By We’ve seen just about all we could of Nokia Normandy at this point, but the leaks aren’t over. Another purported shot of the Android device’s user interface has leaked, giving us a closer look at what users might be treated to if this phone ever sees the light of day. What we’re treated to is an experience that seems markedly confused.
This is supposed to be Android, but you can clearly see Nokia doing their best to emulate the Metro look-and-feel that the Windows platform is now known for. The original leakster, @evleaks, put this caption alongside the leaked image:
Two ways to interact with Normandy.
That would suggest that the right portion of this user interface is another option the user can switch to in case they’re not down with the tiles. Either way, what you see is atypical of normal Android devices, seemingly giving the user no way to freely place widgets and icons. It’s tough to say how well this would pass with consumers without having used the device or seen a full demo of the user interface.
We imagine those who have grown accustomed to the classic Android experience won’t be particularly inviting of what the Nokia Normandy would bring to the table. We’re still wondering if Microsoft is going to let this fly (assuming their proposed purchase of Nokia is approved by all the relevant governing bodies), so we’ll try not to get too ahead of ourselves and pass judgment either way.
[via WinSource]
Wait, Nokia thinks the Metro look is a good thing? Ew, ugly. No thanks.
The Normandy name is pretty insulting, trying to storm the beaches of Android, and referring to Android as the role of the Germans. Seriously?
So Microsoft / Nokia is then calling our beloved lord and savior Matias Duarte, Hilter? BLASPHEMY.
#HOLO warrior detected.
While I guess that’s also offensive, I’m more offended by the inference that Android users are like Nazis.
God that’s ugly…
Quite hideous
What a disgrace. If true, the only thing I see here is Microsoft using Android to make users get used to the interface of WP. Thus, when users want to buy new devices, they choose Lumias. #brainwash
This is the entire strategy of Windows Metr8 distilled down.
I love reading some of the moronic comments made…… lol
Looks great to me. Of course the strategy here is low price point while keeping close to the Windows UI. Metro is an excellent UI although probably time for a slight refresh. Over half the people buying Android and iOS don’t even know how to use a good 80% of the features. People have been fooled into believing Android and iOS are better. I have a friend who works in Apple’s tech support but would really be considered a novice user at best. I know more about resolving iOS issues than he does and I have no interest in that platform. The same is similar for most people I talk to who aren’t considered techies. A vast majority of people are purchasing Android and iOS because of over inflatted hype however, giving credit where credit is due… good job.
The key factors keeping Android and iOS dominating the smartphone segment are:
1. User install base… Both already have a large user base and switching from any platform to another is painful. If you’re already tied to a platforms services and ecosystem you certainly aren’t going to be enthusiastic to create certain things like a new email address or change from your music service if tied a service like iTunes.
2. Excellent carrier sales support… Sales staff only seem to know Android or iOS. Even carriers like ATT who is the biggest WP carrier in the US do a terrible job at selling WP to customers. They take very little effort to promote Windows in stores aside from poorly setup displays and lack luster marketing.
3. Excellent 3rd party support… 95% of the 3rd party Apps and accessories are developed 1st for Android or iOS. This is some what understandable since that is where the majority of users are currently but at the same time this could end up being an Achilles Heel for them if not careful. Developers should be developing quality apps across all 3 ecosystems.
The fact is most people are just misinformed. It doesn’t help when journalist don’t even report facts about devices and services correctly. Instagram was a prime example when reviewers often mentioned not being able to post to Instagram because no official app existed. While it’s true there wasn’t an official app at the time there were and still are excellent unofficial apps that frankly work better and offer better features. WP is an excellent platform with excellent features and services. No platform is without flaws. Android and iOS do a great job at hiding their flaws while shining a spotlight on WP short comings. MSNOKIA is absolutely correct to attack the low end and they need keep aggressively at it.
You say people are fooled when they choose android and iOS. What does WP offer more for these people to not get fooled?
It isn’t about what WP offers that would prevent people from being fooled. Mostly bias has people fooled, among other frivolous things, so in many respects it doesn’t matter what WP offers. Until WP can garner the significant install base it needs to win over enough 3rd party support it will continue to have a rough road ahead. This is a double edged sword they’re challenged with. It’s same sword any OS entrant in this space would face. The low end market is wide open and thus they are seeing significant strides here. That window of opportunity is starting to close with other OS entrants into this space but all is not lost by any means and dominance doesn’t last forever. As far as mobile phones are concerned there have been numerous leaders at one point or another from Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry, Apple, Samsung, etc. Much of recent focus has shifted to the OS but quite frankly there’s a large number of users who don’t know what OS they have. There’s no magic formula to knowing what people will gravitate towards. Beyond bias people are more interested in which phones can claim the best specifications whether those specs are warranted or not. Samsung knows this all too well as they will eventually attempt to break their reliance on Android with their own OS or WP if it can ever gain the traction it needs. Nokia has done well at establishing itself with the best photographic output on premium devices but again we still see how bias can trump reality. WP in itself is as good if not better in some areas than iOS and Android. The fact that we have different choices needs to be embarrassed in my opinion. WP is not as complicated to operate as Android yet more customizable than iOS. It falls in between the spectrum. They all offer similar features except for certain niches here and there. If a user a user is happy with the OS they have then there isn’t ever a reason to switch except for just wanting to try something different. The customer satisfaction ratings of WP user’s exceeds Android and extremely close to Apples. Unfortunately this is one of those situations where people can’t see the forest for looking at all those trees in the way.
