Nokia: Imaging SDK set for Android Nokia X Platform

NOKIA HAS REVEALED to The E-Information that its Imaging software development kit (SDK) likely will come to its Nokia X platform, enabling developers to build high-end photography apps for its low-end, Android-based smartphones.Nokia's Imaging SDK allows developers to create imaging apps for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8.1, such as Nokia's own Creative Studio app that it boasts was built using the developer kit.However, Windows Phones didn't feature heavily at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), as Nokia instead focused on showcasing its Android-based Nokia X smartphone line, comprising the Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL.While you'll find some of Nokia's usual apps onboard, such as Music and Here maps, there are none of the high-end camera applications found on the Nokia Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1020 handsets, due to the Nokia X devices' low prices. However, Nokia said that its Imaging SDK might appear on the Nokia X range "when the time is right".During an interview with The INQUIRER, Amit Patel, VP of developer relations at Nokia, said that the firm hopes to open the Imaging SDK to developers working on Nokia X apps, with imaging still a "key differentiator" for the firm. Patel said, "On the hardware side, it's bill of materials, so you may not get a Nokia X handset with a 41MP camera. However, the important thing will be the software manipulation and imaging features, which is going to be something that we can bring down to the low end when the time is right.

"A lot of those software techniques are actually portable from the high end to the low end. If you've got a reasonable processor in the device, you can run a lot of those capabilities. Imaging is of course one of the key differentiators, not just on the Lumia side, but in the affordable smartphone space as well."

During our interview, Patel also spoke about what developers can expect when submitting apps to the Nokia X Store, promising that the firm will carefully vet apps before they are approved. Thanks to this thorough apps validation process, he added that out of 100,000 Android apps tested for the Nokia X, nine percent were found to contain malware.

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Nokia working on 3 Android smartphones: Report

While it is widely expected that Nokia will unveil its first Android smartphone - Nokia X - next week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014, it is rumoured that the company has more Android handsets in the works.According to a report by Chinese technology website tech.qq.com, internal emails leaked by sources at Silicon Valley company Artesyn technologies say that Nokia is working on two Android smartphones other than Nokia X. While one has been codenamed Nokia XX, the codename of the other model is not yet known. The former will be positioned above the entry-level Nokia X, while the latter will be a high-end handset. The specifications of these two models are not yet known.While Nokia has already started working on these two Android smartphones, they are not expected to be unveiled at MWC. In fact, it is said that the manufacturer will launch X only to see the market response to its first Android smartphone.All three Android smartphones by Nokia are expected to hit the market in May-June. Nokia X is said to cost approximately $110.The Finnish manufacturer is widely expected to unveil the Nokia X on February 24. The device is said to have a 4-inch screen with 800x480p resolution and run on 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor. It will have 512MB RAM, 5MP rear camera, Bluetooth 4.0, Android 4.4 (KitKat) operating system and 4GB internal storage. It is said to be a dual-sim smartphone and come in six colour options.While Nokia X will run on Android, it will have a customized user interface and will not have access to Google Play Store and the apps available on the platform. Speculation is rife that Nokia and Microsoft will put their own set of apps - such as Facebook, Twitter and Here Maps - on the device via a proprietary app store, much like Amazon does on Kindle Fire range of tablets.

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MWC 2014 Expectations: Launch of Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G Pro 2, Nokia X, Sony D6503 Sirius and More

iPhone 6, Galaxy S5

The much-anticipated Mobile World Congress 2014 (MWC 2014) is all set to begin on Monday and several smartphone makers are expected to announce an array of devices, including Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G Pro 2, Nokia X, andSony D6503 Sirius. The event will be held in Barcelona from 24-27 February, 2014.

Samsung Galaxy S5:

The South Korean electronics giant had sent out a press invite, titled "UNPACKED5", giving a strong hint that it will announce its much-hyped smartphone - Galaxy S5.

The flagship smartphone is expected to boast features like water and dust proof technology, multi-hovering technology and head-tracking gesture control and fingerprint sensor. It is expected to be powered by 2.5Ghz Snapdragon805 (main) or 2.0Ghz Octa-core Exynos6 (64-bit) and feature 5.2 or 5.25-inch AMOLED display. Several reports suggested that it will run on new Android v4.4 KitKat OS.

Sony D6503 Sirius aka Xperia Z2:

Sony is expected to launch its Android flagship smartphone - D6503 codenamed Sirius - at MWC. The device, which is also called Xperia Z2, a sequel to the Xperia Z1, is expected to be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974-AB) chipset and have 5.2-inch full-HD display. It is also expected to run on Android 4.4 KitKat and have 3GB of RAM.

Other speculated features of the device include timeshift video, smart backlight control, and USB DAC audio support.

