Nokia X Review and Verdict

May 15, 2014May 15, 2014 technuter 0 Comments Android OS, Android UI, Gmail, Google Apps, Google Certified Device, Google Map, Google Play Store, Nokia X Review and Verdict

Nokia, a Finnish giant, has rolled out its first android phone Nokia X. The Nokia X runs on Android OS, technically, but it’s nothing like any Android UI you have ever seen. Nokia X not like regular android phone as it’s not a Google Certified Device so it does not have Google Apps like Gmail, Google Maps and other Google Services. The unavailability of the Google Play Store on the Nokia X doesn’t mean that Nokia X users can’t install Android apps.

Spec:

The Nokia X is an Android OS based smartphone by Nokia. It runs on modified version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The handset measures 115.5 x 63 x 10.4mm and weighs 128.66 grams. The device has a 4″ LCD display with 480×800 pixel resolution, giving ~233 PPI pixel density. The device has a 3 MP primary rear facing camera. It is powered with a 1GHz dual-core cortex A5 processor & Adreno 203 GPU. The device has 512 MB RAM, 4 GB of internal storage and 32 GB micro SD card slot. Connectivity options include dual-SIM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & Micro USB. The phone has a 1500 mAh battery. There is no front camera in this handset.

In the box:

Handset, Warranty card, Battery, Charger, microUSB-to-USB cable, and User manuals.

Design:

The Nokia X design is inspired from Nokia Asha and Nokia Lumia range of smartphones. The back panel of the Nokia X smartphone is not scratch resistant. It has a matte-finish polycarbonate shells on the back cover and is available in six different colours – Red, Black, Yellow, Cyan, White and Green. It comes with removable back panel under which lies the dual SIM and micro SD card slots.

Nokia X smartphone has just two physical buttons – Power/Lock button and volume rockers, which are on the right side panel. On the top user will find 3.5 mm audio jack and on the bottom user will find the micro USB port. There is a touch-sensitive button under the display. In the back panel user will find the 3 megapixel camera. The phone has a 1500 mAh battery. There is no front camera in this handset.

Performance:

Most of the part, the UI is smooth, but you will find lags here and there during application usage, often due to a low end processor and 512MB RAM. It has a Lumia like homescreen and there is only one button to navigate – a back button. There is no multitasking button to switch between apps which is very disappointing.

Camera:

The 3MP camera on the back is a FIXED FOCUS camera. Without Auto focus capabilities, it’s hard to get good images. The camera is very slow to fire, and the options from within the camera are very limited. In terms of multimedia capabilities of the device, the device is capable of playing all the common multimedia formats including, but not limited to, MP3, MP4, WAV, AAC, AVI, etc.

Software:

Nokia has opted not to include Google Apps, so the popular core apps of Android, like Android PlayStore, Gmail,Google Maps, Google+ etc are missing. There are Microsoft apps and Nokia’s own popular apps like Nokia HERE Maps included. The unavailability of the Google Play Store on the Nokia X doesn’t mean that Nokia X users can’t install Android apps. The Nokia X runs on Android v4.1.2 JellyBean operating system and has Nokia’s Fastlane UI on top of it. In terms of other software features, the device should ideally be loaded with common apps and software features including document reader, image & video editor, etc.

Battery:

The phone has a 1500 mAh battery, which is not great.

Verdict:

Nokia X is good for a new user, or someone coming from a windows phone, the experience would be much better. The lack of Google Playstore is a major disadvantage with this device, as the included Nokia Appstore doesn’t have many popular Android apps. Buy this only if you want to try out a different new Android UI.