The monster Nokia XL has been on the market for quite a long time and in general, judging by the reviews, many of its owners are pleased with this device. At least, the public liked the manufacturer’s focus on Android, combined with an unusually voluminous screen for current smartphones of the brand. Of course, there is no need to talk about the barrel of honey yet, but nevertheless... But we can already talk about the fly in the ointment, or rather, about five spoons at once.
Users report that problems with Nokia XL also occur, different and in different ways.
However, the number of such messages is not yet so significant that all owners of this model could begin to panic.
Moreover, for many the most frequently asked questions Regarding the operation of the Nokia XL, quite informative answers have already appeared. This is what we will tell you about.
So, the most common problems with the Nokia XL smartphone and how to fix them.
No response to double click
Double tapping on the Nokia XL display should activate it, but sometimes the device ignores this user action. No one has yet been able to pinpoint the exact cause of this problem, but there is an opinion that the problem lies in the software.
They say that Nokia has already notified whoever needs it, so we can hope that in the near future the company will take the necessary measures and with a routine update the problem will be eliminated forever.
But until this update is released, some users are overcoming the problem with the reaction to a double tap in their XL as follows:
1. Click on the screen not twice, but three times.
2. Press twice, but with additional light pressure.
3. When you need to activate the “sleeping” screen, tap on it not with the pad of your finger, but with its harder side part.
Vertical stripes on the screen
The screen of this smartphone is large (“X-el” after all), so you need to treat it with care. It is clear that a Nokia XL case is needed (by the way, here is the new iPhone X case). But if, despite all the care you take about your device, you suddenly see strange vertical stripes on its display, this does not mean that you have damaged something.
The reason for their appearance may be a defect in certain components, which in itself is not good. But it may not be. In any case, Nokia claims that before you get upset and take your smartphone to service center, you must first perform a complete reboot (with preliminary backup data, of course).
Now, if after you returned the device to factory settings, the strip problem reappeared, then there are no options.
Battery charge level freezes
Simply put, while charging the battery, the charge level indicator stops at one indicator. Why? We haven't figured it out yet either. But those users who have already encountered this problem are advised to simply restart the smartphone, and then the indicator will again begin to show the correct charge level. The solution is temporary, but effective.
Photo quality
Some people complain that in low light conditions, the camera on their Nokia XL starts to take much worse pictures, and as a result, “the quality of the photos decreases to the level of “Disgusting” (quote from the forum). In response, more experienced owners recommend changing the brightness settings from “Auto” to level “2” or “3” when shooting with the Nokia XL camera in poor ambient lighting in order to improve the quality of the photo. You should also experiment with other camera settings to find the settings that best suit your shooting conditions.
Volume
Not often, but XL also has problems with sound volume during telephone conversations, moreover, regardless of whether it is incoming or outgoing call. They write that the trouble appears even at the maximum volume level. Unfortunately, effective way We have not yet found a solution to this problem. Sometimes restarting the smartphone helps, but not always.
The company believed that Nokia smartphones with Android OS would not allow them to stand out among other manufacturers. As an alternative, a well-known platform was chosen Windows Phone. And although it has gained quite a popularity recently, smartphones from other companies running Android OS are sold much more often. Android smartphones are becoming more functional every year, and their prices are decreasing. Taking this into account, Nokia decided to create its own version of Android. The developers were faced with the task, on the one hand, of creating a smartphone on which Android applications would run; on the other hand, it was important that the device was not called an Android smartphone and there was no mention of Google. The operating system has been changed beyond recognition. The company has put a lot of effort into making it different from regular Android. The interface of a new operating system is a collection of elements from operating systems Windows systems Phone, Android and Asha. The home screen is very similar to the screen found in Windows Phone OS.
The company presented the first smartphone on the new operating system, Nokia XL, on February 24, 2014 at the Mobile Congress in Barcelona. The positioning of the new smartphone from Nokia is very simple - “a bright smartphone for Android applications.” The main audience of this device is young people who feel the need for a smartphone, but do not want to spend a lot of money on it. Enthusiasts and developers may also be interested in the smartphone software, those who love to explore new things. Today we will take a closer look at the new product and try to identify all the pros and cons of the smartphone.
