesn't mean the current fleet of Nokia X products - including the recently announced Nokia X2 - will be transferred to Windows Phone. This decision affects models currently in development.

The situation was explained further by Stephen Elop in an email to all employees. "We plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices," Elop wrote.

"We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products."

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.