Nokia X2 Expected June 24 But Not In The U.S.

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We’ve been hearing rumblings about the Nokia X2 smartphone, with a version of the Android-based smartphone showing up as recently as May on the benchmarking website AnTuTu. Now a countdown has appeared on Nokia’s website, indicating that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may launch the first product from its acquisition on June 24. However, the clock indicates that the launch probably won’t be in the U.S.

Microsoft to still use the Nokia name?

The countdown is on the Nokia Conversations site, although at the top, there’s a notice from Microsoft Mobile saying that it uses cookies, blah, blah, blah… In other words, it appears as if Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has taken over the Nokia Conversations website or is at least using it for now to tease an upcoming smartphone launch.

CNET spotted the countdown and notes that the green image and a number of clues hint that what’s coming on June 24 is an Android-based handset. The headline on the countdown page reads, “Green with Envy.”

Expected specs for the Nokia X2

Possible specs for the Nokia X2 have been circulating through the tech world. They suggest only a small upgrade from the previous model. Rumors indicate that the X2 might have a 4.3-inch screen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a weak 5-megapixel camera and only 1 GB of RAM.

Of course these specs won’t impress anyone in the developed world, but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) might not be intending the new Nokia X2 for developed markets. Instead, the company may be aiming for the much more rapidly growing low-end smartphone market.

Nokia X2 may target emerging markets

Emerging markets are growing much faster than developed ones because of high smartphone saturation in developed markets. Indeed, a look at the exact timing the countdown clock provides reveals that the time runs out at 3 a.m. Eastern, which indicates that the launch event probably won’t be in the U.S. because it wouldn’t make sense to show it off overnight.

It’s possible that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is following the same tactic Nokia did when it launched off the Lumia 525 this past November. The handset initially launched in Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia, mostly in emerging markets. A move like this would show continuity in the transition from Nokia’s ownership of the devices to Microsoft’s ownership after it bought Nokia’s devices division.

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