Scope of delivery
The Nokia XL smartphone comes in a compact cardboard box, already familiar to other Nokia products. In addition to the smartphone itself, you will find in the kit:
— Charger AC-20
— Battery Nokia BN 02 2000 mAh
— Stereo headset Nokia WH-108
— Quick Guide
The equipment is quite poor, but this is due, first of all, to the low price of the smartphone.
Design
Nokia has always tried to be different from others in terms of design. The company's engineers often experimented with appearance their smartphones, but one of the most successful, according to users, was the design Nokia Lumia. In Nokia XL, as well as in the Asha line, they tried to create a cheaper version of the case, similar in appearance to the Lumia line. However, the Nokia XL smartphone uses inexpensive plastic and the body is disassembled.
Another feature that is typical only for Nokia smartphones is a wide variety of color options. While most companies try not to present many different body colors, Nokia, on the contrary, considers this a plus. Thanks to this, the user always has the opportunity to choose exactly the color that he likes.
The Nokia XL smartphone cannot be called compact. It has dimensions of 77.72x141.35x10.87 mm and weighs 190 g. The smartphone feels quite wide, and the sharp corners make it not very comfortable in the hand. If you convey the sensations in words, the device can be described as a “heavy brick.” However, Nokia XL is created just for lovers large smartphones, so the buyer will probably be prepared for such dimensions of the device.
As for ergonomics, everything is familiar here. On the right side of the smartphone there is a paired volume key, and just below is the on/off button.
At the top end there is a 3.5 mm jack.
The microUSB connector is located at the bottom end. The left side of the smartphone is completely empty. There are no buttons on it.
The back surface of the smartphone is made quite simply. It has a speaker hole, a 5-megapixel camera lens and a flash, as well as the Nokia inscription. On the front panel there is front camera for video calls and a single button under the screen, which plays a dual role: a short press - step back, a long press - return to the home screen. The solution is ambiguous. Some will like it, some won't. Matter of habit.
The build quality of the smartphone does not cause any complaints. A matte body is used; when pressed, it does not play or stick together. For a budget device, the quality of the materials from which the case is made is excellent.
Under the back cover there is a battery, as well as two slots for microSIM cards and card slot microSD memory.
Display
The smartphone uses a 5-inch screen. An IPS matrix with a resolution of 800x480 pixels and a color depth of 24 bits is installed. In most situations, the picture looks good. However, given the screen size, the resolution is low. Nevertheless, if you don’t demand anything special from the device, most users should like the screen. The display brightness is quite high, there is automatic adjustment. In bright light, the image dims but remains readable.
The display of the Nokia XL smartphone has good viewing angles; when tilted, the image is not distorted.
I didn’t like the fact that the fonts don’t have anti-aliasing; in most situations they don’t look very good. Any Android smartphone from any other manufacturer does not have the same problem with fonts as the Nokia XL. The same situation applies to menu icons. They are not very well adapted to screen resolution and operating system. I hope the company will fix this flaw in future operating system updates. In the screen settings, you can specify the display of the clock in standby mode. This feature has been used in Nokia phones and smartphones for quite a long time and will be very useful if the user does not wear wristwatch. The Nokia XL smartphone also has a proximity sensor; the screen is locked during a call.
Technical features
The Nokia XL smartphone is built on a Qualcomm chipset; on the Nokia website it is designated as Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8225. This is already a fairly outdated type of chipset. Even the not new Nokia Lumia 520 uses the MSM8227 chipset, which is slightly more powerful. The frequency of the Nokia XL dual-core processor is 1 GHz. The device uses an Adreno 203 graphics coprocessor, and its performance is also quite low. Among “budget” devices, Nokia XL is not the most productive solution. The reason is the use of inexpensive components from Qualcomm, which are inferior to analogues from other manufacturers. However, if you do not intend to run resource-intensive 3D games and heavy applications on the Nokia XL, the device’s performance will be enough for you.
Nokia XL has 4 GB of internal memory, as well as 768 MB of RAM. Unfortunately, all devices built on the Qualcomm platform are more demanding RAM than their MediaTek counterparts. After downloading, about 326 MB of RAM is free. Android's memory management is good enough to free up memory for applications. required quantity memory and they use its maximum amount.
