WINDROID

AreNokia X, X+ & XL really Windroid and not Androids

You must be thinking what this Windroid thing is. The answer is very simple, it’s just Windows plus Android is equal to Windroid. Yes for the first time a device has been launched by Nokia which is half widows and half Android. Basically it is a custom operating System that is capable of importing various Android apps but cannot directly download them from the Google Play Store. With a Windows Phone interface and along with the famous Microsoft services like Outlook and Skype, the phone will be soon launched in the market with the price around $122.

 Who says only Samsung, Sony, HTC and Micromax specialize in Android Smartphones? Nokia might have lagged behind but it certainly has caught up with the trend as it always does. Finally after years of initiatives and intense research, Nokia has finally found its way into the Android market. With the release of X family of Smartphone, Nokia has finally entered the battalion of phones that run on Android. Technology users have always been cynical regarding Windows interface as almost all of the well-known applicationshave arrived in the Android as well as iOS stores before coming to Windows. During the course of past two years, Nokia has been trying to catch up with Android and had been promising an entry into the Android market since last few months. Finally the leading mobile manufacturer from Finland has set it course with three Smartphones running on Android operating system.

Introducing Nokia X, X+ and XL

Nokia X, X+ and XL are the model names of the three Smartphones that the mobile manufacturing giant has belted out. One disclaimer that goes out to all the customers is that the new range of Android-operated Smartphones does not come under a project certified by Google which basically points to the fact that there will not be any services of Google Play such as Gmail, Chrome and Google Play store available on the phones. But on the contrary, Microsoft and Nokia have tried their level best to integrate the applications as well as core services. Henceforth, all the three models will be having Microsoft OneCloud, Skype and  

                                              

Nokia HERE Maps. Those using these Smartphones will be able to download Android-based applications along with applications from Yandex store and Nokia store for free. Yandex store is immensely popular in countries like Russia. When it comes to processor, Nokia XL and X+ share the same 1GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 chipset with a RAM of 768 MB. On the other hand, Nokia X boasts of a processor that works on 512 MB RAM. Now let us individually bring each model under the limelight starting with Nokia X.

Nokia X: Specifications

    Nokia X (Dual SIM, White) 

Nokia after getting acquired by Microsoft has unveiled the improvement in its hardware section for the upcoming Windows 8.1 OS in mobile phones. These hardware improvements are basically for low end devices which could run Windows easily just similar to new Nokia X launches. Microsoft has been running after this hot OS since very long and it looks like they will soon acquire it to. The new Nokia X seems like an experimental project by the team of developers who wanted to run Android OS first time on these Nokia devices.

Nokia X comes with a 4-inch IPS LCD display having a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels (WVGA). The contrast level as well as the brightness of the display screen is quite reasonable in the sense that they will not harm the eyes of the user but at the same time will definitely strike a chord with any person who has a penchant for an attractive display screen. But for a price tag of 100 Euros/8599Rs in India, it is nothing special as such. Under the hood of the phone, Nokia X is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon S4 chipset. The processor works with a 512 MB RAM with an internal memory of 4GB but can be expanded to 32GB.

There is no front camera but a 3 MP back camera. The phone carries a weight of 129 grams with a 1500 mAh battery that can give a backup of 10.5 hours for 3G and maximum standby time of 17 days. Furthermore, one can play music up to 26 hours and videos up to 8.4 hours. The exterior body of Nokia X is quite rigid even if it is made up of plastic. But the form of plastic used to make and cover the model holds a rigidity value much more than that of the previous models of Nokia that were released in the market few years back. But built-wise, Nokia X happens to be sturdy enough to bear one or two hard falls to the ground.

On the whole, Nokia X supports Android even if it operates on considerably lesser RAM than the other X members. Adding to that, navigation options are quite impressive as one can easily navigate from one tile to another without any obstructions as such. On the whole, the interface has been designed in a very appealing way.

Nokia X+: Specifications

Nokia X+ is basically the daddy version of Nokia X as its RAM is 768 MB which gives an altogether better experience. The performance of Nokia X+ is much better than that of X model and this one comes for a heftier price tag than its predecessor. One can navigate through the interface in a quicker way and switching form one app to another does not take time. There will be surfeit of games that will be available on this model which are not exactly meant for any other

Smartphone with lesser RAM.

However, the both Nokia X as well as X+ comes with the same color options and even the build quality is the same only. Nokia X+ is available in the market under a price tag of 99 Euros whereas the price of Nokia X stands at 89 Euros. Thus, it is up to the discretion of the user whether they wish to shell out more for Nokia X+ or just stick to X. Now let us move to the last model which happens to be better than both of the aforementioned models.

Nokia XL: Specifications

The showroom floor at the MWC 2014 was swarmed with people who had gathered to get a glimpse of the first Android-supportive model of Nokia that hit the market. The XL model of Nokia X family boasts of a 5-inch LCD display screen which is much bigger than that of its antecedent models and the display is of IPS configuration. The WVGA resolution is also sufficient enough for the device and looks impressive. The price of the Smartphone is quite nominal at 109 Euros but the contrast level of the display screen is certainly not impressive enough. Nokia XL comes in a wide variety of colours. Furthermore, Nokia has ensured that the display or the body of XL remains smudge-free and henceforth, has come up with a unique concept of providing a protective coating towards the top part of the display in order to prevent it from settling on the screen. 

Nokia XL supports Android operating system quite well but as of now, the version of the Android operating system is not known as it has not been divulged yet. XL is loaded with 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor which performs well and makes it easier as well as quicker to switch between numerous applications. There are many applications of Nokia that are available with these Android-operated Smartphones including Camera, Mix Radio, Store as well as HERE Maps. There are a few apps which belong to Microsoft such as Skype and OneCloud. Those who purchase Nokia XL will have access to 10GB of storage space on OneCloud and 1 month free Skype Premium subscription. Furthermore, upon buying Nokia XL, the owners will get a 4GB microSD card without any additional costs. This will be a complimentary gift from Nokia.

When it comes to outer color, there is this one color which comes only with XL but not with any other model. Nokia has generously added Bright Orange-coloured back cover which gives the same feeling as that of Lumia 1520 and Nokia Asha 501. Moving towards the rear part of the phone, Nokia XL comes with an integrated 5MP camera which comes with LED flash option. A physical key appears at the display screen which in turn, acts like Home/Back button. There are a total of two operational screens out of which, one is the fastlane screen whereas the other one is the screen which shows the list of apps installed on the phone.

Nokia XL has dimensions of 141.4 mm x 77.7 mm x 10.9 mm. The covers at the back of the phone can easily be replaced as per the discretion of the user. The app tiles can be resized and are evocative to WP8 home screen. If the size of a particular tile is large, then it will have more information contained in it.

The Best

As it is obvious from the specifications, Nokia XL beats its other two siblings in almost all the context. Whether it be the processing speed or screen size, Nokia XL has turned to to be the winner among the three, possessing almost all the better features when compared to its partners.