Now you will get not only a couple of slots for cards from different operators (or tariffs), but also a camera, which was not present in previous models of similar design.
It’s worth immediately taking into account that since there is one radio module, it will not be possible to conduct simultaneous conversations on both SIMs. However, this is a common feature of inexpensive models. The phone has good equipment: among the interesting features, in addition to the 2-megapixel camera, noteworthy is a player with dedicated control keys, a slot for a memory card, a 2.2” QVGA screen, as well as a radio that works without headphones and an FM transmitter. The result is a musical device, at the same time adapted to work with a pair of cards.
Contents of delivery
- Nokia X2-02 phone
- Nokia BL-5C battery
- Nokia AC-3 Compact Charger
- Stereo headset Nokia WH-102
Appearance
The all-in-one is reminiscent of the and models, only it has a different color back panel and a better keyboard shape. The dimensions of the device are slightly different: 113x50x15 mm, weight 93 g. Due to the slightly curved back panel, the phone fits well in the hand.
In addition, the side surfaces have a beveled shape, which makes for a more comfortable grip. The plump phone is quite comfortable to wear in jeans or trousers, although it should be noted that other modules get thinner bodies.
Nokia X2-02 comes in several colors: red, black, blue, orange, purple. The build quality is flawless, very good. You will like the neatly made device due to its solidity and tight fit of parts. The glossy plastic is easily soiled; fingerprints quickly cover both the front and back panels. On the side parts you can feel a more practical matte material. This is a simple, slightly rough plastic.
At the top there is a small cutout for the earpiece.
There are buttons below the screen. There are a couple of soft keys, below them are keys for receiving and ending calls. The latter can turn off the phone. They have simple and clear icons in the form of red and green telephone handsets. The buttons are made in the form of small flat plates. They have a short stroke, but they themselves are slippery and not very pleasant.
In the center there is a 4-way navigation key with a small and clear stroke. It has raised sides, and the central part is recessed down. It presses with a soft clicking sound. Pressing the center performs the function of confirming the action.
The keyboard is comfortable, with 12 separate keys arranged in four rows. The buttons are plump, embossed, and easy to press. Again, the plastic is glossy and slippery, so they may not be to everyone's taste. But there are no complaints about the convenience of the set; here this issue is resolved much better than in X1-01 and X1-00. The symbols are printed in silver and are clearly visible against a black background. The backlight works fine, everything is clearly visible.
There are additional elements on the beveled side edges. On the right, the user receives a set of two buttons to adjust the volume. Nearby is a compartment for a SIM card under a protective flap.
On the other side there is a slot for a microSD card. It is also hidden under a plug made of durable plastic. There is a start-stop button here to control the music.
A standard 3.5 mm hole on the top allows you to connect any headphones to your phone. In the center there is a microUSB connector. There is also a hole for a “thin” 2mm Nokia charger.
There is a microphone hole at the bottom, as well as a small recess that helps you remove the back panel.
The back of the phone is covered with a plastic cover. It is matte, does not scratch or get dirty. It behaves very well and looks much more practical than the glossy panels in other versions. At the top you can see the insert into which the 2-megapixel camera lens is inserted, as well as the speaker hole.
There is a battery inside, next to it there is a compartment for a SIM card.
Display
Nokia X2-02 has a 2.2-inch TFT screen that displays 262 thousand colors. Its resolution is 240x320 pixels.
You cannot change the brightness level manually here; the viewing angles are quite modest. But it’s worth remembering the cost of the phone, so everything falls into place. In the sun the phone behaves very well and the image is visible normally.
Menu
On the desktop there are indicators for cellular network signal reception, battery charge, and the time and date are displayed. There may be lines of widgets and shortcuts, each of which can be assigned the desired function by choosing from among various applications. Among them are: favorite contacts, calendar, note, timer, link bar, search, mail, radio and music, communities, notifications, chat. You can move links around the screen at your discretion, choosing the design that is most convenient for you.
To enter the menu, you need to press the center of the navigation key. The right and left soft buttons launch other applications. Initially, they are assigned access to the phone book and shortcut menu. It consists of icons of various applications. You can choose from more than 60 functions and add what you need. In this case, the number is unlimited; if desired, you can add all existing links. If you choose the option of a simpler desktop view, then quick access to functions is achieved by moving the navigation key in all four directions.
The menu consists of numerous shortcuts. You can move them around, arranging them as you wish. There are several other types of menus: single, list, icons without captions.
You can change the background image on the screen by choosing from preset ones or downloaded ones yourself. Of course, it is also possible to change themes; the phone has several installed for variety.
