Nokia X is a strange entity, it isn't supposed to exist. Especially considering Nokia's acquisition by Microsoft. But here it is, Nokia's first Android smartphone. The Nokia X is a dual-SIM Android smartphone running on a dual-core processor with 512 MB RAM and a 4-inch WVGA display. Its heavily skinned to look more like Windows Phone, even borrowing FastLane multitasking UI from its Asha brethren. Its an amalgamation of Windows Phone and Asha UI.
With the Nokia X you get a wired wall charger, a red headset (same as the one with Asha phones) and user guides. There's no USB cable.
Above is the image of everything you get inside the box.
Nokia X comes with a 4-inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) IPS display, 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon MSM8225 with Adreno 203 GPU and 512 MB RAM. It runs a forked version of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean which is three major revisions old. There's 4 GB of internal storage which is expandable using a microSD card slot upto 32 GB.
You have three sensors on the phone, namely:
There's a 3.1 MP camera at the back which has fixed focus and no LED flash. There is no front facing camera as well which is a real bummer. There is a single capacitive Back button in the front. But you do have physical buttons for Power and Volume Control.
The first thing you will notice is that the Nokia X is built solidly, it has excellent construction and the lively colors make it even more appealing. We got the green color which looks even better in real-life than on camera.
If we look in the front, you the 4-inch WVGA display, earpiece, proximity and light sensors and the singular back button just below the display. The front is covered in hardened glass. Just breaking the monotonous black expanse is the small hole for the microphone below the back button.
Moving to the left there is nothing just a vast expanse of green matte plastic while on the right you have the volume rocker and the power button. Both are sturdy and offer a good amount of travel without squeaking.
At the top you have the 3.5 mm audio jack shifted towards the left while the microUSB data-syncing/charging port finds a place dead center at the bottom of the Nokia X.
You have a 3.1 MP camera at the back which is well protected by the matte backcover, an embossed Nokia logo and the speakerphone to the bottom right. In the time we spent with the Nokia X we found that the speakerphone was quite loud.
The Nokia X feels great to hold in the hand. Although its sides have sharp edges which makes it look a lot boxy but it feels good nevertheless. It doesn't weight that much but certainly feels more solid that other phones available in the same price bracket. The back-cover is removable and therefore you can get these shells to change the look of your phone. It covers the sides as well as back completely enveloping the device giving it a very premium look.
The Nokia X is a unicorn come to life, for long people have been asking Nokia to make an Android smartphone, wondering how a Lumia would look running Android. But the Nokia X is not that. Its an entry-level handset with an alien UI, especially if you wanted an Android device. There's nothing noticeably Android about the Nokia X, except that it can run Android apps.
It has excellent build quality, sub-par specs but a good display and decent performance. We will put it through the paces to see how it performs in out gaming, benchmarks and then the Full Review.