Sporting a shiny translucent plastic on the outside and twice the amount of RAM under the hood and a front-facing camera to boot, the Nokia X2 is the continuation of what Nokia Microsoft started four months ago when the first generation X device was announced and went on sale immediately after: targeting the budget conscious consumer. See, there’s that guy who does not find those Ashas attractive or to be what they want in a phone in this day and age. Since there are so many Android devices around him, why not take one that specifically targets him and will help draw him to the Windows ecosystem in case he wants to upgrade and move higher up the foodchain? That’s the Nokia X’s unwritten mission statement and if the huge demand for the device in markets like India is anything to go by then the first generation X did well achieving that and the second generation X2 is here to continue with that mission.
As expected the differentiation between the Nokia X and other devices running Android in its class continues to be Nokia’s customised X platform which has now been updated to version 2.0 and keeps on with the heavy forking that we saw with the X. On the centre-stage are Microsoft’s services like OneDrive, outlook.com, Skype and the traditional Nokia MixRadio and HERE Maps. There’s the Nokia Store for all your application needs since the Google Play Store is not welcome on a device of the X2’s nature. The Nokia Store is Nokia’s curated app store for apps specifically developed or ported to work well with devices on the X platform. The updated X platform still gives you access to third party Android app stores.
As you may note in the below specs, other than the updates to the X platform (software), there’s a significant number of updates to the hardware side (the display, the RAM, the camera and the battery).
Worth mentioning is the addition of a home button to the device and 15 GB OneDrive storage. The previous generation X devices onlyhad a back button and came with just 10 GB. Also, Microsoft’s popular note-taking application OneNote is now available for the Nokia X devices starting with the X2. The device also has Nokia’s Glance screen feature.
Specs of the device are as follows:
- Size and weight: 121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1mm, 150g
- Display: 4.3 inch ClearBlack WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) LCD
- Processor: Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 clocked at 1.2 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB internal storage expandable via microSD card to 32 GB/ 1 GB RAM
- Camera: 5 MP with LED flash and autofocus /VGA front-facing camera
- OS: (underlying) Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
- Battery: 1800 mAh
- Others: 3G connectivity, dual-SIM support (specific model in some markets), Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
The device goes on sale immediately in various markets in the emerging markets where its predecessor has been available for a while now. It will be available for $134 (pre-tax).
With such an upgrade to the Nokia X line, the question is, will Microsoft update the current X devices to version 2 of the X platform? Also, this is the Nokia X2. If the past is anything to go by, will there be a bigger display variant a la Nokia XL available? Say a Nokia XL2 or something? The XL is an immediate hit with most people as usage patterns are shifting and we’re naturally getting attracted to the notion of ‘bigger is better’ (sigh) so what about a follow up?
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