Nokia X Software Debuts, Includes Opera Browser

Fighting for market share in the burgeoning mobile market, Nokia announced the debut of its Nokia X operating system that comes pre-installed with the Opera browser.

Introduced this week, Nokia launched the Nokia X software platform with Opera pre-installed on the Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL devices.

“Nokia X will bring millions of customers around the world their first true smartphone experience,” says Bryan Biniak, vice president of developer experience at Nokia. “With the Opera browser pre-installed, customers will be equipped with a high-quality, intuitive mobile web browser from the moment they turn on their device.”

Nokia is aiming big with this new venture in the lucrative smartphone market currently dominated by Android- and Apple-based devices, which hold 52.2 percent and 40.6 percent of the global market respectively, according to research from comScore Inc. Nokia was once a leader in the mobile phone industry, but has struggled in recent years as smartphones gained traction in the market.

Interestingly, the new Nokia X platform is a hybrid of the Android operating system by the fact it is based the Android Open Source Project. This situation puts the company in a slightly awkward position regarding an upcoming merger with Microsoft.

Microsoft announced plans to buy Nokia’s device business for $7.2 billion in 2013, but the deal is still not finalized. Microsoft’s own mobile platform holds a distant fourth place with 3.2 percent market share, behind Android, Apple and Blackberry, according to comScore.

The Nokia X family of devices includes the Opera Web browser

The inclusion of Opera as the pre-installed browser on the Nokia X OS, however, is a bit of a coup, as the browser gains a new foothold in the competitive mobile market.

“Being a key player on a debuting platform is always exciting, and when Nokia is the force behind the project, doubly so,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. “We have a long history of working with Nokia and we are glad they chose Opera to be included in the Nokia X from launch day. Together, we are committed to giving customers a great surfing experience right from the start.”

The question remains, of course, how consumers will react to the debut of Nokia’s new line and operating system.

Nokia remains hopeful about the launch and the company’s future, with Stephen Elop, executive vice president of Nokia's Devices & Services division, commenting, "Nokia has connected billions of people around the world, and today we demonstrated how our portfolio is designed to connect the next billion people to great experiences."