When the screen is locked, no additional information is displayed on it. If you press the end call key, the display will light up and show the time and date. The platform is good and convenient, its main drawback is the lack of full multitasking. The player and radio work in the background, but the same browser or twitter cannot be minimized; you will have to restart the program each time.
Phone book
Each contact in the device memory can be assigned up to 5 phone numbers. Additionally, other useful data is recorded: type of number (work, mobile, home, etc.), email, website address, date of birth, address, note organization, nickname, position.
Each contact can be assigned not only a picture, but also an individual melody. Of course, fields are allocated for first and last names; the limit is the number of characters: 50 characters for each field, which is quite enough.
By selecting a contact in the phone book, you can perform a number of actions: call, send a message or email, and add information. Names are entered as a list, name and number, name and picture. Sets the font size to a larger size.
The list can be sorted either by the first or last name of the persons included in it. User groups are created, each of them can be assigned a picture and a melody. There is a phone book search that searches by the first letter of the first or last name. Scrolling through the list of names is slow and the phone slows down.
Call log
Each list shows the user's name or number, as well as the date of the call and the number of the SIM card involved. The log shows the total duration of calls. You can send a message to any number or save it to your contact list (by creating a new one or updating an existing one). The dialed numbers are displayed in the form of large characters on the display and are clearly visible.
The total duration of conversations is displayed, and there is also a message counter. The phone has a speakerphone function; during a call, it is activated by the right soft key. During a call, the call duration is displayed on the screen. Before making a call, you can set a timer; after a certain time, it will display a user-specified message on the display.
By dialing a number or selecting it in the list of names, you can make a call; you will be asked to select one of the SIM cards. The settings specify the SIM card that will be used by default for calls or sending SMS. You can enter this menu either from the phone settings item or by holding the * button, where the symbol for a pair of SIM cards is shown. The voice recorder is turned on to record the conversation.
Messages
This section is dedicated to SMS and MMS messages. Following the trend of recent years, correspondence with a person can be displayed in a single list, forming a dialogue. All messages go into one common folder.
You can add an audio file, picture or video to any SMS message, which automatically transforms it into MMS. Copying and pasting text is supported, and data from a message can be transferred to the calendar. The font size changes.
When sending, you can select from phone book destinations, journal and email numbers, recently used numbers, and also send a message to a favorite user.
Working with email is implemented using a built-in application that helps you quickly set up a mailbox on one of the popular mail servers. In my case, I tried Gmail.com, Mail.ru, with which there were no difficulties. Automatic downloading of messages is supported, you can choose between one of three intervals, and set the period for receiving mail.
The phone can download letters with attachments, but there are problems with viewing files, such as documents - the ability to display data only applies to graphic images. Supports work with multiple email accounts, POP3, IMAP4, SMTP protocols work. The email client has basic capabilities; you can use it to write a letter or send a file (a picture from your phone’s memory or a photo from a camera).
Camera
The phone has a 2-megapixel module. The camera is launched through the phone menu. The interface is clear and simple. A series of icons are displayed allowing you to access photo and video settings, as well as switch between photo and video modes.
The camera has a number of settings:
Saving pictures: phone memory or memory card.
Image title: automatically or your own name.
Photo quality: 2M (1600x1200), 1.3M (1280x960), 0.3M (640x480), 0.1M (320x240 pixels).
Auto timer: 3, 5, 10 seconds.
White balance: automatic, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent.
Effects: normal, false color, grayscale, sepia, negative, overexposure.
Camera sound: on or off.
Photo viewing time: 3, 5, 10 seconds or unlimited.
Examples of pictures can be seen below. The quality is the most common for a phone without autofocus and with a simple camera.
 Maximum video quality in resolution 176x144 pixels, 10 frames per second. A number of settings are similar to those used during photography.
Audio player The player reads formats such as AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, WMA. The playlist can be sorted by genre, artist, or album. Playlists are highlighted, and you can also listen to all tracks in turn. In playback mode, the display shows the album cover if it was included in the tags, information about the artist, album name and composition is displayed, indicating the total duration of the song. The player is controlled using the navigation key, which also changes the sound volume.
The shuffle and repeat mode works for both one song and all. If you minimize the player, information about the music being played may be displayed on the desktop. The 10-scale volume control is sufficient even for a noisy environment like a subway. The built-in equalizer offers a set of ready-made presets, as well as manual settings.
The phone can be considered as a replacement for the player, the sound is good. It is inconvenient that when the keyboard is locked, the music control button does not work, and the volume keys are also inactive. This model is very good as a player, so it can be considered as an inexpensive alternative to a separate device. Radio Stereo FM radio operates in the 87.5-108 MHz/76-90 MHz range. RDS is supported; up to 20 stations can be stored in the phone's memory. They can be saved using automatic search or entered manually. By minimizing the application, you can see the name of the station you are listening to on the desktop. There is an FM transmitter for broadcasting music from your phone to an external source. The buyer should also like the option that allows you to listen to the radio without headphones connected, using the built-in antenna.
