The Nokia X is one of the Finns first ever smartphones to run Android and yet it may not be the Android phone youve been looking for. Perhaps youve been looking in the wrong place? Nokia will certainly like you to think so. To be honest though - never mind the Normandy codename - this is obviously not the D-day in smartphones.
The Nokia X was not made to compete with the best out there. It is the exact opposite of a flagship - low-cost hardware delivering reasonable performance at a bargain price. No Google services but Nokias and Microsofts instead. No Google Play Store but plenty of Android apps in the Nokia and other stores. No Android level of customization but a blend of Lumia and Asha simplicity. Its Android like you never seen it before. Intrigued?
The operating system is built on the Android Open Source Project, which in turn is been based on 4.1 Jelly Bean, but looks nothing like. On the inside and outside, this is more like Asha with a Windows Phone twist. Fastlane meets resizable tiles - a simple to use combo, user friendly and light on the hardware.
The absence of Google services is surely a deal-breaker for those hoping to get the pure Android experience on a Nokia phone. Of course, the Nokia and Microsofts alternatives are there: HERE Maps and Navigation (instead of Google Maps), OneDrive (instead of Google Drive), Nokia Mail (instead of Gmail), Nokia Store (instead of Google Play). Ultimately, you wont be able to sync your Google Contacts and Calendar but Nokia pushing its own agenda is hardly a surprise.
The Nokia X has a simple objective: keep cheap droids at bay. But not Samsungs, LGs or Sonys cheap droids - its the countless - nameless - dirt-cheap Android-powered smartphones Nokia worries about. Theyre a real threat to their Asha lineup in developing markets and entry-level Lumias elsewhere.
With the X-line, the Finns are sticking a competitively-priced smartphone in your hands, and save you the embarrassing disputes about how smart the Ashas really are. And hey, the Nokia X and its siblings have to be cheap not only because they compete with the cheapest of droids. Its because the Lumia line needs to feel like an upgrade - which is the ultimate goal.
Politics aside, everything else about the X-line seems pretty straightforward. Asha simplicity and Windows Phone aesthetics thrown in the Android shaker. Done teasing you, our traditional exterior close-up comes next.
Nokia X runs on unrecognizable Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Nokia X is the companys first smartphone running on Android. Well, sort of. Nokia X is officially calling it the Nokia X Software Platform v1.0, which is basically a forked version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Long story short - its Android where the Google services have been replaced by Microsoft ones and a custom Nokia launcher.
Lets take a look at Nokias custom launcher. Its a mix between the latest Asha Software platform and Windows Phone with an entirely new twist here and there. There is a Glance screen with notifications, there is also the quite familiar lockscreen. Swiping it reveals one of the two homescreens - the app drawer and the Fastlane.
Nokia X Software Platform user interface - Glance, Lock, Home, Fastlane screensThe lockscreen doesnt have any active shortcuts to directly launch apps but it will display notifications for missed calls, incoming messages, installed apps or calendar events. Depending on which side you swipe such notification it will either take you to the relevant app (right) or itll be dismissed (left).
The app drawer on Nokia X looks a lot like a Windows Phone homescreen - all apps shortcuts look like Windows Phone live tiles. They are resizable too and you can even change the base color of each tile. Whats different is actually none of those tiles is "live" due to the hardware limitations of the device. This homescreen will list of all your installed apps, so it might get really long if you are lazy not to organize your shortcuts in folders.
The app drawer homescreen • changing a tiles color • search is available too Standard Android widgets are also supported - you get the familiar analogue clock, calendar, email, Facebook, Power Control Deck and more. Apps that come with a dedicated widget, such as the BBM, will also appear in the widget menu too. We suggest not to use too many widgets though because they may noticeably impact the overall system performance.
The widget listSwiping left or right the app drawer will take you to the other homescreen called Fastlane. Those of you familiar with the Asha user interface will recognize it immediately. The Fastlane keeps track of all your recent activity, opened apps go there, recent web pages, along with contacts youve called, messages and emails, calendar events (birthdays, to-dos), recently installed apps, recently shared content, recently taken notes and pictures, radio stations, and even social network posts, replies, likes and goings-on. The music player and the FM radio, if active, will also appear here.
Fastlane homescreen • Personalizing FastlaneFastlane can be personalized from the Settings menu. You can opt out of some of the services and notifications in case you are getting overloaded with content.
You can tap pull down the status bar to show notifications for missed events and quick toggles for sound profiles, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile data.
The Notification area • A contextual menuContextual menus, if available, are accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the display. If an app supports such menu, youll get a small virtual handle at the bottom, so you wont have to guess if there are additional settings or not.
Nokia HERE Maps with voice-guided offline navigation
Nokia X comes with an integrated GPS receiver and the company is bringing their own mapping solutions to the table - the unified HERE Maps app, which is pretty much as powerful as its Windows Phone famous sibling.
Nokia HERE Maps is the premium app - it offers free, life-time voice-guided navigation. All you have to do is download a voice in your language of choice and youre good to go. Of course, to make use of the key selling point of HERE - offline navigation - you have to download a map for your country.
Nokia Here MapsHERE Maps can only be used for navigation in your home country, but not abroad. Even if you buy a new SIM when visiting abroad, it will not change the license.
Activating the Drive navigation
Your phone will now be rooted in a few moments and the following message will appear.
