Nokia X hits 1 million pre-orders in China

Numbers suggest that the budget Android handset is going to be a big hit.

Numbers suggest that the budget Android handset is going to be a big hit.

Officially launched at the Mobile World Congress in February, Nokia's Nokia X phones use a 'forked' version of the Android operating system rather than the Windows Phone operating system of its new owner, Microsoft.

However, rather than plugging into Google's cloud services, such as the Google Play app store and Google search, the operating system instead points users to Nokia Here Maps and Microsoft's Bing search engine as well as a special Nokia developed app store.

Using Android was seen as a very controversial choice but Android allows Nokia to use cheaper hardware components to build the phone which in turn means a more affordable handset. The cheapest Nokia X phone is just €89.

And, according to Nokia's Weibo account, the gamble is paying off. The company has already received 1 million pre-orders for the handset in China, 11 days before it officially goes on sale.

Designed to win customers in emerging markets over to the Windows ecosystem, the handset is already on sale in Malaysia and will officially hit the shelves in India on Saturday. However, Nokia hasn't provided any details about pre-orders or demand for either country.