nokia x2 review
DESCRIPTION
A quick review of the Nokia’s Android-toting X2. If you're short on time, here's what the Nokia X2 offers in the form of picturesTRANSCRIPT
Nokia X2Review in
pictures
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2
It's plastic and it's glossy
Bigger than its predecessor, with a slightly larger screen size of 4.3-inches
A real embodiment of the term ‘fingerprint magnet’, thanks to its glossy piano
black finish
Fits well in hands, although it’s bulky at 150g and quite thick with a 11.1mm
frame
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Small changes in design go a long way
In contrast to the Nokia X, the X2 offers two capacitive navigation
buttons, providing the ability to go to home or return to the previous
screen
Long-pressing the back key brings up the multitasking menu, which wasn’t
available on the Nokia X
Rear panel can be opened to access the removable battery, two SIM slots
and a microSD card slot
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A clear display
Features a ClearBlack LCD display panel measuring 4.3-inches
While the resolution of 800 x 480 pixels seems to be on the lower
side, there’s no sign of pixelation
The display produces excellent colours and offers good brightness
levels.
Protected by scratch-resistant glass
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Nokia’s take on Android…
The X series from Nokia
serves as a gateway to
WP devices and
Microsoft services
Hence, the OS is a
forked version of
Android and doesn’t
come with Google
services
Runs Nokia X
software platform
2.0, which is based on
Android 4.3 Jelly
Bean
Tackles many issues we
had with the previous
software version
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…is inspired by Windows Phone and Asha Platform
The homescreen UI is
similar to WP, with
large tiles, and apps
listed alphabetically
on the next screen
Fastlane interface
displays recent
notifications and
recently-opened apps,
similar to Nokia’s
Asha Platform
Unlike the original
Nokia X, you can
access notifications
from the notification
panel
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Better shooting experience than before…
The Nokia X had a basic 3.2MP fixed-focus camera.In comparison, the X2 bears a 5-megapixel autofocus sensor at the back, supported by an LED flashThere’s also a VGA camera at the frontThe rear camera can shoot videos in 720pThe camera app’s interface is very minimal, and there are no special modes like HDR and panoramaHowever, you can adjust image’s brightness, quality, etc.
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… that’s quite good for social sharing
The rear camera takes decent shots that offer good colour variance and detailHowever, they lose sharpness once you start zooming inThe camera also struggles in poorly-lit conditions, and the LED flash tends to add to the noiseThe VGA front snapper is good for making video calls, but not so much for capturing selfiesOverall, the camera serves the purpose of sharing on social networks, but not much else
Close up
Long shot CA
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Fluid performance
There’s a considerable upgrade in the hardware department as
compared to its predecessor
The Nokia X2 is powered by a more efficient dual-core Snapdragon
200 processor ticking at 1.2GHz
It’s further supplemented by Adreno 302 GPU and a gigabyte of RAM
Delivers smooth performance, even while playing graphic-heavy games
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Stingy with storage
Comes with 4GB of
internal storage on
board
Users can access
2.2GB out of this for
installing apps and
storing content
The device supports
memory expansion up
to 32GB via a microSD
card
Unfortunately, there’s
no support for USB
OTG to attach a flash
drive
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Average battery life
Gets juice from a
removable 1,800mAh
battery
With light usage, it can
accompany you for a
full working day
However, with the use
of 3G and playing
games, it drains much
faster
In our battery life test,
it played back a 720p
video on loop for close
to six hours and 30
minutes, which is just
about average
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At a glance…
4.3-inch display, 800 x 480 pixels resolution 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor 1GB RAM 4GB onboard memory, expandable up to 32GB 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash VGA front camera Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS 1,800mAh Li-ion battery Nokia X software platform 2.0 (based on Android 4.3 AOSP)
Pros and cons
Nice displayGood performanceDecent performance
Glossy bodyOld build of Android and no access to Google servicesCompetition is much better in terms of core specs
Pricing & verdict
Price: ~Rs 7,500(online price)
“While the Nokia X felt like a beta product, the X2 comes across as a much more refined device. Not only does it right the problems of its predecessor, it also delivers a much better user experience. However, it faces notable competition in the form of Xiaomi Redmi 1s, Micromax Unite 2 and Huawei Honor Holly, to name a few. Despite this, if you're looking for a sturdy device from a trusted brand, which offers the customisability of the Android platform and delivers decent performance, the Nokia X2 is a good bet.”