Nokia sends the Nokia Normandy to Indian App developers, could be launched in April during the IPL

Nokia is planning to launch their first Android device, the Nokia X aka the Nokia Normandy during the Indian Premier League, which begins in April.

BGR India have some exclusive information regarding the Nokia Normandy. They say that the company have begun sending out the devices to Indian developers.

The IPL is considered as a big marketing platform, with various products being advertised throughout the tournament. Their report also confirms the rumor which we wrote about last week, when we reported about the Nokia X’s price, which is quoted as around $110, which is roughly 6500-6800 INR. This is because, Nokia want to price the device moderately, unlike their Lumia devices, which have seen their prices cut, barely a few months after launch.

BGR India’s source told them that, “Nokia does not want to price the phone too high and then slash it a couple of months later, which has been a problem for its Lumia smartphones. They are also planning a marketing campaign that will coincide with IPL.”

So, Nokia will be using the IPL to their advantage, and possibly market it by roping in prominent Cricketers for Television commercials.

Now coming back to the device, the Nokia X will run on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), and will not have any Google related apps or services on it. Instead, it will have access to Nokia’s own Appstore, which has been named Asha on Linux (or  AoL). They also say that Nokia have already brought many of the top apps from the Play store and App Store into AoL.

Developers have been quoted as saying that its pretty easy to get apps configured for AoL.One of the leading developers from India said,

“The only thing developers have to ensure is there are no Google services callouts in the app. If the app does not call out any Google API, one can even sideload the same app APK that is available on the Play store.”

Here is a list of the Nokia Normandy’s Technical Specifications

Display	4″ WVGA
OS	Android KitKat 4.4.1
App Store	Nokia Store + 3rd party apps
Processor	1GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon
RAM	512MB
Storage	4GB internal storage, with support for external microSD
Camera	5MP (no LED flash)
Battery	1500MAh
SIM	Dual-SIM

Nokia is expected to unveil the Normandy on February 24, at their Press Event at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona. But the smartphone may hit the markets only in March.