1.29 GB of phone memory is allocated for data storage, 1.17 GB is shown as a memory card, plus the user can install their own memory card with a capacity of up to 32 GB. The main disadvantage of the Nokia XL operating system is that all applications are installed in the phone’s memory, that is, the user is limited to exactly 1.29 GB in size and this cannot be avoided. Installing applications onto a memory card is not yet supported. Perhaps this will be fixed in future versions of the operating system.
In all other respects, Nokia XL is a typical Android smartphone. There is the ability to transfer files via Bluetooth, there is Wi-Fi, there is a USB mode Mass Storage when connected to a PC.
The Nokia XL smartphone supports working with two SIM cards, but there is only one radio module in the device, so only one SIM card can be active at a time. This is a cheaper option for implementing two SIM cards, which is most common on the market today and in devices in this price segment. The smartphone supports WCDMA networks: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz and GSM networks: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz. In the settings, you can select one card for SMS/MMS/calls or specify them as standalone, that is, working independently. The call list indicates which card you called from.
Interface
The Nokia XL interface is a combination of elements from the Windows Phone, Android and Asha operating systems. The smartphone is awakened using the side key or by tapping on the end. We see the lock screen, which can display latest events– mail, SMS, calls, programs and so on. You can swipe in one direction or another to get to the selected program or remove this reminder.
Unlike regular Android OS, there are only two options for locking the device - PIN code or password. The interface in Nokia XL has been redesigned so much that it is difficult to recognize regular Android. The entire Android ideology was forgotten, and instead Nokia came up with the Fastlane concept.
If you move the home screen to the side, a menu will open, which is called Fastlane. Menu copied from budget ones Nokia phones Asha. Fastlane is a hybrid of the news feed, notification bar and recently list running programs. By clicking on an entry in Fastlane, the user is taken to the program that sent this entry. Unfortunately, by default there is no task manager in the phone, nor is there multitasking. You can switch between applications via Fastlane, but whether they were unloaded from memory or not is impossible to know.
The main menu is tiles similar to those used in the Windows Phone OS: Phone, Contacts, SMS, Internet, Store, Email, and so on. All installed programs are displayed on one screen. It is possible to create folders and save icons within folders.
Icons can be swapped, the desired ones can be displayed at the top, and the color of the tile for the icons can be changed. You can use search to find the application. To do this, you need to pull the entire page down, then a search will appear in which you can type the name of the program.
Same as usual Android versions, the Nokia XL operating system has a drop-down curtain that has 4 quick shortcut, the ability to switch between SIM cards, as well as quick exit in settings.
The settings menu looks like regular Android.
All modern Android smartphones have such a feature as voice typing. In Nokia XL, the Pico TTS engine, which is familiar from many models, is responsible for speech synthesis. different manufacturers, it is quite primitive and does not have a Russian language. Therefore, in terms of voice dialing, Nokia needs to improve its new smartphones.
Things are much better with the keyboard. It's called Nokia Keyboard. You can enter words without lifting your finger, and they are predicted.
In the advertisement, Nokia says that this is a smartphone for Android applications, without specifying whether all of them will be supported. Nokia's branded store has a small number of programs; it can never come close to the branded Play Store. There are few applications yet. For example, Whatsapp is missing, as is Chrome browser from Google. When you search for a program in the store and don't find it, you are offered five more application stores to choose from, including the Yandex Store.
However, many Nokia XL users have already found an easy way to install applications. They take a regular Android smartphone, find and download the APK file of the application, then transfer it via Bluetooth and install it on the Nokia XL. Not the simplest, but a really working option.
Nokia does not guarantee that all Android applications will work on its device. Many applications require registration in the Play Store, which is not and will not be here, just as there is no support Google services. There is support only for Yandex services.
When purchasing an Android smartphone, the user can usually easily synchronize his contacts with account Google and transfer them to a new device in seconds. This is standard functionality for Android and for any smartphone. However, Nokia XL does not allow you to get contacts from the cloud. There are only two ways to transfer contacts. One - take advantage Yandex service, the second way is to save all contacts to a microSD card, then insert it into Nokia X and try to read it. Why Nokia company In her new smartphone she refused to synchronize contacts with the cloud, it’s not clear.
