Nokia’s Android phones are here and they are real. They launched three new Android devices and a Asha and a Nokia feature phone each, with the Android phones being the obvious highlight. A few years ago, one would never have imagined Nokia going down this after, especially after February 11 happened, but here we are, going hands on with Nokia’s own Android devices. Sort of a dream come true for many, we scrambled to try and get some decent time with all the devices and so here are our thoughts about the newly launched Nokia X+. For starters, here is a video of the Nokia X+
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dNZGmuXA9c
The X+ is undoubtedly a Nokia, with its Asha-like design and a sturdy plastic build. Of course it is really colourful too, as you can see from the flat sides in the photo above. It is really nice to hold in the hands and feels really grippy, reminding us of the Lumia 520. Talking of the Lumia 520, most of the specifications here are very similar, like a 4 inch WVGA screen, a dual core 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. Yes, it is the exact same as the Nokia X but there are a few differences here. The Nokia X+ comes with 768 MB of RAM, 256 higher than the Nokia X and then there is also a free 4 GB micro SD card in the box, for additional storage apart from the 4 GB internal memory.
But hardware is not the real story here, it is Android. Yes, AOSP has enabled any one to build an Android phone and Nokia have done it, without the help or the use of Google services. Nokia has built their own replacement APIs for all the important Google APIs like in-app purchases and so on. The phone will also come with third party app stores like Aptoide(which houses pirated content btw), Yandex store and other similar Android stores. The UI is completely skinned to look like Windows Phone but dig deep and you will start finding all the familiar Android elements like adding accounts, storage, battery, apps and so on. It is very familiar and any one who has used an Android phone should feel at home. The home screen is based off of Windows Phone as well as Asha, with a live-tiles like setup for the main screen and the Fastlane from Asha for the second pane. The fluidity of the home screen and the fast lane screens take it closer to the smooth Windows Phone experience than Android.
Priced 10 Euros higher than the Nokia X, the additions seem justifiable for the price and is just creating more choice in the narrow price segments the X series covers. In the end, it is all about the Android apps that Nokia are touting here. The low end has been inundated with Android phones lately, eroding Nokia’s strong feature phone business share, so they had to act, and act they have. It’s really intriguing to see a company that is all set to be acquired by Microsoft has developed Android phones, but without Google services, Nokia’s and Microsoft’s substitutes play a key role here. Nokia’s aim seems to be around bringing Microsoft services to a market that the company has never ventured into. While that seems sound, the pressure and demand to create more Android based devices from Nokia will be high, which will not likely happen after the Microsoft acquisition. But now that these devices have launched, we can’t wait to take it for a longer ride. Until then, let us know what you think in the comments section below.