If you’ve been living anywhere but under a rock, you should know that Nokia announced, along with a few other handsets, the cusiously Android-powered Nokia X at the recently-concluded Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. While the handset maker is still doing quite well, (the Lumia 520 is the best-selling device at its price point, according to Nokia) the Lumia series of devices and their accompanying Windows Phone OS have had a little difficulty gaining traction in an extremely saturated market.
Tides are set to change with the emergence of the Nokia X. This colorful, nicely-designed mobile phone takes a different approach from the other devices in Nokia’s arsenal. The phone has Nokia’s trademark unibody polycarbonate design, clean lines and a skinned version of the Android Operating system called Nokia X 1.0, along with its own application store. The OS has a clean, organized layout that can be customized to users’ tastes, and can be sideloaded with Android apps.
It has specs that put it solidly in mid-tier category, as you can see below:
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, Dual-core 1GHz
RAM: 512MB
Internal storage: 4GB
Expandability: up to 32GB microSD
Battery capacity: 1500mAh
Screen size: 4 inches, 233 ppi
Network: 3.5G
It’s not going to break any speed records, but it’s not meant to. I have always been a fan of how Nokia’s phones have felt and performed in the hand, and had always been relatively certain I would enjoy their devices had they been running Android. This is the realization of that curious dream.
The Nokia X is as handsome as any of the Lumia devices that have preceeded it. It’s just as pleasant in the hand as any of their recent mobiles, and comes in the loud, lively colors you would might expet from the brand. The polycarbonate unibody design is great in the hand and really does feel solid despite the fact that they’re replaceable. Yup. Nokia is going back to its roots.
Nokia seems to be pushing the dual-sim Nokia X to the young, active crowd, with the “living in the fastlane” message, and many color options. This device is positioned to feed the Lumia series, while also providing a cost-effective option for other smartphone users looking for a device at this price point.
The software changes add quite a bit of usability to the device. From the glance screen to the customizable start screen, the Nokia X is meant to be easy to use and changeable to your needs. It also has what they call the FASTLANE which shows you notifications you need to see, and all the apps you have recently used, allowing you to look through your activities and applications in a clear, logical format.
Nokia has also made available their own Nokia app store, with curated Android apps. You can also sideload APKs, and visit other app marketplaces online.
Nokia has also included options that allows developers to write in in-app purchases via your mobile account or prepaid load, without the need to provide credit card info.
The Nokia X also has access to both Nokia and Microsoft services like One drive, Skype, offline Nokia maps via Here, and other useful services.
We’ll update you on price and availability as soon as they mention it.