Nokia X

“The Nokia X. The first and most basic Nokia smartphone powered by Android. It's a nice little fella, both on the inside and outside. A beginner's device though, no doubt about that. In many ways not worse than many cheap droids, especially ones from less than reputable makers. A good way to try Android and stay loyal to Nokia / Microsoft.Not a phone for existing Android users. Not the beginning of a long-term relationship that will culminate in the next Galaxy S or Xperia Z. The happy ending will have the next Lumia flagship's name on it. Will you call this a good start? Some won't. But that doesn't make the Nokia X a bad phone for what it is.”

“The Nokia X is a smartphone with a bright and evenly lit display and high build quality. Its main drawbacks are without a question the low performance and the low number of available applications. Why the manufacturer does not allow access to the Google Play Store will probably remain a mystery to potential buyers. Novice users, which are the target group for this phone, will have to find workarounds to get some apps installed, if they can be installed at all. Users who are not familiar with smartphones can't be expected to manually install APKs to get familiar apps like WhatsApp or Instagram. The Nokia X Software Platform is also a bit sluggish at times, which can lead to stuttering. More demanding applications like benchmarks frequently crash.”

“Nokia's first Android-powered smartphone is solidly built but let down by its sluggish performance.Running on a forked version of Android, the X range of devices lack Google Play services, which Nokia has ignored, choosing to feature Microsoft's products instead. While this seems like a good idea on paper, Android doesn't really stand up too well without the Google foundations. Furthermore, as these are cheap smartphones meant for emerging markets (taking over from the previous Asha range of phones), Nokia has chosen to go with low-end specs, which impacts the performance and user experience. The first generation of Nokia X smartphones are, to put it simply, unconvincing. Nokia has its work cut out to convince the world its Android lineup offers a viable alternative to what's already available in an unforgiving market.”

“The X doesn't stray from Nokia's signature design language. Just like the Ashas, the X has square corners, straight edges, a large bezel and a removable plastic back cover with a matte finish, although it lacks the transparent casing of the Ashas. The specs are comparable to a sub-$150 Android smartphone. However, the ecosystem is more confusing and the performance doesn't quite meet my expectations for a budget device. Plus, who knows how long Microsoft will keep it around and update it? Nokia's still a trusted brand, and it'll get a lot of interest in developing markets regardless of the competition, but I was ultimately too frustrated to recommend this over other similarly priced models. The X works better as a possible Asha replacement than a full-on smartphone experience, and perhaps that will happen in the next year or two. I'm more confident in the performance of low-end Windows Phones like the Lumia 520 than I am in comparable Androids, and a dual-SIM Lumia in this price range would be a much more compelling deal. For its price, the X has respectable features and good hardware. However, its confusing ecosystem and numerous performance issues make it hard to recommend over similarly priced budget phones.”