Photo album Photos taken using the built-in camera appear in their own section. “My Photos” will show a set of 4x3 preview images displaying the photos stored on the phone. You can arrange a slide show by choosing one of three possible transition options between pictures and setting the display time from 3 to 10 seconds.
When you click on it, it will open in full screen, after which you can view the picture in more detail by zooming using a couple of virtual keys. You can also transfer a photo via MMS, email, Bluetooth.
"Timeline" shows the frames saved in the phone's memory, organizing them by date. By selecting a specific day, you can see a set of pictures, which can later be enlarged to fill the entire screen. It differs from “my photos” only in the selection criterion: not all photos are displayed mixed together, but ordered by date, which can make it easier to find the desired file.
Video The phone supports playing videos in MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, 3GP. The video library is a list of files; by selecting one, you can view it both in the vertical position of the phone and in the horizontal position. Given the small screen diagonal, it is unlikely that the model will be actively used for watching videos. Organizer Calendar You can select the default view: month or day overview, set the start day of the week, and you can also set automatic deletion of records after a certain period of time (after 1 day, week, month), if required.
New events are created of 6 types, these are: reminder, meeting, call, birthday, anniversary, note. The place, date and time of the start and end are set, the repeat is set for every day, week, month or year, you can turn on the notification signal and set the time for its operation. There is a search among records that helps you find the desired date or event.
Alarm The trigger days are set and the signal is set. It can be either a preset melody or a song downloaded into the phone’s memory. In addition, you can select the radio sound as the signal. Sets the repeat period. There is only one alarm clock; you cannot create several different ones.
There is a stopwatch and timer.
The function of displaying time in different time zones allows you to display information on the phone screen simultaneously for four different cities.
The phone is equipped with applications for communicating on social networks - Twitter and Facebook. You can read the message feed, write something new, or view replies.
The calculator will help you perform a variety of arithmetic operations.
There is a voice recorder that can create recordings without limitation.
On your phone, you can create notes and enter information about things with different priorities of importance.
The unit converter will help in various situations. |
Unlike the previous device, the new mobile phone is not so balanced. Its strengths and weaknesses will be discussed in this material.
Screen and camera
As in the first and second cases, the display diagonal is 2.2 inches. Its resolution is 320 pixels by 240 pixels. The number of displayed colors is 65 thousand. This is quite enough for comfortable work on such a device. The type of matrix used is TFT. This technology is already outdated today, but at the time of the device’s release it was relevant. But with the camera it turned out to be an absurdity. While its predecessor had a 5-megapixel matrix, and by this indicator the X2-00 even now surpasses some entry-level smartphone models, the Nokia X2-02 already uses 2 megapixels. You can't expect phenomenal quality from it. There is also the possibility of video recording in VZHA format. But the quality of the videos filmed also leaves much to be desired. So, in this regard, the previous model looks more preferable than the Nokia X2-02. Reviews from upset fans of taking pictures with their phones all over the Internet are further confirmation of this.
Mobile phone memory
Things are going well with the memory subsystem. The device itself has 64 megabytes integrated. But the user can only use a maximum of 10 of them. The rest is reserved by the system for its needs. In any case, you simply cannot do without a memory card. MicroSD flash drives with a maximum capacity of 32 GB are supported. The phone comes with a 2 GB card. Its volume is quite enough for comfortable work. You can put photos, videos and music tracks on it. If 2 GB is not enough for you, you will have to purchase an additional drive for the device.
What about the body?
If the X2-00 had a combined body, made of plastic and metal, then the new model had it entirely made of matte plastic. Therefore, you can’t do without a case and a sticker for the screen. Otherwise, in a year, maximum 2, you will have to buy a new case. On the front side of the device there are the following elements: a speaker, a screen and a regular telephone keypad. On the back there is a camera and a loud speaker. On the right there is a slot for installing a second SIM card. On the left, in turn, there is a slot for a memory card and a button for playing MP3 songs. It is immediately worth noting one advantage of such solutions from the designers of the Finnish company - without turning off the phone, you can replace both the 2nd SIM card and the microSD drive. Now let's figure out how to disassemble the Nokia X2-02. If the previous phone model had a special latch that opened the back cover, this phone does not have it. You just need to carefully tear it off with your fingernail. Under it there is a battery and a slot for installing the first SIM card.
