What you see above is an image leaked by @evleaks, and it has been touted to be the upcoming Nokia Normandy device. Leaked last month, very little was known about the Nokia Normandy, and the seemingly missing hardware shutter button, capacitive buttons and LED flash do point to this handset being an Asha device which is most likely produced to target emerging markets as well as those who are on a tight budget. The Verge’s Tom Warren has a different take on it though, as he has followed up with multiple sources, and has come away with the very real possibility of it being an Android-powered smartphone which is due for a release later next year.
An Android-powered device from Nokia? That does not sound quite right at all, especially when you consider how Nokia has been the champion for the Windows Phone 8 platform all this while, not to mention having it being acquired by Microsoft this year. Warren did share, however, that the Nokia Normandy could be an entry level Asha class handset that offers an alternative version of Android which will not be connected to Google services, giving Nokia a free hand to customize it according to its liking, pretty much in the same way Amazon has been doing with their Kindle Fire.