Nokia X family introduced as trio of Android-based smartphones

The mythical Nokia Android phone is something that many mobile enthusiasts have been dreaming about ever since Nokia adopted Windows Phone back in 2011. There’s a mountain of rumors, speculation and fan-made renders that’ve surfaced over the years that are dedicated to imagining just what a Nokia-made Android device might look like. Well today those daydreams became reality, as Nokia officially took the wraps off of its Nokia X family of handsets.

The Nokia X lineup consists of three smartphones with slightly different spec lists. The Nokia X and Nokia X+ both feature 4-inch 800×480 IPS LCD screens, 1GHz dual-core MSM8225 Snapdragon processor, 3-megapixel cameras and microSD card slots. Heck, the X and X+ are even the same size and weight. The two areas in which they differ are RAM and the presence of a microSD card: The Nokia X features 512MB of RAM and no included microSD card, while the Nokia X+ gets a bump to 768MB of RAM and comes with a 4GB card in its slot.

The third and final member of the Nokia X family is known as the Nokia XL. As its name suggests, the Nokia XL is the biggest of this bunch thanks to its 5-inch 800×480 IPS LCD screen. The XL’s rear camera has also been upgraded to include a 5-megapixel sensor, and the device has also gained a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. Rounding out the Nokia XL’s spec list is 768MB of RAM, 4GB microSD card and a 1GHz dual-core MSM8225 Snapdragon processor.

Those specs are all well and good for entry-level devices, but what most folks are interested in when it comes to the Nokia X is the software. The Nokia X devices are based on AOSP and run a custom Nokia user interface that’s very reminiscent of Windows Phone, right down to its resizable tiles. Nokia has also included the FastLane interface from its Asha phones that allows users to quickly jump between running apps. Speaking of apps, a Nokia Store with curated Android apps will come on the Nokia X devices, though users will also be able to use third-party Android app stores and sideload any apps that they’d like. No Google services or apps come loaded with the Nokia X family.

As for when you can make the long-rumored Nokia Android phone your own, the good news is that you don’t need to wait long. The Nokia X is available immediately in Asia Pacific, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. It’ll be sold in green, black, white, red, yellow and cyan hues at a price €89 ($122 USD.) The Nokia X+ will be available in the same set of colors but is scheduled to arrive in Q2 2014 with a slightly higher price of €99 ($136 USD). Finally, the Nokia XL is slated to hit stores in Q2 in green, black, white, yellow, blue and bright orange. The biggest member of the Nokia X family will set buyers back €109 ($149 USD.)

It’s kind of crazy to see an Android-based Nokia smartphone after years of rumors and pleas from consumers that wanted Nokia to adopt Google’s green robot. The entry-level nature of the Nokia X family means that many of the spec hounds out there won’t give these devices the time of day, but anyone that’s spent any time dreaming about a Nokia Android phone, the Nokia X family could be worth checking out, especially considering their affordable price tags.

What do you think of the Nokia X family? Are any of you thinking about adopting one of the group’s members?

source: androidandme