Phone communications
An excellent set of communications from satisfied gadget owners on information resources confirms this. There is a round socket for charging the battery. A MicroUSB version 2.0 connector is provided for connection to a computer. The last 3.5 mm jack is intended for connecting an external audio system (speakers or headphones) to the device. The phone comes with a very mediocre stereo headset. Therefore, lovers of high-quality sound should buy headphones separately. Among wireless data transmitters, Bluetooth version 2.0 can be distinguished. But there is no Wi-Fi or GPS in this device. But taking into account the capabilities and positioning of the device, there is nothing to worry about. The existing communication capabilities are quite sufficient for normal, comfortable work on the Nokia X2-02. The characteristics in this regard are quite acceptable. A review of Nokia X2-02 will be incomplete if we lose sight of software optimization. According to the developers, if you use the built-in browser to view web pages, you can achieve a significant At the same time, their loading speed will increase.
Battery
The phone comes with a battery with a capacity of 1020 milliampere/hour. In this regard, the Nokia X2-02 cannot boast of anything unusual compared to similar devices from this manufacturer. Its installation scheme is usual. We removed the back cover, installed the first SIM card, turned the battery contacts to the contact group of the phone and installed it. If the battery becomes unusable, it can be easily replaced with a new one. But its capacity is enough for 2-3 days with active use. But this statement is true for a new battery. In a year or two it will lose capacity. It will already be enough for a day, maximum two. When listening to music, one charge is enough for 10 hours of continuous listening. In general, this mobile phone cannot boast of anything special in terms of battery and autonomous operation. But relatively recently the 1100 was released, which lasted 2 weeks on one charge without any problems.
Let's sum it up
The Nokia X2-02 turned out to be somewhat ambiguous. Among the advantages, we can note support for 2 SIM cards in alternate switching mode. Otherwise, this phone is worse than its predecessor X2-00. And the camera is worse (2 MP versus 5 MP), and the body is completely plastic, and the battery provides less battery life. If you add complaints about certain “glitches” with the software, then it becomes really bad. And the answer to all these disadvantages is most likely hidden behind the name of the country of origin. If previously this Finnish brand was made only in Europe (Finland, Germany, Hungary and Romania), now Nokia’s main production facilities have been transferred to India. As a result, the quality has rapidly deteriorated. Nowadays it is almost impossible to buy such a phone new. Therefore, if you decide to buy such a gadget, you will need to try very hard to find it.
TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color rendering quality and contrast among all those used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a regular AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such touch layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in its higher resolution, thanks to which you can achieve 1280x720 pixels on a mobile phone screen.
Super AMOLED plus- this is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous one by using a larger number of subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than displays made using the old PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a larger color gamut, reduced thickness and the ability of the display to bend slightly without the risk of breaking.
Retina-high pixel density display designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density of Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This ensures the highest image detail and significantly improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD- the display is made using OLED technology. The pixel density is 458 PPI, the contrast reaches 1,000,000:1. The display has a wide color gamut and unsurpassed color accuracy. Pixels in the corners of the display are smoothed at the sub-pixel level, so edges are not distorted and appear smooth. The Super Retina HD reinforcing layer is 50% thicker. It will be harder to break the screen.
Super LCD is the next generation of LCD technology, it is characterized by improved characteristics compared to earlier LCD displays. The screens not only have wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal display. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the performance of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light when exposed to an electric field. This type of display has a large reserve of brightness and consumes very little energy.
A slightly larger and improved version of the “smartphone for Android applications”
Big changes swept through Microsoft's mobile division this summer. Nokia has done away with its budget Asha line. The software giant abandoned McLaren's ambitious project. And it was decided to transfer the Nokia X line to the Windows Phone OS, ending all relations with the Android platform. But a little earlier, the manufacturer managed to present the second generation of these smartphones, which we will talk about in today’s review.
