Nokia announced 3 Android powered smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2014 tech show. Of the trio, the Nokia X+ was the last one to enter sale in India for a price of Rs 8,399. The handset merges some specifications of both the Nokia X and Nokia XL and runs on AOSP based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Let us take a look at the quick review of the Nokia X+ smartphone that got released on Monday.
Camera and Internal Storage
The Nokia X+ is given a 3 MP primary camera with fixed focus, but there is no LED flash or front-facer in the handset to make video calls. Given the price range of the smartphone, this basic camera is pretty annoying and it would have been great if Nokia incorporated a better camera unit along with a front-facer on the device. Also, many phones in the sub Rs 10,000 price range come with a minimum of 8 MP primary camera with auto focus and LED flash making the Nokia X+ lag behind in the race.
Its internal storage space stands at 4 GB and this can be expanded further using a micro SD card by another 32 GB. Though the default memory capacity is low, this is what most of the phones in this price bracket would feature and hence, there is no complaint in this segment.
Processor and Battery
The processor in the handset is a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play processor similar to its other siblings. This processor is combined with a 768 MB of RAM and it is decent enough. The dual-core SoC is a downside, Windows devices usually do not struggle heavily in terms of performance due to fewer cores as the Android devices do.
The Nokia X+ gets a 1,500 mAh battery unit that is rated by the company to deliver up to 408 hours of standby, 10.5 hours of talk time and 26 hours of music play. From these figures it can be claimed that the battery is capable of delivering a decent backup to the phone.
Display and Features
It gets a 4 inch IPS display with a resolution 480×800 pixels totaling to a pixel density of 233 pixels per inch. The display might appear a bit average, but we cannot expect high screen resolution at such low price points on a dual-core phone.
As mentioned above, the Nokia X+ runs on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with the Lumia tile like UI on top. Though the device does no support Google Play Store, users can install apps from the Nokia Store and also side-load the popular Android apps on the micro SD card.
Also, the Nokia X+ comes in a slew of color options similar to Nokia’s Lumia and Asha lineup of smartphones. Moreover, there are connectivity features such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS to let the users stay connected.
Comparison
Analyzing the specs and price range, the Nokia X+ could be a direct challenger to the Android offerings such as Moto E, Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2, Sony Xperia E1 and others with similar specs.
Key Specs
| Model | Nokia X+ |
| Display | 4 inch, WVGA |
| Processor | 1 GHz Dual Core |
| RAM | 768 MB |
| Internal Storage | 4 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB |
| OS | Nokia X Software Platform AOSP based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
| Camera | 3 MP |
| Battery | 1,500 mAh |
| Price | Rs 8,399 |
What we Like
- more RAM
- Good battery
- Side-loading of Android apps
What we Dislike
- Poor rear camera
- No front camera
Price and Conclusion
The Nokia X+ is a smartphone will further intensify Tier 1 competition with the Android smartphones in the sub Rs 10,000 price bracket. Moreover, the version of Android found this smartphone and its siblings is quite different that is usually not found on the typical Android based phones. It could have been made better with the inclusion of better camera.
