Nokia has gone Android, sort of
After countless leaks, rumors and speculations, Nokia has finally unveiled their X line of Android smartphones. The three new phones – the Nokia X, X+ and XL – are all aimed at capturing the mid to lower end of the market, a market segment that has been traditionally dominated by low cost Android devices.
Nokia X specs
- 1Ghz 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 32GB
- 4-inch IPS LCD display, 800 x 480 pixels
- 3-megapixel fixed focus camera
- 3G, HSPA
- Dual-SIM
- WiFi, Bluetooth
Nokia X+ specs
- 1Ghz 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
- 768MB RAM
- 4GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 32GB, comes with free 4GB card
- 4-inch IPS LCD display, 800 x 480 pixels
- 3-megapixel fixed focus camera
- 3G, HSPA
- Dual-SIM
- WiFi, Bluetooth
Nokia XL specs
- 1Ghz 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
- 768MB RAM
- 4GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 32GB, comes with free 4GB card
- 5-inch IPS LCD display, 800 x 480 pixels
- 5-megapixel fixed focus camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- 3G, HSPA
- Dual-SIM
- WiFi, Bluetooth
But don’t think Nokia has gone full on ‘droid – far from it. These smartphones run the barest version of Android, and is unrecognizable from the one that inhabits most smartphones today. Nokia has shut off all access to Google’s services and the app store, which means that you’ll have to contend with Nokia’s curated app store instead. Of course, there’s a workaround with that – you can still sideload APK files into all three Nokia X devices if you prefer.
All three devices use a 1GHz 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Nokia X has 512MB of RAM, while the X+ and XL have a smidge more, at 768MB. Both the Nokia X and the Nokia X+ use a 4-inch, 480 x 800-pixel capacitive IPS LCD touchscreen and a fixed focus 3-megapixel camera, and neither will have a secondary camera. The XL has it a little better – it boasts a 5-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display, a 5-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.
It’s clear that Nokia’s trying to recapture the low end market with their three new devices. All three have ultra-affordable pricetags – the Nokia X is slated to retail for only 89 euros or about Php 5456 before taxes, the Nokia X+ 99 euros or around Php 6069 before taxes and the XL going for 109 euros or Php 6682 without taxes. Nokia says that they should be available to buy right now, so we’ll be asking local Nokia reps when these will show up in our part of the world, and more importantly, how much they will cost.