Key Features of Nokia X2 (RM-1013)
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8210
- CPU: 2 Cortex-A7 cores (ARMv7-A) @1.2 GHz
- GPU: Adreno 302
- Operating system: Nokia X 2.0
- Display: IPS, 4.3″, 800×480, 217 ppi
- RAM: 1 GB
- Internal memory: 4 GB
- MicroSD memory card support (up to 32 GB)
- Supports two Micro-SIM cards in standby mode
- Communication GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 900/2100 MHz
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS
- Rear camera: 5 MP with autofocus and flash (720p video shooting)
- Front camera: 0.3 MP
- Battery: removable, 1800 mAh
- Dimensions: 121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1 mm
- Weight: 150 g
| Nokia X2 | Nokia X | Explay Atom | Oppo Muse R821 | |
| Screen | 4.3″, IPS | 4″, IPS | 4″, TN | 4″, IPS |
| Permission | 800×480, 217 ppi | 800×480, 233 ppi | 800×480, 233 ppi | 800×480, 233 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8210 @1.2 GHz (2 ARM Cortex-A7 cores) | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8225 @1 GHz (2 ARM Cortex-A5 cores) | Mediatek MT6572 @1.2 GHz (2 ARM Cortex-A7 cores) | |
| GPU | Adreno 302 | Adreno 203 | Mali-400MP | Mali-400MP |
| RAM | 1 GB | 512 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Flash memory | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 2.5 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD (up to 32 GB) | microSD | microSD | microSD |
| SIM card support | 2 × Micro-SIM | 2 × Micro-SIM | 3 × Mini-SIM | Mini-SIM + Micro-SIM |
| Operating system* | Nokia X 2.0 | AOSP 4.1.2 with Nokia Glance Screen shell | Google Android 4.2.2 | Google Android 4.2 |
| Battery | removable, 1800 mAh | removable, 1500 mAh | removable, 2000 mAh | removable, 1700 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (5 MP; video - 720p), front (0.3 MP) | rear (3 MP) | rear (3 MP; video - 720p), front (0.3 MP) | |
| Size, weight | 122×68×11.1 mm, 150 g | 116×63×10.4 mm, 127 g | 126×64×13 mm, 142 g | 123×64×9.9 mm, 125 g |
| average price | T-10891269 | T-10724875 | T-10695244 | T-10515322 |
| Nokia X2 offers | ||||
* - at the time of writing the corresponding article
The second Nokia X model no longer looks “gnawed” from all sides. The amount of RAM increased to a comfortable gigabyte, a front camera and flash appeared, and a more powerful SoC was installed. But the price also increased, and by a noticeable amount for the budget segment.
Equipment
Nokia X2 comes with the same set of accessories as its predecessor. Only the headphones were repainted in the usual black color. This did not benefit the “bright Nokia X2”.
By the way, the headset does not have a call button, so when making a call you will have to remove the smartphone from your pocket. There is still no cable to connect to the PC.
Design
Externally, Nokia X2 is not much different from its predecessor. At first glance, the only thing that catches your eye is the additional “Home” button under the display, which has moved the “Back” button to the left.
The main design feature of the Nokia X2 is its dual-layer body, made using the same technology as the Nokia Asha 500/502/503. The bottom layer is made of colored polycarbonate. The top one is made of almost transparent polymer material, slightly tinted to match the color of the bottom layer.
The original Nokia X looked like a toy, largely due to its simple plastic body. The second generation in this regard turned out to be much more interesting.
Phones with a double-layer casing are not common on the market, which allows the Nokia X2, due to its originality, to win next to its discreet neighbors in the store window.
The rear speaker is now centered. The flash is located above the camera.
A close examination of the lens and flash shows that the back cover does not fit well with the main part of the smartphone body.
The mechanical buttons have remained almost unchanged, only the volume rocker is now separated by a slot.
The Micro-USB connector has been moved from the bottom to the top, to the headphone output. The 3.5mm jack is moved down, but its hole is covered by the outer layer of the case. The remaining edges of the smartphone lack functional elements.
To open the smartphone, you need to press on the lower corners of the case and at the same time on the rear panel, just like in the Nokia X. After several such manipulations, the colored cover begins to fit loosely and play in the area of the lower left corner - the previous model was more reliable in this regard .
Access to SIM1 and microSD is only possible with the battery removed. Please note that the sticker on the first model said “Nokia”, but here it says “Microsoft Mobile”.
The second SIM card connector is located so as to be accessible while the smartphone is in use. The “hot swap” function works perfectly here; the card is quickly detected by the phone on the go without rebooting. Another nice improvement in the series.
The build quality of the Nokia X2 is inferior to the original. Once you remove the back cover five or six times, it begins to fit loosely to the body, which can sometimes be detected even by ear. In general, the second version of the smartphone became more interesting both from an aesthetic and functional point of view, but no fundamental changes followed. Perhaps we'll see bolder design moves as the series transitions to Windows.
Screen
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both devices (Nokia X2 is on the right, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the Nokia X2 is even a little darker (brightness according to photographs is 99 versus 101 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects in the Nokia X2 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (also known as the touch sensor) and the surface of the matrix ( OGS type screen – One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen, It seems that there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, but its effectiveness is low, so fingerprints appear quickly and require relatively a lot of effort to remove them.
When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was about 455 cd/m², and the minimum is 9 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, and, given the good anti-glare properties, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is no automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor. The sensor between the front speaker and the camera can be mistaken for a light sensor, but CPU-Z shows that it is a proximity sensor.
