The mobile madness that is the month of June continues today with Nokia’s “Green with envy” announcement. As expected, the freshly-acquired Nokia introduced the Nokia X2, a low cost smartphone that runs Android beneath a heavily-customized user interface.
The Nokia X2 comes to us just four months after the debut of the original X. The X2 packs a 4.3-inch 800x480 display, up from the 4-inch display found on the first X, as well as a 5-megapixel rear camera and secondary front-facing shooter.
Buried inside the Nokia X2’s 11.1mm thick frame is a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 4GB of storage, microSD slot with support for cards up to 32GB in size, 1GB of RAM, and HSPA+ 21Mbps 900/2100MHz. The X2 is powered by an 1800mAh battery.
On the software side of things, the Nokia X2 is running Android beneath custom Nokia software. Nokia has updated its UI with new features like a new apps list view that’s reminiscent of Windows Phone’s multitasking capability, more app details in Fastlane and more space for tiles on the home screen. Nokia has also added a capacitive Home button on the X2 to go alongside the back key that was present on the X.
And now we come to the all-important pricing and availability information. The dual-SIM Nokia X2 is available “immediately” in select countries around the world at a price of €99 ($135 USD). The X2 will be available in glossy green, orange and black initially, with glossy yellow, white and matte dark gray options coming later on.
Overall the Nokia X2 looks like a nice upgrade over the original X. It’s got a slightly larger display, more RAM and a beefier camera, all for just €10 more than the original X. Plus, the addition of a capacitive Home button should make navigating the X2 easier than its predecessors. It’s kind of strange to see the X2 launch just 4 months after the first model, but for anyone that considered the original X but ultimately passed on it, the X2 looks like a no-brainer.
What do you think of the Nokia X2? Will you consider picking one up, either as your daily driver or a cheap backup?