Most of users from 15-40 know they are running android on their phones (it’s just an assumption based on experience with people I know). And about user satisfaction, I know people (I can’t speak globally like you did about user satisfaction) who aren’t quite happy with their low end Samsung devices which are stuck in 2.3 android. Also I know people who got very exited and proud (mostly proud that their phone looked different from others) with their low end windows phones and after a while I asked them what is the experience so far and some of them said that they got bored of the interface and overall functionality (not performance). Frankly I don’t care much about a platform, especially the closed ones, because they build a tight ecosystem around them, eventually making the users getting stuck on them without an alternative. Although android has a similar ecosystem with google services, you at least have the option to switch to another ecosystem, but staying in the same platform or just creating a mixed ecosystem or a customized one by installing third party services similar to google ones. The other OSs give limited or no choice at all here. Google, Microsoft, Apple…even Samsung with its services want to control everything and in this aspect there isn’t one better than the other. Although this may lead to better user experience, it also give these companies much control on the product (which is you and me by the way since we are their products). And about the hardware…they have pretty much similar specs regardless of platform ( and the phone is not only a camera though it’s an important part of it, but a 13-20 mp camera can do the job if you’re not a professional photographer).
so you are saying Linux is 100% better than pos windows on desktop due monopoly with oem windows is monopoly on desktop. well in case of phone and tablets windows is falling on its faces ..ios and windows is beating the crap out of it.
Not really sure what you’re trying to say but I wasn’t referring to Linux or desktops.
Stop being haters, people. It’s actually a very attractive UI if you could look pass your own faboyism. I’d love to see this on my Note 2
It’s not fanboyism, it’s preference. Learn the difference.
A preference I’m clearly stating that is being fueled by yours and others fanboyism. English – learn it.
You’re not making any sense. Clearly you need to relearn this English thing.
Sigh. If a simple, well formed sentence is beyond your comprehension then please don’t post stupidity like this. It’s very clear.
Please tell me more, oh sigher. I need more specifics on how well formed a sentence you so expertly concocted.
I’m sorry but you are wrong. If you want to see real fanboy-ism, look for people who have excuses for products failing other then the product just being bad.
It’s very rare that someone hates Microsoft just because. Most of us use Windows 7. There’s a reason people hate Windows 8 on their desktop and it has nothing to do with Fanboyism… these are not the Linux and Mac users making these complaints.
The Metro/Modern interface was just bad. period. It has proven over and over that the majority of people do not want it. Not on phones. Not on desktops. I’m happy for you that YOU are getting enjoyment out of it but it is time to face reality. You are the minority here.
First, thank you for responding with something worth anyone’s time. I don’t think that the style of Modern UI is the reason why people don’t use Windows Phones. Rather, it’s the fact there’s no app market and even more importantly because it was late in the game. As far as Windows 8, yes people don’t like the Modern UI immediately when jumping from 20 years of using Windows and/or Mac but that’s not the fault of Modern UI but of lack of familiarity. Also, no one thinks it’s not good looking, it’s just hard to learn and navigate–a problem that is not true of Windows Phone. I wouldn’t put them in the same bowl.
Wait, no one thinks Metro is not good looking? This is shocking news! Have you written to CNN yet? You have a news goldmine on your hands!
A lot of us think it’s NOT an attractive UI. I don’t like the way WP looks with the tiled interface, I want more freedom of placement and looks.
This is a really REALLY long phone!
lol..Yeah they probably needed to license the
” extra row of icons patent from apple”
What a mess. Nokia have really lost it, best thing that could happen now is to retire the brand.
They are crazy and market will punish them for that!
Really,
This is probably the sub $100 market you are talking about
lets see
Apple -nothing
Android- meh woefully laggy
Asha- works well but feature phone
and dumb phones.
Anything that actually works halfway decent has a good chance! lmao
I don’t think they can beat Moto G in price/performance area.
Hard to say … its a rumour for a start
It would be nice to see good sub-100 smartphones for
developing countries ( assuming they can afford the data charges). but thats where it falls apart a bit and a
simple feature phone that you can keep off-line and update at
home or do dual sim with your cheaper home plan is the best for a lot of regions in the world. and since coverage is still poor the value added is poor. voice coverage is better for them.
So not the best tech but the best fit of tech for what some can afford.
Thats where the western world gets confused, for us its a cheap phone for them its very expensive. and saddling them with devices they cannot afford to use is just silly. These phones are not made for the developed world but are just sold there. the real market and needs driven design is elsewhere.
Slap a custom launcher on there and see how it performs. Ugly as crap!!
I don’t think it will see the light of day.
Lots of companies have lots of dev devices…
Honestly, if its that low end the last thing you need on it
is a bloat-ware UI.
So as a entry level phone it would work far better…
Personally I would take “any” well performing UI over
a laggy one on the cheap end of the market.
And thats half the problem why android (and apples older stuff) cannot keep the low
end updated.
me…
give me kit kat with that ….
others that are laggy- you will just end up not really using it, regardless of how pretty it is.