Microsoft may have a solution in the works for its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 app deficit, but some inside the company reportedly aren't on board yet.

It's simple: Microsoft's desktop, tablet and smartphone operating systems lack the bustling app ecosystem of a platform like, say, Android - so why not enable Android apps to run on Windows and Windows Phone devices?

That's exactly what the company is considering, according to The Verge, which supposedly spoke with "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans." But these sources report that Microsoft executives are torn, with some of the mindset that the long-term risks might outweigh the benefits.

Besides, as The Verge points out, this has been tried before - by BlackBerry - and it didn't work then. Why would it now?

Forking Android over

Of course, Microsoft is not BlackBerry. That much is obvious.

And if Microsoft is really letting Nokia, which it bought in 2013, go ahead with the Finnish phone maker's "Normandy" Android device, then the Windows company is clearly not totally repulsed by the idea of using Android for its own means.

Of course, the most recent report suggests that the Nokia Android phone will ship without many of the Google apps and services typically found on Android devices - including the Google Play store itself - in favor of Nokia- and Microsoft-built alternatives.

But The Verge's sources say Microsoft doesn't want to deal with the hassle of creating its own "fork" of Android, and that simply enabling Android apps to run on Windows might be an easier solution in the short term.

To that end the site suggests Microsoft might work with BlueStacks, a company that for years has been enable Android apps to run on Windows devices.

Whatever happens, it seems Microsoft is at least considering taking drastic measures to solve its app deficit, which may be a sign of just how desperate things have become for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

• Here's what TechRadar thought of Microsoft's latest OS update, Windows 8.1

Oh HTC, how you love to tease us so! Even as the Taiwanese manufacturer announces plans to target the cheaper end of the smartphone spectrum, new images surface from the higher end of that food chain.

PhoneArena reported Wednesday that a pair of new images purported to be the HTC M8 have popped up on the radar, and they come bearing gifts for fans of the company's flagship smartphones.

Also referred to as the HTC One 2 (shouldn't that just be HTC Two?), the handset pictured above surfaced earlier this week on the website HK-Android.info, looking an awful lot like an improved version of the HTC One it's expected to replace.

The most notable change here is the home button is front and center in place of the HTC logo, although this image seems to indicate capacitive touch is being used instead of the on-screen software buttons suggested by earlier rumors.

Say cheese

The HTC M8 has previously been tipped to feature a five-inch, 1080 x 1920 LCD display powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM running Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 6.0.

While those specs don't appear to have changed, the back of the handset seems to indicate big changes ahead for the camera, judging from the dual LED flash clearly on display here.

The sequel to HTC's critically acclaimed One (which won a 2013 Editor's Choice nod from TechRadar) has been rumored to arrive with an improved version of the UltraPixel camera, which theoretically produces higher quality images from a lower megapixel count.

All welcome changes, but there doesn't seem to be anything particularly groundbreaking here, so HTC might want to stay the course on those lower-priced handsets if they want to make it through 2014 unscathed.

• No HTC One for you? Check out our review of the latest LG G2 instead!

Rumors of the Nokia Normandy are really heating up and soon it might just be the first of a whole pack of Android-powered phones.

Phone Arena posted a new report talking with an Artesyn Technologies source that says the Finnish phone company will have more Android phones coming this year including several higher-end models.

Supposedly this new slew of phones powered by Google's mobile OS will be revealed sometime between May and June. The source says the phones will come at different price points but there's no word if it will be able to reach the Play Store unlike the Normandy.

Shuffling technology around

The Phone Arena report goes on to say that Microsoft has put Nokia through the chop shop, leaving its new acquisition with the low-end Asha and feature phone departments.

Meanwhile, teams involved with Nokia's more notable hardware bits including PureView Cameras, HAAC microphones, and ClearBlack displays have been moved to Redmond.

Taking these technology shifts into account, its possible that a majority of Nokia's Android phones could come as budget handsets with the Asha overlay – essentially a faux-smartphone tiled, touchscreen interface.

Nokia's Android pathfinder

Thus far, the only Android Nokia handset we know about is the Normandy. The phone set to make its debut at MWC 2014 and its already shaping up to be an abnormal little droid.

Instead of accessing the Play Store, Microsoft plans to supply the handset with their own apps such as Here maps and Mix radio, and Nokia's own shop of Android apps.

Its already odd enough to see the Microsoft-owned company putting anything but a Windows Phone OS on just one of its handset, but we'll let you know if we spot any other goodies from Nokia featuring Google's green bot.

• Nokia might have some kind of Android, but the Motorola Moto G has KitKat, check it out in our revie

When Samsung tweeted a teaser for its MWW 2014 Unpacked event this week, most of us believed it was a pretty big hint at the new Touchwiz design coming on the Galaxy S5.

A new screenshot has now appeared that could confirm that we (and the rest of the internet) were on the money.

The picture could either be from a Tizen phone or the Samsung Galaxy S5 itself. Either way, the icon styles match those from the invitation, and two of them – the 'Curiosity' and 'Outdoor' icons – are identical.

Tizen, Tizen, burning bright

We're big fans of these rather funky new flat, circular icons, so here's hoping they do make it into the S5 after all of this.

The handset is also expected to come with a 2.5GHz quad core processor, 3GB of RAM and a 20MP rear camera.

Other hints in the invite suggested Samsung will also be putting more focus on fitness and privacy. Fingerprint scanner ahoy?

Meanwhile we're expecting to hear more about Samsung's Tizen very soon - quite possibly as soon as MWC.

• Why is Samsung trying to hide the Galaxy S5?

Our top 20 best phones list always draws a bit of controversy. Nobody wants to see their handset of choice left out of the lineup, and the endless power struggle between Apple and Android fans means one side always ends up going home with their feelings hurt.

Still, there can only be one winner.

We saw a lot of movement at the end of last year and after a couple of nice surprises in early 2014, we've revised our list of the best mobiles currently on the market.

In the video below we've cut down our selection to cover just the top 10. So, if you're currently on the lookout for a new phone and are only interested in the best of the best, click the play button and find out which mobile deserves that lonely space in your pocket.

• Read more: The 20 Best Mobile Phones In The World Today