Will Nokia be sticking it to Microsoft and unveil an Android powered device soon? This might just be the case, since it is rumoured that Nokia will be previewing a new Android OS powered smartphone at the World Mobile Congress, to be held in Barcelona, later this month. 

This new smartphone, codenamed “Normandy”, will be making an appearance at Nokia’s press event at the WMC according to sources at the Wall Street Journal. These sources were later supported by product images and screenshots courtesy of @evleaks, a Twitter users with a long record of accurately predicting product releases and details as well as getting the drop on many manufacturers and tech sites. 

There is no definitive detail on the new release at this stage, but it is being reported that the designs for this smartphone were in development before Microsoft’s decision to purchase Nokia’s handset division, along with a few patent licenses. 

It is also rumoured that this new Nokia/Android collaboration will not focus as heavily on the feature and functionality elements that seasoned Android users may be use to. This may be a result of the lack of Google Play store access that the phone would have. Instead the focus will be on ensuring that the select number of Android apps run efficiently on what seems to be a Windows Phone-like UI, with the leaked images showing the device running apps such as Twitter, Vine, BBM and Skype. The device is said to be targeted towards ‘low-cost’ users with 4GB storage and 512MB of RAM specifications.      

This rumoured phone should prove interesting, considering Microsoft’s purchase of the Finnish company’s select division and patents in September 2013. It seems strange to think that Microsoft would allow a device to be released from a newly acquired company, running a rival OS. The only logical conclusion would be that the developments of the “Normandy” were so far down the line, the losses that scrapping the project would incur were simply deemed infeasible. In any regard, this smartphone’s rarity and unique attributes, may prove too tempting an offer for some users to pass.

Image courtesy of @evleaksES