While the new Nokia 8110 will have many smartphone-like features, there is no guarantee Facebook will develop a version of WhatsApp that will run on it.
HMD Global will launch the Nokia 8110 in May, with the Southern African office aiming to have it available in South Africa by early June.
The device runs the Nokia Smart Feature Operating System – system software built on KaiOS.
While KaiOS is a fork of the Mozilla Firefox OS project, the Nokia team emphasised it is not Firefox OS.
“KaiOS has been developed into something much more robust and expanded than the original Firefox OS,” the KaiOS website states.
Built into the Nokia 8110’s software will be the ability synchronise your calendar, email, and contacts, for example.
KaiOS also has an app store through which third-party developers can release software for the platform.
Facebook has already committed to developing a KaiOS app for its social network but has not confirmed WhatsApp as yet.
GM for HMD Global Southern Africa, Shaun Durandt, said they are hopeful WhatsApp will come to the Nokia 8110.
However, they cannot make any firm announcements yet.
Earlier this year, WABetaInfo reported that a KaiOS app for WhatsApp is in the works.
It said references to the development of a new native KaiOS app were found in the WhatsApp beta for Windows Phone, version 2.18.38.
They indicated the presence of a new platform that can be connected to WhatsApp’s servers, it said.
Source – MyBroadband
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