The built-in applications in general do not cause any complaints. Calculator, alarm clock, browser - everything works.
I liked the navigation. Here Maps allows you to download files for countries and regions onto your memory card, which is great. The main memory will be free, and the number of maps of different countries and cities you will load onto the memory card will depend only on its capacity. The usual and familiar navigation interface is used, including for offline navigation.
The music player is ordinary, the FM radio only works with a headset.
Camera
The Nokia XL smartphone has a 5-megapixel main and 2-megapixel front camera. Main camera resolution: 2592 x 1944 pixels. There is an LED flash and auto focus. Camera Features: Automatic and manual setting white balance, active toolbar, photo editor, face detection, auto exposure, center-weighted auto exposure. The camera has a “panoramic shooting” function. Available color modes: sepia, solarization, normal, negative. White balance modes: cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, auto. The camera can shoot video in FWVGA format (864 x 480) at a frame rate of 30 fps.
Permission additional camera: 1600 x 1200 pixels A wide-angle lens is used.
In the daytime, with good lighting, the photographs turn out quite good. At artificial lighting things are a little worse. Examples of photos taken with the Nokia XL camera:
Battery
The smartphone uses a detachable lithium ion battery capacity 2000 mAh. According to the manufacturer, the maximum talk time in 2G networks is 16 hours, the standby time in 2G networks is 720 hours. The maximum talk time in 3G networks is 13 hours, the standby time in 3G networks is 720 hours. With frequent use, the smartphone, of course, like other Android devices, will survive daylight hours, but in general the indicators battery life smartphones are quite good.
Conclusion
Nokia XL has a large number of both pros and cons. On a smartphone good volume call signal, high-quality body with bright colors, a pleasing screen. I didn’t like the stripped-down Android with an unusual interface, but perhaps this is a matter of habit. "Iron" is rather weak. The smartphone does not support resource-intensive applications and HD videos. The camera is average, although in good lighting the photos are quite good. The main buyers of the new product will be young people who want to get bright, stylish smartphone with support for Android applications. Nokia has made a new, unique product. If the company manages to maintain a reasonable price, the smartphone should become popular.
This article is not any kind of PR project; Microsoft and Nokia employees did not participate in its creation. This is the personal opinion of the author who was present at the presentation, the need for which is due to an inadequate perception of the current situation around Nokia X. For some reason, many people preferred to hear only about the fact of using the Android OS and ignore all the other circumstances surrounding the release of Nokia X to the market. I hope this material will allow readers form a more objective impression of what it is new line Nokia X and what goals Nokia pursued during its development and launch to the market.
For some reason, many professional journalists reacted with morbid excitement to the fact using Android in Nokia devices, and the formal announcement of smartphones with it was perceived almost as the death of the Windows Phone platform (although Stephen Elop twice misspoke what was what). You can argue about the prospects of the new solution, but there is definitely no need to draw far-reaching conclusions about the “victory of Android”, and here’s why.
What is Nokia X, X+, XL
So, there are three devices in the line (the recommended retail price is indicated in brackets):
- (89 euros)
- (99 euros)
- (110 euros)
They stand out for their low price, cheerful design with bright colors and the operating system they use. However, let's take a look at the technical characteristics:
| Nokia X | Nokia X+ | Nokia XL | |
| Screen | 4″, IPS, 800×480, 233 ppi | 5″, IPS, 800×480, 187 ppi | |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play (MSM8225), CPU: 2 Cortex-A5 cores, 1 GHz | ||
| GPU | Adreno 203 | ||
| RAM | 512 MB | 768 MB | 768 MB |
| Flash memory | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory cards | microSD | microSD | microSD |
| Camera | Primary: 3 MP, up to 2048×1536 | Main: 5 MP, 2592×1944, autofocus, built-in flash; secondary: 1.9 MP |
|
| operating system | AOSP with Nokia Glance Screen shell and Nokia and Yandex Store application catalogs | ||
| Battery | 1500 mAh, up to 17 days standby time, up to 10.5 hours talk time | 2000 mAh, up to 30 days standby time, up to 13 hours talk time | |
| Dimensions | 115.5×63×10.4 mm | 141.4×77.7×10.9 mm | |
| Weight | 128.7 g | 128.7 g | 190 g |
Let us add that all three smartphones support working with two Micro-SIM format SIM cards in Dual Standby mode, i.e., one GSM communication module is used. Each smartphone in the X line has: Micro-USB connectors and a 3.5 mm audio jack, wireless interfaces Bluetooth 3.0 + HS and Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n. Smartphones are designed to operate in WCDMA (900, 2100 MHz) and GSM (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz) networks. They support data transmission technologies HSDPA (7.2 Mbit/s), HSUPA (5.76 Mbit/s), EGPRS (236.8 Kbit/s) and GPRS (85.6 Kbit/s).
