[1] On 3 September 2013, Microsoft announced its purchase of Nokia's mobile device business, with the deal closing on 25 April 2014.

The company previously announced an intent to use Asha as an "on-ramp" to the Windows Phone platform,[2][3] but in a company memo released in July 2014, it was announced that as part of cutbacks, Microsoft would end the Asha and Android-based Nokia X range entirely, in favor of solely producing Lumia Windows Phones and Nokia-branded "feature phone" products.

The project resulted in the Nokia X family of devices, unveiled at MWC 2014.

It was one of two known Android projects at the company, the other was running the OS on high-end Lumia hardware.

[20] Media related to Nokia Asha mobile phones at Wikimedia Commons