One thing that Google’s Android operating system is known for is its hackability. And while, Nokia X isn’t running the traditional Android version we are familiar with, the device is indeed hackable, as we have just learned.
Within a week of its launch, Nokia X has already been rooted and the forked version it sports has been swapped with the stock version of Android. Which in short means, you will now be able to run any Google Mobile Services – PlayStore, Gmail, Maps, Notes, etc, on the device. That didn’t take long.
A developer named KashaMalaga, by using the popular rooting application, FramaRoot, which lets you avail admin privileges in just one-click, found a quick way to bypass the Nokia X’s bootloader and make it fit for installing a modified version of the operating system (custom ROM).
The images that are made available by the developer, along with the video, showcase the user running various Google Mobile services. From the looks of it, the phone, despite its low specifications, seems to be running Android just fine.
For people who are unfamiliar with rooting and installing a modified version of the operating system to an Android phone, it lets you gain administrative privileges, so you can do things you were otherwise restricted from. As cool as this process sounds, it brings its own set of problems. Not only does it void your warranty, you also run a risk of bricking it (making your phone unusable.) Much like rooting, on Apple’s iOS you can do what’s called a “jailbreak,” but on Windows Phone, a user can’t fancy any such hack.
Interestingly enough, Nokia is aware of this and is quite pleased apparently.
@KashaMalaga This is awesome! Very excited to see progress is being made – we actually really like @xdadevelopers
— Nokia Developer Team (@nokiadeveloper) February 28, 2014