Against the backdrop of press releases about the configurations of the new flagships, the specifications of Nokia X devices seem downright weak. However, they are quite sufficient for solving basic tasks (especially undemanding users in emerging markets), and the key advantage of smartphones is their low price.
One of the features of the new Nokia X line is the use of Android OS (more precisely, Android Open Source Project OS version 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, hereinafter simply AOSP), which allows you to access a large number of applications and games for this platform, which are either free , or are very inexpensive. At the same time, new smartphones have their own “tiled” interface (Nokia Glance Screen shell) and do not have Google services, but they do have Microsoft services preinstalled (such as OneDrive ( former SkyDrive) and Outlook.com mail) and Nokia services (Here maps, MixRadio, etc.), as well as the Yandex Store application store. Thus, the main feature of new smartphones that you need to pay attention to is the interface and services.
The main interface of the Nokia X line is similar to the interface of the Lumia line - the same large tiles with clear schematic icons. There are even rudimentary “live tiles” capabilities. The interface is divided into two parts: the general menu (tiles) and Fastlane (fast strip). Fastlane contains the most frequently used applications (somewhat reminiscent of what was given by Windows default 7 in the Start menu), but the user has the ability to control the application directly from this menu - for example, start listening to music, i.e. this is the simplest and automatically working solution that does not require an active user role.
The second important feature is the operation of all Nokia services (the Here mapping service and MixRadio online radio were mentioned separately), as well as Microsoft services, primarily OneDrive cloud storage and outlook.com mail. Let me remind you that any service is good because it allows you to integrate content between different devices and platforms, i.e. Nokia X buyers will be tied to online services that are used in Nokia and Microsoft devices, and not Android (the same synchronization of contacts).
However, it was the fact of using the Android OS that was something of a red rag for the bull (despite the fact that “Android isn’t real!”). Why did this happen?
Origins of the problem
At one time, Nokia faced a difficult choice. While the company did not develop its Symbian OS, resting on its laurels as a market leader, its competitors were far ahead. Independent development of the system in “catch-up mode” would cost Nokia too much money, effort and time (especially considering the problems with controllability and decision-making in the company). Other existing solutions on the market required serious improvements and huge investments in the ecosystem. The only ready-to-use solution was the OS Google Android, and many people pulled the company in this direction.
However, from a strategic point of view, this decision would be rather a losing one - despite its apparent obviousness. In the Android market, there is absolutely terrible competition and a real war between players - with their dead (the same Motorola) and seriously wounded (HTC, Sony). So it’s pointless to hope for calm, progressive development for this market.
True, there are also complaints about the choice of the company’s CEO, Stephen Elop, because the Windows Phone (WP) OS, despite all the power of Microsoft, is still developing poorly, especially considering what bright and unusual devices Nokia has released to the market. However, WP is gradually gaining momentum.
Under these conditions, many perceived the release of products based on the Android OS as a “betrayal” and a 180-degree turn. However, in reality this is not the case.
Android, but not quite
First, many people somehow overlook or deliberately ignore the fact that Android is not Google's proprietary OS, but an open platform. At one time, Google was forced to take the Linux kernel as a basis, so now the entire mobile OS is considered as open-source, and anyone can take it and use it, including modifying it for themselves. This is often used by Chinese manufacturers who produce products in the open. free version(AOSP) working with alternative app stores.
