"The X products are for emerging markets, where pennies matter more than features," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told LinuxInsider.
Getting Around Google's MADAGoogle has been known to employ a restrictive mobile application distribution agreement, or MADA, for Android that requires smartphone manufacturers to install all apps Google specifies, and display them prominently.
Nokia got around those requirements by using Android Open Source Project, which "is not full-blown Android and so avoids having cues for Google mobile services such as Search and Maps," IDC's Llamas said.
"There's something in that mix which says 'We'll use Android and make it look like a really strong Microsoft and Nokia experience," he noted.
That might play to Nokia's strengths.
"Nokia and Microsoft have replacements for any of the missing Google apps that are equal to, or better than, Google's offerings,"Enderle maintained. Nokia and Microsoft "forked Android like Amazon did, and given that Microsoft owns a lot of the Android IP, there is likely little Google can do about it."
Most Android apps will run on the X series without modifications, Nokia said.
Where X Will Take MicrosoftThe X devices will let Microsoft and Nokia target the growing low end of the smartphone market, IDC's Llamas said.
However, the strategy of offering access to Android apps and Microsoft services could be risky.
"What happens when someone who owns one of these devices wants to move up to the Lumia and sees Lumias only run Windows Phone apps, so all of a sudden their potential app library goes from hundreds of thousands to currently just below 200,000 Windows Phone apps?" Llamas asked.
"Or if you're a high-end Lumia owner you might want to trade down to get access to all those apps," he suggested.
Nokia "had to make this move in order to remain viable in the market, but they have to carefully message this," advised Llamas, "so they can realize benefits from both the X and Lumia families."
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