Nokia calls on Android O/S in reversal of fortune bid

Finnish mobile phone vendor Nokia Oyj introduced its first Android-based smartphone to the Chinese market on Monday in the face of analysts expressing cautious optimism over whether the company can regain share in the country's fiercely competitive smartphone market.

It marks the first time Nokia has accepted Google Inc's Android mobile operating system and abandoned its strategy of 100 percent dedication to the Microsoft Corp Windows Phone platform for its smart devices, which started in 2011. The company launched three lower-end Android smartphones, called Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL, at the Mobile World Congress 2014 held in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday.

"The Nokia Android phones are aimed at the developing markets," Stephen Elop, head of devices at Nokia, said in Barcelona. Nokia X will sell for 89 euros($122), X+ for 99 euros and XL for 109 euros. The Nokia X will go on sale immediately and roll out in most emerging markets. The other two handsets are expected to hit the market starting early in the second quarter.