Business Insider
Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announcing the X Phone.
Although Nokia is shaping up to be the poster child for Windows Phone devices in the U.S., the company has proven it can make an Android phone that people want to buy.
Just days after orders for the Android-based Nokia X rolled out, the phone has already hit 1 million pre-orders in China.
After initially publishing the news on the Chinese social network Weibo, Nokia tweeted the milestone from its primary Twitter handle.
Nokia's decision to pursue Android is particularly surprising because Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Nokia's mobile division for $7 billion. Nokia has been focusing on the Windows Phone platform since 2011.
The Nokia X was first announced at Mobile World Congress last month, but the handset is a bit different than your typical Android smartphone. The device runs a heavily modified version of the OS that comes with Microsoft apps (Outlook, Skype, OneDrive) instead of the usual suite of Google apps (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, etc.) that are preinstalled on most Android handsets. Instead of a Google Play store, Nokia X owners will use a different Android app store.
Nokia's X smartphones come in three flavors: the X and X+ both feature a 4-inch display, but the X+ comes with more storage space. The XL will come with a larger 5-inch screen.
Although Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has spun the decision as a plus for Microsoft since the phone points users towards Microsoft's services, the PC software company didn't seem enthused.
"They'll do some things we're excited about, and some things we're less excited about," Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said during a press event at Mobile World Congress.
When rumors about Nokia's Android phone started swirling before the announcement, a Microsoft insider told Business Insider the move was "embarrassing."