Well that didn’t take long. Nokia only launched its line of Android-powered phones at Mobile World Congress this week, and someone has already rooted one of them. The Nokia X runs a forked version of Android, so you can’t gets apps from Google Play, or use the Google Now personal assistant. Until now, that is.
Someone with the username Kashamalaga has got these Google services working on their Nokia X, and has posted a handy How To guide to boot. So if you were one of the lucky few to get an X at MWC, or you’re just curious to see how it works, click through, and check out the video I’ve embedded to go with it.
For starters, you’ll need to root your device. Kashamalaga recommends using the Gandalf exploit in the Framaroot app. (That’s not a sentence I thought I’d write today.) Next you need the Root Explorer app.
Extract and copy all your apks, change the permissions, then reboot. Then you extract and install every apk in the relevant .zip file. Launch the Play store, and it’ll ask you to sign in with your Google Account. And that’s it, you’re done.
Here it is in action.
Nokia’s X range of mobiles comes just as the firm’s phone arm is being bought by Microsoft. Microsoft will use Nokia’s hardware to push its Windows Phone operating system, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Redmond company wasn’t too keen on its new acquisition launching Google-powered devices.
CNET.com’s Jessica Dolcourt was a bit underwhelmed by Nokia’s hook-up with Google. She called it “an ill-fitting mix at best and an unholy union at worst.”
What do you think of Nokia’s X? Is it a bold new direction for the company? Or a bit of a mess? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.