LG G Pro 2:

The South Korean electronics giant will launch its second-generation phablet, LG G Pro 2, a sequel to Optimus G Pro. The device is expected to have features like 5.9-inch full HD (1920x1080p) LCD screen with pixel density of 373 ppi (pixels per inch), finger-print sensor, Snapdragon 800 series CPU with speed up to 2.2GHz., 3GB RAM, Android v4.4 KitKat OS and 4G-LTE Advance network support.

BlackPhone:

BlackPhone is an upcoming smartphone aimed at outmost privacy, including protection from snooping of private data by NSA. The joint venture by Silent Circle and Geeksphone is backed by Phil Zimmermann who is known for his work in VoIP encryption protocols.

The security-oriented smartphone is powered by PrivatOS. Specifications of the device is not known yet but Silent Circle CEO Mike Janke claimed that it is a high-end smartphone.

Nokia X aka Normandy:

Nokia's Android smartphone, Nokia X codenamed Normandy is all set for debut at the upcoming MWC event.

The budget smartphone is said to feature 4.0-inch WVGA screen with 480x800p resolutions. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core CPU backed by 512MB RAM and 4GB inbuilt storage. It is said to run on the tweaked Android operating system pegged as Asha on Linux (aka AoL), an  ASOP (Android Open Source Project) OS version.

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Nokia X budget Android smartphone and custom UI spotted in live images

Nokia's much awaited and oft-teased Android-based smartphone, the Nokia X (aka Normandy, A110, and RM-980) has been seemingly revealed in four different purported live images, which allegedly showcase some of the apps one might find integrated in the custom UI of the device.The leaked images, being circulated by Gforgames, show what seem to be Nokia X's Black colour variant, and its user interface, which can be seen with Nokia's native HERE Maps application along with the Downloads and Settings options. The handset is also seen supporting dual-SIM cards.Looking at the leaked images, the hardware design of the Nokia X appears much like the smaller version of the recently released Nokia Lumia Icon, which is candy bar-like. Much like other Lumia handsets, the anticipated Nokia X also comes with volume buttons and a lock screen button placed on the right side of the handset.

The rear camera is also shown in one of the images, but surprisingly the handset, is seen without any Nokia branding in the leaked images.The Nokia X, besides being said to fall between the Asha and Lumia line-up, is said to feature a 4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 480x854 (FWVGA) pixels; a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor; 5-megapixel rear camera; microSD card and dual-SIM support, apart from Android 4.4 KitKat. The device was recently spotted on a listing page on a Vietnamese online retailer website.

The Nokia X handset was previously said to sport a 5-megapixel rear camera, however theCamSpeed benchmark hinted that the handset would arrive with a lower 3-megapixel camera, with a fixed focus lens.Nokia also started a countdown page for the MWC event on its official Conversations blog, with a clear 'X' marked, similar to that seen on the teaser map image.

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Nokia X budget Android smartphone teased in images ahead of MWC 2014

Nokia seems to be leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to promote the expected launch of its first Android phone. The Finnish giant has now released teaser images ahead of the much-anticipated Nokia X (aka Normandy) launch.Notably, the Nokia X teaser images do not reveal much about the upcoming device, but it explicitly shows an 'X' mark in a couple of the images. The images have been posted on Nokia's Weibo site, which is the equivalent of Twitter in China. The first teaser image shows two monkeys: one standing below a tree and another on the tree.We expect that the Finnish giant is indicating that there might be two devices unveiled at the MWC event scheduled for 24 February. At this point of time, we only know about the long-rumoured Nokia X, earlier known as Nokia Normandy which has been in news since last year, though there are more than a few Windows Phone offerings also supposedly due at the event.The second Nokia X teaser image shows a tree with its DNA-shaped helix roots visible, clearly depicting an 'X' mark. The third teaser image shows a pirate treasure map with green-coloured 'X' mark is formed by negative spaces between the arrows pointing inwards.Nokia also started a countdown page for the MWC event on its official Conversations blog, with a clear 'X' marked, similar to that seen on the teaser map image.On Monday, Nokia X's alleged press image was leaked, which further cemented the authenticity of the name. The purported press images were leaked via the phone tipster, @evleaks. The post, with an image of a green-colour variant of the handset, seemingly confirmed the name as Nokia X amidst a number of rumours crowding around the device for weeks.The Nokia X, besides being said to fall between the Asha and Lumia line-up, is said to feature a 4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 480x854 (FWVGA) pixels; a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor; 5-megapixel rear camera; microSD card support and Android 4.4 KitKat. The device was recently spotted under a listing page on a Vietnamese online retailer website.The Nokia X handset was previously said to sport a 5-megapixel rear camera, however the CamSpeed benchmark hinted that the handset would arrive with a lower 3-megapixel camera.

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