As soon as you get the Nokia XL in your hand, the first thing that you notice is its size. Sporting a 5-inch screen, the phone looks bigger than other models in its price range and has stronger bezels which promote better grip. The operating system is a modified version of Android 4.2 which gives you access to Nokia’s own app catalog and doesn’t have the conventional Google Play Store installed in it. For the price you pay, it’s definitely impressive to see some noteworthy build quality offered by the Finnish company but does it actually perform well as it should?
Display
The 5-inch display in the Nokia XL has a WVGA display with a resolution of 480x800p. The pixel density is quite low at 189ppi which is very meager compared to the phones that are being sold today at the same price range. It has some bright, vivid color reproduction but when it comes to reading text or watching movies, the glaring pixelated issues is evident. For entertainment buffs who love to read ebooks or watch movies on their phone, this is not the model for them even though it sports massive 5-inches of real estate to be used. The bezels are thick enough and the sharp corners provide comfortable holding for long hours. The back of the model sports plastic finish which is a finger print magnet.
Performance
For the build quality and the overall aesthetic appearance of the phone, we expected it to have a better performance ratio. The model is powered by a 1 GHz dual core Snapdragon processor and it has only 786 MB of RAM to be utilized. Some apps and games that usually hog memory didn’t run smooth as expected. They crashed to the home screen with an error message. At the same time, basic apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook performed amazingly well. They looked great on the screen and it was a breezy experience when browsing through Facebook posts. You can also choose to change the Windows themed Android OS to personalize your experience but on the phone doesn’t fall under the blazing fast category.
Windows Inspired Android
One of the unique, or you could say glaring change with the Nokia XL is its Android OS that is heavily inspired by Windows mobile operating system. The user interface has been completely revamped and you will hardly opine that you are actually working on the Google OS. It uses flat tiles, is quick at some points but is definitely not the choice for Vanilla Android lovers. The phone comes preloaded with apps such as Here Maps instead of Google Maps, One Drive instead of Google Drive and others that are designed to pull you out of the Google ecosystem. If you had already used a Windows phone, you would feel comfortable using this one.
Display
The 5-inch display in the Nokia XL has a WVGA display with a resolution of 480x800p. The pixel density is quite low at 189ppi which is very meager compared to the phones that are being sold today at the same price range. It has some bright, vivid color reproduction but when it comes to reading text or watching movies, the glaring pixelated issues is evident. For entertainment buffs who love to read ebooks or watch movies on their phone, this is not the model for them even though it sports massive 5-inches of real estate to be used. The bezels are thick enough and the sharp corners provide comfortable holding for long hours. The back of the model sports plastic finish which is a finger print magnet.
Performance
For the build quality and the overall aesthetic appearance of the phone, we expected it to have a better performance ratio. The model is powered by a 1 GHz dual core Snapdragon processor and it has only 786 MB of RAM to be utilized. Some apps and games that usually hog memory didn’t run smooth as expected. They crashed to the home screen with an error message. At the same time, basic apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook performed amazingly well. They looked great on the screen and it was a breezy experience when browsing through Facebook posts. You can also choose to change the Windows themed Android OS to personalize your experience but on the phone doesn’t fall under the blazing fast category.
Windows Inspired Android
One of the unique, or you could say glaring change with the Nokia XL is its Android OS that is heavily inspired by Windows mobile operating system. The user interface has been completely revamped and you will hardly opine that you are actually working on the Google OS. It uses flat tiles, is quick at some points but is definitely not the choice for Vanilla Android lovers. The phone comes preloaded with apps such as Here Maps instead of Google Maps, One Drive instead of Google Drive and others that are designed to pull you out of the Google ecosystem. If you had already used a Windows phone, you would feel comfortable using this one.
Nokia XL is an attempt by Microsoft to introduce users to the Windows OS without leaving the convenience of Android. They have succeeded to a good extent in making a sturdy phone with good build quality and screen but the end product is strictly for niche users who wouldn’t mind using such a highly modified OS, with bit of a lag here and there.
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