On the sidelines of the Nokia X, the unexpected Nokia XL was announced (and we really hope there’s no XXL and larger than this coming), and this one actually looks quite better than the smaller and cheaper model in the X series of Nokia. Though you have the same Nokia X platform based on the Android AOSP, the larger screen makes it a better choice, the camera being an addition to the list of reasons. If you were looking for the Nokia X, check out our Nokia X Hands-on, and for the 5-inch XL, continue reading below.
Before getting into the details, here are the specifications of the Nokia XL – 5-inch IPS display with the WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels), 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Play processor, 768MB RAM, 4GB internal storage with MicroSD card slot for storage expansion, 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front camera, Nokia X platform.
Nokia XL Hands-on Video
It’s nothing different in shape from the Nokia X, but the size is larger and the sharp edges don’t settle that well in the hands because of the larger size of the phone. Just similar to the Nokia X, there is a removable back cover, which exposes the 2000 mAh battery and the two SIM card slots and a MicroSD card slot. On the right side, there is a lock key along with the volume rocker keys. On the top, there is a 3.5mm headset jack and on the bottom you can see a MicroUSB cable slot.
The interface has nothing different from what was seen in the Nokia X, because the Nokia X platform based on the Android AOSP has the tile-based UI, which is rather easy to use, but takes away all the customization possibilities which were possible in the actual Android OS. There is no Play Store and although there are loads of apps available on the Nokia store, you are free to install the apps with the .apk installer files, so that’s a pretty big advantage for the users who were already saddened by the fact that it’s not the normal Android OS running in the device.
This is a Dual-SIM smartphone, thus once you open the back cover, there are two slots for the SIM cards, one of which supports the 3G connectivity, while the other supports 2G network connectivity. Between both of them, there is a MicroSD card slot and a 2000 mAh battery beside to it.
Nokia XL Camera
The camera in the Nokia XL is quite appreciable, thanks to the 5-megapixel lens which does a decent job of capturing after we cursed the Nokia X for it’s crappy 3-megapixel fixed focus shooter. There is autofocus and manual focus in the Nokia XL, and the camera was able to capture some good photos, while the front 2-megapixel camera too wasn’t that bad, and much cannot be expected from it.
Final verdict
The Nokia XL is quite a decent device, for someone who is a Nokia fan majorly for it’s build and wants something different from the Asha and Windows Phone lineup. At least for those who are confused between the Nokia X and XL, this one is something they should prefer rather than the Nokia X which doesn’t have a decent camera, and the RAM is low, and there’s no MicroSD card slot in the Nokia X (the X+ and XL have got the MicroSD card slot expansion).
Do let us know if you liked this one or is the Nokia X better than this?