At any brightness level, there is backlight modulation with rectangular pulses with an amplitude of 100% and a frequency of 300 Hz. At high brightness, the fill factor is high, almost 100%, so there is no flickering of the screen; when the brightness is lowered, the fill factor decreases, and flickering can already be noticed, for example, when the eyes (or the phone relative to the eyes) move quickly. Depending on individual characteristics, such modulation may lead to increased fatigue. Or maybe not.
This screen uses IPS type matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen and without inversion (except for the very darkest when the view is deviated along one diagonal) of shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and Nokia X2, with the screen brightness initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (over a white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field perpendicular to the plane of the screens:
Note the acceptable uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:
Color reproduction is good and colors are rich on both screens, but the color balance is slightly different. Now at an angle of approximately 45° to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors have changed slightly on both screens, but on the Nokia X2 the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to a greater decrease in brightness and a strong brightening of blacks, and there has clearly been an increase in blue. And a white field:
The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Nokia X2 the drop in brightness is significantly greater. At the same time, the color tone of the white field on the Nokia X2 screen has changed slightly. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly (especially taking into account the overall drop in image brightness) and acquires a violet or red-violet tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens):
And from another angle:
When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is mediocre, since in several places along the edge the black is noticeably brightened, and the entire screen area is covered in some spots:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 700:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (10 ms on + 11 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 32 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function turned out to be 2.15, which is not significantly lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma the curve deviates little from the power law:
The color gamut is slightly different from sRGB:
The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:
At the same time, the coordinates of red and green colors are not very far from the corresponding sRGB vertices, as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have natural saturation and hue. The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, however, the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is more than 10 (due to excess green), which is considered not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, the variation in color temperature and ΔE is small, which has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.
Let's summarize. The screen has sufficiently high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. True, the brightness will have to be adjusted manually, since there is no mode with automatic brightness adjustment. The advantages of the screen include the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen, a color gamut close to sRGB, and a good – when visually assessed – color balance. To the disadvantages - weak oleophobic coating, low black stability to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane, rapid drop in image brightness when viewed at an angle, not very good black field uniformity. We also note PWM brightness control with a frequency of 300 Hz, which can also be a disadvantage in case of individual intolerance. In general, the screen quality is a compromise, although not bad.
Sound
The rear speaker in the Nokia X2 seems to have been moved just a little, and that's where the innovation ends. The listening impressions remained approximately the same as in the first model. The sound quality is as expected from budget smartphones. At maximum volume, distortion does not appear.
As for the conversational dynamics, some progress is noticeable here. Nokia X2 no longer suffers from timbre distortion. But you shouldn’t dream about the crystal clear communication that is typical of flagships here.
A conversation cannot be recorded using a smartphone. There is an FM radio, which requires headphones to operate.
Telephone and communications
Nokia X2 is equipped with two Micro-SIM format slots, one of which supports the “hot swap” function, which does not require rebooting the smartphone. Any of the cards can be assigned for data transfer; in this regard, they are equivalent. Collaboration is organized in Dual Standby mode - both SIM cards are available in standby mode.
Supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and creating an access point via Wi-Fi, USB and Bluetooth. Navigation in Nokia X2 works perfectly, in less than a minute it detects many satellites, not only GPS and Glonass, but also the Chinese Beidou system. And immediately contacts them.
USB OTG is not supported by the smartphone, but the small amount of memory can be expanded using microSD. Of the 4 GB of internal memory, 2.25 GB is available. Turning on the smartphone takes 50 seconds, which is much more than average.
Camera
Nokia X2 has made great strides in its photo and video capabilities. The original model had a single camera with a resolution of only 3 megapixels. In the second version of the smartphone, it grew to 5 megapixels and acquired a flash. In addition, a front camera with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels has appeared.
Anton Soloviev commented on the operation of the main camera:
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Sharpness according to plans is not bad. |
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Noise reduction processes noise only in faint shadows. In strong ones they are noticeable, but not striking. |
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Despite some noise, the color of the sky is quite even. |
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On the right you can see an area of blur. |
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The license plate of the nearest car is distinguishable, but more distant license plates are no longer discernible. |
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Sharping on the wires is practically absent. |
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The camera copes well with macro photography. |
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The camera can handle text well, but not all characters are clearly visible. |
For its 5 megapixel camera, it’s not that bad, although it has a lot of problems. Noise reduction tries to work as carefully as possible, and as a result produces virtually no visible improvements. On the other hand, the sensor makes a fairly “soft” noise, and the noise is not noticeable. The optics in the camera are quite good. For some reason, areas of blur appear in places, but in general the pictures are quite sharp in the field and in the plans. In this case, the optics can work more than the sensor can perceive. Nevertheless, the camera is quite good, but it does not work smoothly and will not cope with all scenes. But she is capable of shooting large text or general plans.