Secondly, the “free” nature of Android is a fairy tale. More precisely, the fruit of successful exploitation by Google PR specialists of enthusiasts’ love for everything “open and free.” Google takes money, it only takes it for using Google services, which constitute a significant part of the value of the system.
Price pressure
It seems that Nokia has exhausted its options for reducing the price of devices based on the Windows Phone OS, and the pinnacle of the price reduction process was the Nokia Lumia 520 smartphone (which, thanks to its low price, is selling well). At the same time, Nokia sees that the demand for obsolete devices in the line remains very high, especially in developing countries. And to abandon this market is madness.
Therefore, the company began to look for ways to make its cheap line more modern, but maintain its main advantage - the price. At the same time, in addition to saving on hardware configuration, it would be good to reduce software costs. And the first candidate - operating system.
“Young and promising” operating systems like Firefox OS, Sailfish OS or Tizen cannot be used: these are extremely crude platforms for enthusiasts, without a wide range of software and with a large number defects. They also need to be seriously invested in, and besides, the instability and limitations of the platform can disappoint users and push them away from Nokia.
Therefore, there is only one candidate left - Android OS. But paying Google money for its services is stupid for two reasons: firstly, the main goal was to save money, and secondly, Nokia has its own developed services, and besides, the company has access to Microsoft services. Under these conditions, a solution simply suggested itself:
- Take not Google Android, but the base platform, which is open and free - AOSP.
- Customize it to the Nokia style, including the interface and services.
Despite official statements from the stage that the situation with applications for the Windows Phone OS is gradually improving in quantitative and qualitative terms, even Stephen Elop said that the Android OS has a huge variety of applications, and a significant part of them are free, which is an important advantage for cheap devices and poor emerging markets.
In this regard, the advantage of the new Nokia X smartphones is formulated as follows: “a widespread platform with a wide selection of free applications will allow users in developing regions to get acquainted with new opportunities mobile devices and evaluate their benefits." Yes, access to Google Play no, but the company will work with regional online stores, plus, applications can be installed “in other ways.” As an example, we used the Aeroexpress application, which is described as “very popular in Russia”; when searching from a phone, a link was given to the Yandex Store application store.
By the way, regarding application compatibility with Nokia platform X, it’s worth giving an explanation here. The Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus single-chip system used dual core processor with ARM Cortex-A5 core. This is a very low-cost solution based on ARMv7 architecture. According to Nokia itself, 75% of all available applications for Android are fully compatible with this platform (we're talking about ARM), and the remaining 25% will require minor modifications. To make the modification process simple and convenient, Nokia offers developers to use the tools included in the Nokia X Services SDK. It is stated that porting will not require more than eight hours of working time, even if you have to unlink the application from Google services. To help developers, Nokia has created a special one that analyzes applications for errors and suggests which of them need correction.
The end of Windows Phone OS?
Only in the dreams of fans of other mobile platforms.
I understand that the further we go, the more managers and PR people “shape” reality instead of reflecting it, which gives rise to a completely understandable distrust of their words. However, Stephen Elop emphasized several times that the Lumia line remains Nokia’s flagship line and will continue to develop. And the announcement of new products on the Android platform does not contradict this statement.
By the way, Stephen Elop was immediately asked the question: would the Windows Phone OS become the second “hot platform” after Symbian (with this statement by Stephen Elop, let me remind you, the displacement of Symbian from the market began). In principle, the question itself shows well that journalists think more in terms of military operations than in terms of working with clients. However, the answer is no less interesting: the Android market is too crowded. There are many Chinese manufacturers that produce products based on Android OS, but they have nothing to stand out in the market. Nokia, first of all, offers its own unique set of services, as well as its own unique interface and a simpler and more convenient way of working with the device.
If we translate this into Russian, then Nokia X buyers don’t really care what OS their phone has. They need an inexpensive, simple and functional smartphone with which they can solve their problems. And Nokia offers them exactly this complete solution, which they will not need to understand.
Finally, if you pick up the Nokia X and turn it around, it doesn't look like Android smartphones. Its interface is designed in the style of the Nokia Lumia interface (i.e., Windows Phone OS); there are even the beginnings of “live tiles”. It works similarly, although the FastLane interface (list of recent applications) is significantly simplified, but in this way you can use it completely “automatically”, without being distracted from your thoughts.
