Nokia X Review

The Nokia X is the Finnish company’s first Android smartphone. That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d say, but apparently 2014 is the year where anything can happen.

This phone has really agitated tech pundits around the globe. Why is Nokia doing this? Isnt it in completely the opposite direction of Windows Phone? What’s up with that UI?

Well, here’s what you need to know. The Nokia X does runs Android, technically, but it’s nothing like any Android UI you’ve ever seen. It also features a really eye-catching design, solid build quality, Nokia’s software, and is available at an incredibly competitive pricetag. Does that make the Nokia X more value for money than other phones in this price range? Is it better than the similarly priced Lumia 520 or Lumia 525?

The Nokia X is the start of what will eventually be a family of smartphones, with more variants apparently coming later this year. For now, they’re starting with the X, which is a monoblock smartphone with a 4 inch touchscreen, that costs just Rs 8599 here in India (and about €89 or about $122 unlocked everywhere else).

The Nokia X runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Technically.

The thing is, it looks nothing like Android Jelly Bean, or any version of Android for that matter. Most manufacturers usually create a UI that look atleast somewhat like stock Android, but Nokia’s UI looks more like a mashup of Windows Phone and Asha UI. Infact, put an Asha 5xx series phone next to the Nokia X, and it would be hard for most people to realize which phone runs Android.

Nokia’s known for their beautifully constructed handsets, with the N9 and the Lumia phones being the latest in that legacy, so it’s no surprise that the Nokia X features striking design, as well. There’s a very Asha-like matte plastic all around, hugging a display with just a lone ‘back’ button below it, much like a larger Nokia Asha 501. There’s certainly elements borrowed from both the Asha and Lumia design teams.

Since this phone is aimed at the budget conscious market, it might not be as premium looking at some high end phones. That being said, the solid build feels so high quality in the hand that I honestly think the Nokia X build quality puts some flagship phones to shame. No creaks or squeaks at all, and should you inadvertently scratch the plastic, the polycarbonate body is colored all the way through, which helps hide any scuffs.

Coming to web browsing, the Nokia browser does a good enough job, and there’s support for tabs as well.There’s also Opera Mobile pre-installed which is a way better browser, in my opinion. Unfortunately Google Chrome does not work on the Nokia X, even if you manage to find an APK file and install it. Websites look okay on that 4 inch screen, though the low resolution means you’ll have to do a lot of scrolling around.

The Nokia X features a 3 megapixel fixed-focus rear camera. I’m not entirely sure why Nokia chose to go with a fixed-focus camera, but it’s possibly just price related reasons to keep it as affordable as possible. I’ve been too badly scarred by the old EDoF days when a few of Nokia’s Eseries Symbian phones like the Nokia E7 had fixed focus cameras, so I’ve never been a fan of them. And a fixed focus 3 megapixel camera in 2014, when 5 megapixel cameras on Android should be the bare minimum, it’s slightly annoying. But hey, they tried to keep costs down.

The Nokia X family of phones come in both Dual-SIM and Single-SIM versions but some regions might only get one variant of it. India, for example, will only get the Dual-SIM version.

Gives you access to two SIM card slots, a microSD card slot, and a removable 1500 mAh battery.

This also means you can purchase more rear panels in different colors for the Nokia X, so that you can change the look of the phone around.

While it’s great to see Nokia explore Android as an alternative to Windows Phone and S40, the Nokia X probably wont appeal to your usual Android fan. Mostly because of the very-windows-phone-like UI and the absolute lack of Google services.

But that being said, I actually really think it might be great for first time smartphone users. Or just folks looking to get something as simple and solid as one of Nokia’s Asha or S40 phone, but with access to a lot more apps and general functionality.