Microsoft unveils Android-powered Nokia X2

Nokia X2Microsoft has released its first ever Android device but don’t expect it to turn its back on Windows Phone any time soon. The first Nokia X devices were launched when Nokia’s Devices and Services business was still part of the Finnish company. But Microsoft acquired the division soon after and the Nokia X2 is its first device announcement since then. As expected, the Nokia X2 is another entry-level device aimed at emerging markets.

As with the first generation Nokia X devices, few will know that the Nokia X2 is an Android device at heart. The Nokia X Software Platform 2.0 may be based on Google Android 4.3 but it has been dramatically altered and will not be recognizable to Android users. The user interface bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Windows Phone with its resizable tiled screen. Google’s services have been replaced by a range of Microsoft services such as Outlook, HERE Maps, Skype and the “Nokia Store.”

“The Nokia X family is going from strength to strength, with the Nokia X smartphone achieving top-selling status in Pakistan, Russia, Kenya and Nigeria,3 while earning the third-best-selling smartphone spot in India,” said Timo Toikkanen, head of Mobile Phones, Microsoft Devices Group. “The Nokia X2 elevates the Nokia X experience with a stellar new design, ease of use and new Microsoft experiences. We’re proud to continue to bring smartphone innovation to lower and lower price points.”

Nokia X2 specifications

  • Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200
  • Operating system: Nokia X Software Platform 2.0 (based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean)
  • Cellular connectivity: HSPA+ (21Mpbs)/GPRS/EDGE
  • Other connectivity: GPS, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Display: 4.3-inch WVGA (480×800/217PPI) ClearBlack LCD
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Internal storage: 4GB
  • External storage: MicroSD cards up to 32GB
  • Rear-facing camera: 5MP AF with flash
  • Front-facing camera: VGA
  • Battery: 1,800mAh
  • Dimensions: 121.7 × 68.3 × 11.1 millimeters
  • Weight: 150 grams
  • Colours: Black, White, Green, Orange
  • Other: Dual-SIM variant

The Nokia X2 will launch globally in July 2014 and will sell for €99 (about CA$145), a price aimed at “introducing the “next billion” people to the mobile Internet and cloud services.” The Nokia X never made it to North America and it is unlikely that the Nokia X2 will either.



Source : Nokia Conversations