Vertu, the premium handset maker which used to be owned by Nokia, is set to announce its first Android powered device in February 2013, according to reports.

While the company has previously been aligned with Nokia for its technology platforms, as an independent company it has opted to head in a different direction, adopting the Google-backed platform instead of Nokia’s preferred choice, Microsoft’s Windows Phone.

With previous Vertu devices having used Symbian OS, and with this platform having now been abandoned by Nokia, the company had no option but to migrate to a different technology path.

The company’s portfolio does not generally feature cutting-edge specifications, and the mooted feature list for the new device follows this trend.

Reports suggested the Constellation TI will run Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor.

According to Android Authority, the company is set to make an official announcement on 12 February.

Nokia announced its intention to dispose of Vertu in June 2012, as part of a restructure which also saw 10,000 jobs cut. The company was sold to private equity firm EQT VI.

In its most recent results release, Nokia recorded a gain of EUR52 million from the disposal of Vertu. It remains a 10 per cent shareholder in the company.