Yes, Nokia's X phones are Android-based, but will regular users know, or care?

Since the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is free for everyone to take, use and modify, any manufacturer can build a custom OS based on it - with or without Google services included. The result could be great, mediocre, or downright terrible. Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets are an example of how you can build a successful Android-based device that doesn’t make you think it’s running Android.



As you’ve surely heard, Nokia unveiled a brand new family of smartphones built on AOSP at MWC 2014: the Nokia X, Nokia X+, and Nokia XL. Just like Amazon’s tablets, these handsets ...