The maximum video resolution that the Nokia X2 camera is capable of is 1280x720.
The video is not very clear due to the low bitrate. Although if you remember that Nokia X shot at a maximum of 352x288, progress is obvious.
Software
Nokia X2 runs the Nokia X2 2.0 operating system (apparently based on Android 4.3). It differs from the original OS installed in Nokia X only in appearance. The structure of the system remained unchanged. The main screen contains application shortcuts in the form of tiles, just like in Windows. Swiping left opens a list of all applications, while swiping right opens the Fastlane notification feed. The operating system, in general, works stably, but sometimes the interface slows down, especially when switching between applications and when setting up the desktop
Nokia and Yandex branded stores are available for installing applications. There is no Play Store. Moreover, you won't even be able to add a Google account to import contacts and other information. It's not difficult to fix this.
Pre-installation of the driver and obtaining Root rights can be easily done through the utility. During installation, a request or two from the application will pop up on your phone - confirm them. You can also install the Play Market through Nokia X2 Tools. But in our case, it had a serious drawback: the program did not link purchases to the account. Therefore, we used an alternative method.
Play Market is installed in much the same way as Google services in Ramos i10 Pro. You just need to copy all three files, including Vending.apk. And take them from this. After copying and changing permissions, restart your smartphone. Play Market is installed.
In the new OS version, Nokia X has become even a little closer to the original Android. Now, by sliding from above, you can call up two separate menus, with alerts and switches. This somewhat expands the functionality; more icons can be placed than before
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The Achilles heel of the Nokia X was Internet surfing, namely the very slow rendering of web pages. In the second version of the smartphone, the Opera browser is installed as standard. We've browsed a lot of web pages through it and Chrome. The impressions turned out to be much more pleasant; only in rare cases did the rendering lag by a split second, and even then on very busy sites.
Performance
For the second generation Nokia X, a single-chip system manufactured by Qualcomm was also chosen. From the base series of the next generation - Qualcomm Snapdragon S200, model MSM8210.
The central processor consists of two Cortex-A7 cores (ARMv7-A architecture) with a frequency of 1.2 GHz. The Adreno 302 chip is used for graphics. The configuration is very budget-friendly; you shouldn’t expect more from the Nokia X2. Fortunately, the manufacturer has expanded the amount of RAM to one gigabyte, which cannot but have a beneficial effect on performance.
The increase in performance allows the Snapdragon 200 to easily outperform the Mediatek MT6572, which is very common in budget smartphones, in Antutu 4. The previous Nokia X was not capable of this. But for Geekbench 3 there is not much difference: both SoCs have processor cores with the same characteristics. It is strange that twice the amount of RAM was not taken into account.
| Nokia X2 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200) |
Nokia X (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play) |
Explay Atom (Mediatek MT6572) |
Oppo Muse R821 (Mediatek MT6572) |
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| 3DMark Ice Storm (more is better) |
4094 | 2338 | 1882 | 1905 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (bigger is better) | 2252 | 1296 | 812 | 939 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (bigger is better) | 3710 | 2245 | — | — |
| Nenamark 2 | 53.0 fps | 32.3 fps | 41.9 fps | — |
| Basemark X Middle Quality (bigger is better) | 3682 | — | — | — |
| Bonsai Benchmark | 1634 (23.3 fps) | 823 (11.7 fps) | — | — |
| Epic Citadel High Quality | 42.9 fps | 23.4 fps | — | — |
| Epic Citadel Ultra High Quality | 32.3 fps | — | — | — |
In synthetic 3DMark, the superiority over MT6572 becomes more than twofold. Even in the most demanding Epic Citadel mode, the Snapdragon 200 single-chip system demonstrates decent results
Thanks to the efforts of Google Chrome, the Snapdragon 200 single-chip system defeats the similar Mediatek. Based on its hardware capabilities, the Nokia X2 could be capable of playing mediocre games, but the very small amount of internal memory does not allow this. It is worth installing several third-party applications to fill in the gaps in the firmware, and, for example, the far from heavy Asphalt 8 will complain about a lack of memory. Fans of the X series still get only casual entertainment.
Playing video
We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 × 720 (720p) and 1920 × 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In tests we used the standard video player. The test results are summarized in the table:
Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.
If we limit ourselves to 24-25 frames/s typical for cinema, then according to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. The displayed brightness range is equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, in the shadows and highlights all gradations of shades are displayed in the case of regular video files.