But the main thing is that I was left with the impression that it is much easier (in terms of interface, services, etc.) to switch from a Nokia X smartphone to a Lumia with Windows Phone OS than to other smartphones based on Android OS. This is the main feature of the new line: it is more integrated with Nokia than with Android.
Total
No matter what anyone says, Nokia X is not an “emergency plan in case Windows Phone fails.” This is a necessary component of the line, which has its own specific features. These features must be perceived as a whole, and not cling to one of them (OS) and ignore the rest.
Once again I urge you to pay attention to main feature of these smartphones: they are designed for emerging markets. Nokia has the Asha line, which is very popular, but is very outdated. It needs a modern replacement that also offers modern capabilities. Moreover, according to Nokia estimates, the market inexpensive smartphones in developing countries will grow four times faster than the overall smartphone market. This market should not be missed.
So, what is Nokia X:
- very inexpensive, but smartphone
- simple interface in Nokia style
- Nokia services, Microsoft services
- necessary services built into the OS and ready to use immediately (no need to mess around with configuration)
- Ability to launch cheap/ free apps Android
It seems to me that most Nokia X buyers will be switching from old primitive push-button mobile phones. In these conditions, simplicity of the interface becomes a very important requirement, along with low price. Nokia and Microsoft services will allow you to tie users to their ecosystem, while simultaneously teaching them how to use modern technologies. And a wide range of free applications and games is a nice bonus for any cheap device.
Taking into account current market trends and features target audience, which Nokia X is aimed at, it will most likely turn out that free Android applications will truly become a “bridge to new world applications” for those who are just mastering a smartphone, but in the future the familiar interface with “tiles” and a set of Nokia + Microsoft services will play a decisive role.
And then, when choosing the next smartphone, the user will prefer to save his content and access to services (mail, cloud, maps, etc.), rather than a set of applications. And Android... well, Android? An internal platform that few people see and which few people are interested in. No more.
“Nokia on Android” - the secret dream of all geeks, Nokiamans and Nokiaphobes has come true! For a long time They dreamed about it, argued and made photoshops, but what was considered a “duck” happened! Nokia held a presentation of the “X” line in Russia under the slogan “This is not a duck!”
Passed under the slogan “This is not a duck!” the presentation was lavishly decorated with ducks of all varieties and types.
Nokia X:: Review:: What is it and why?
Actually, the main questions are what kind of Android is installed on the Nokia X and why does the Finnish manufacturer need it? Why did Microsoft, which is about to buy the entire company, allow such things? Is this a final provocation or something else?
In fact, there is no definite answer to this question... The new X-line is not able to attract gadget lovers with any special technical characteristics– it doesn’t have powerful processors, good cameras, particularly outstanding displays, etc. “Android” on it is also unique (more on that below), and “X” is not a complete analogue of Android smartphones from other brands... Therefore, there seem to be two goals that are planned to be achieved with the help of the X series - firstly, at least - to associate the brand with the Android OS, without going beyond the framework of partnership with Microsoft, which is primarily interested in promoting its OS in the Lumia line and puts up with budget “semi-smartphones” Asha. Well, like Asha - only on Android. Let it happen!
The second point is that it is more slippery. It is assumed that the appearance of the budget X-line should not infringe on the general line of the flagship Lumia, but it is partly a response to complaints from the owners of the latter about the WP application store clearly lagging behind Google Play in terms of the amount of content. Here the situation is already borderline - the release of X-smartphones looks like an indirect recognition of the problems of the Windows Phone ecosystem, which is developing at an insufficient pace...
However, “the blind man said - we’ll see!” It will be seen. Over time.
Nokia X:: Review:: Nokia X 1.0 operating system
X-smartphones have the Linux-based operating system “Nokia X 1.0” installed, “supposedly Android”, but do not expect the usual Android interface and functionality in them. The interface practically copies the “semi-smartphones” of the Asha line, as well as Lumia, taking the latter as a basis - in fact, a version of Microsoft’s METRO interface.
In essence, the entire interface consists of two screens - the main screen, on which there are large shortcuts (in the form of Windows tiles) ALL installed applications, as well as a secondary screen - the “event screen”. Who called and texted that it was installed, that it was updated, etc., etc....
Screens change by sliding across the display from left to right:
Home screen– this is an endless “sausage” of tiles installed programs. Getting to the bottom if you are a fan of “market shopping” will not be easy...
There is also a panel quick settings– brightness, wireless interfaces, etc. As in Android (and also in Asha and even in latest versions long-dead Symbian), it appears at the top - “stretched” by moving your finger from top to bottom across the screen.
The main disadvantage of the “non-Android” interface is that in X-smartphones it is impossible to systematize and personalize desktops as conveniently as it is done in a real “robot”. There are no desktops themselves, no ability to combine applications into folders, and much more. There’s no talk about other features that Android allows you to implement (two-window mode with running a couple of applications at the same time, say)…
Nokia X:: Review:: Applications and Store
Another minus and plus of X-smartphones at the same time is the absence of the usual for android-maniacs. Google market Play. There is no shortcut or any other access to it. Android applications can be downloaded from 2 sources - Nokia Market and Yandex Market. These are Android programs, but specially ported to Nokia X-Android.
The advantages of such “indirect” shopping are that it is guaranteed that ALL applications will work clearly and perfectly, and are 100% virus-free. Because all of them, as we are assured, have been tested by teams of Nokia and Yandex engineers for perfect compatibility and the absence of viruses. After all, it’s no secret that from time immemorial, Google Play has been a mess, confusion and vacillation - running into an application with a “worm” is as easy as shelling pears, and due to the huge range of phones from different manufacturers, there is no guarantee of stable operation of programs. It works on some smartphones, but on others it gets stuck and crashes... Moreover, a stable application may stop working after an update - this happens quite often... This should not happen in “X”.
The disadvantages of a separate store are also obvious: in Nokia Market and Yandex Market you can find NOT ALL applications available on Google Play! But only those that their developers were not too lazy to port for Nokia X!
Therefore, the situation in which a certain program will work on a regular Android, but it simply won’t work for Nokia X, is quite real. However, Nokia people claim that they have special software, which they provide to all android developers, allowing them to easily and almost automatic mode“convert” the application for the X-series. Let's see what comes of this - wait for the official figures to compare what part of Google Play will be programs for Nokia X?
Nokia X:: Review:: Filling and appearance
Due to the fact that everyone is en massely enthusiastic about the fantastic combination of “Nokia + Android”, I rightly pushed the filling and design of the X-line devices to last place. As you understand, on at the moment the most important are the fundamental points, and not bullshit in the form of processors, batteries and body colors :) However, we finally got to them.
X-Series Concept – Affordable budget smartphones. Therefore, in the line, represented by three models - X, X+ and XL - there are no expensive and technologically advanced gadgets. These are dual-core devices, with uniform design, with modest cameras, differing in fact only in the diagonal of the display and the amount of RAM. All of them are dual-SIM and have good IPS screens. All of them use the design often used by Nokia, in which the phone unit is inserted into back cover, which is a “box”.
Nokia X
RAM – 512 MB
Camera - 3 MP
Battery - 1500 mAh
Dimensions - 63x115.5x10.4 mm 128 g
Nokia X+
Display - IPS, 4 inches, 480x800
Processor – dual-core 1 GHz
RAM – 1 GB
Built-in memory – 4 GB + microSD slot
Camera - 3 MP
Other – 2 SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Battery - 1500 mAh
Dimensions - 63x115.5x10.4 mm 128 g
Nokia X and X+ do not differ in appearance:
Nokia XL
Display - IPS, 5 inches, 480x800
Processor – dual-core 1 GHz
RAM – 768 MB
Built-in memory – 4 GB + microSD slot
Camera - 5 MP + front 2 MP
Other – 2 SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Battery - 2000 mAh
Dimensions - 77.7x141.4x10.9 mm 190 g
To put it simply, we can say about the characteristics like this - “X” and “X+” are two identical devices, differing only in the amount of RAM (512 MB and 1 GB – and why such an assortment is needed is unclear...) “XL” is already noticeably different gadget: the same hardware, but a little better camera and the screen is 5 inches, not 4.
The cost of the devices is about 5000 for X and about 7000 for XL.
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