Let's try to reproduce five files of common formats.
| Format | Container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Standard video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally, no subtitles |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally, no subtitles |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3 | plays normally | plays without sound |
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3 | plays normally | plays without sound |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3 | plays normally | plays without sound |
The new budget Nokia X2 platform works well with all five common formats, while its predecessor could not cope even with 720p. Hardware decoding of AC3 tracks is not supported.
Battery life
The Nokia X2 battery capacity is 1800 mAh. The developers did not reach the round value, but this is already better than the modest 1500 mAh in the first modification.
Battery consumption is not uniform throughout the entire discharge period; when calculating, it is worth adding approximately 6% of the time that the smartphone remains at the last percent.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
| Nokia X2 | 1800 mAh | 12 hours 40 minutes | 7 hours 45 minutes | 4 hours 25 minutes |
| Nokia X | 1500 mAh | 14 h 15 min | 6 hours 50 minutes | 3 hours 50 minutes |
| Explay Atom | 2000 mAh | 9 hours 50 minutes | 5 hours 40 minutes | — |
| Oppo Muse R821 | 1700 mAh | 20 h 30 min | 10 hours 30 minutes | — |
| Oppo Mirror R819 | 2000 mAh | 10 hours 20 minutes | 8 hours 20 minutes | 5 h 00 min |
| Fly Luminor IQ453 | 2000 mAh | 10:00 | 7 h 00 min | 4 h 10 min |
| Alcatel OT Idol X | 2000 mAh | 10:00 | 6 hours 40 minutes | 4 h 00 min |
The autonomy of Nokia X2 has become more balanced compared to its predecessor. In reading mode, the smartphone lasts less, but is still not inferior to most competitors. But a more powerful SoC uses charge more efficiently in more loaded modes, allowing for longer battery life in games and video playback. Charging the smartphone from the supplied adapter (5 V, 0.75 A) takes about four hours.
Conclusion
The Nokia X line continues to evolve. In the second version of the device, functionality has been expanded, stability has been improved, and some annoying problems have been fixed. Nokia X2 could easily compete on all fronts with more unsightly budget smartphones, but this is difficult due to the increased price. The list of competitive advantages of the device still includes its original design, although the deterioration in build quality has spoiled the impression. We hope that in the third version of Nokia X the amount of flash memory will be increased to a viable 8 GB, and Windows Mobile will leave something of it for modest user needs.
Monoblock Nokia X2-02 Reminiscent of the Nokia X1-01 and X1-00 models, only it has a different color back panel and a better keyboard shape. The dimensions of the device are slightly different: 113x50x15 mm, weight 93 g. Due to the slightly curved back panel, the phone fits well in the hand. In addition, the side surfaces have a beveled shape, which makes for a more comfortable grip. The plump phone is quite comfortable to wear in jeans or trousers, although it should be noted that other modules get thinner bodies. Nokia X2-02 can be several colors: red, black, blue, orange, purple. The build quality is flawless, very good. You will like the neatly made device due to its solidity and tight fit of parts. The glossy plastic is easily soiled; fingerprints quickly cover both the front and back panels. On the side parts you can feel a more practical matte material. This is a simple, slightly rough plastic. There are buttons below the screen. There are a couple of soft keys, below them are keys for receiving and ending calls. The latter can turn off the phone. They have simple and clear icons in the form of red and green telephone handsets. The buttons are made in the form of small flat plates. They have a short stroke, but they themselves are slippery and not very pleasant. In the center there is a 4-way navigation key with a small and clear stroke. It has raised sides, and the central part is recessed down. It presses with a soft clicking sound. Pressing the center performs the function of confirming the action. The keyboard is comfortable, with 12 separate keys arranged in four rows. The buttons are plump, embossed, and easy to press. There are no complaints about the convenience of the set; here this issue is resolved much better than in X1-01 and X1-00. The symbols are printed in silver and are clearly visible against a black background. The backlight works fine, everything is clearly visible.
U Nokia X2-02 TFT screen with a diagonal of 2.2 inches that displays 262 thousand colors. Its resolution is 240x320 pixels. You cannot change the brightness level manually here; the viewing angles are quite modest. But it’s worth remembering the cost of the phone, so everything falls into place. In the sun the phone behaves very well and the image is visible normally. The volume of the included battery BL-5C is 1020 mAh. According to the manufacturer, the phone can last up to 443 hours on a single charge in standby mode or up to 9.7 hours in talk time.
Speaker Nokia X2-02 good, it has sufficient volume reserve, there is no shortage of sound. At the same time, he may seem a little deaf to someone. The phone rings loudly, you can hear it perfectly. The vibration alert is average in strength.
You can buy a Nokia X2-02 phone at a low price on our website.
