Key features
•Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
•2.2" 262K-color QVGA display
•5 megapixel enhanced fixed-focus camera with LED flash
•QVGA video recording at 15fps
•Series 40 UI, 6th edition
•Dedicated Facebook app
•Bluetooth (with A2DP)
•Standard microUSB port (charging); USB On-The-Go
•Hot-swappable microSD card slot (16 GB supported)
•Stereo FM radio with RDS; built-in antenna
•3.5mm audio jack
•Dedicated music keys
•Stereo speakers
•Excellent loudspeaker performance
•Great audio quality
•Aluminum back cover
Main disadvantages
•No 3G
•No GPS receiver
•No WLAN
•S40 is outdated and lacks multitasking
•No document viewer
•No smart dialing
•Below par still and video camera
•Wobbly microUSB port
The Nokia X2 is a lower midrange S40 phone and it shows when you look at the disadvantages. But most of those are under the hood and you likely won’t notice them right away. The back cover is made of aluminum and has a brushed metal finish that looks great.
The stereo speakers are loud and you don’t need the headphones to blast out that new song on the radio. And if that feels too retro, the microSD card slot is easily accessible. The Nokia X2 is true Xseries stuff and makes no excuses when it comes to music.
The Nokia X2 doesn’t overlook the biggest thing on the Internet since Google either. The dedicated Facebook app is pretty good (by non-touch phones’ standards).
And the 5MP camera with LED flash came as a bit of a surprise – that kind of camera usually goes on a mid-to-high end phones. Not all 5MP cameras are born equal though as we’ll see later on.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – we need to open the box first. Jump to the next page to see what’s in and how the Nokia X2 feels on the outside.
FM radio has RDS and built-in antenna
An alternative to the preloaded content on X2 is the FM radio. It matches the music player interface and covers all basic functions. The great thing here is that it has a very sensitive built-in antenna – no need to plug in the headphones for the radio to work.
RDS support is available and you can make the handset search and save all available stations in your area. RDS info and frequency appear on the homescreen, much like with the music player.
Video player is pretty basic
Unlike music playback, video is not the Nokia X2’s strong suit – the small, low-res, 4:3 screen rules out regular use as a dedicated video player. It’s not uncommon for feature phones to include DivX/XviD support, but the X2 supports only MP4 and 3GP. Those are good enough for casual viewing, we guess.
There are reports of the X2 hanging during video playback – we couldn’t replicate it, but judging by the number of complaints it’s a relatively common problem. Nokia’s R&D department is working on the problem, which is reportedly related to some memory cards.
Audio quality is great
Nokia X2 is one of the quieter phones we have recorded in our audio quality test. However it makes up for that with rather clean output both with and without headphones attached.
The frequency response is great on both occasions perfect and so are the noise level and the dynamic range. Distortions are well kept under control and despite the stereo crosstalk increasing when headphones come into play, it still remains perfectly tolerable.
Sub-par fixed-focus 5MP camera
The Nokia X2 boasts an impressive sounding (for a low end phone) 5 megapixel camera with LED flash – but there’s no autofocus. The maximum image resolution is 2592x1944 pixels. The LED flash doubles as a torch and is quite good at it – but as an actual photo flash, it’s only good at close range.
Typical Series 40, the camera settings are rather limited but we can’t expect more given the price of around 100 euro. The available settings include white balance, various effects and a self timer.
While impressive as a number, the 5 megapixels of the Nokia X2 camera fail to impress. We know better than to ride a phone that tries to offer so much for so little price, but the camera is a showcase of various imaging problems.
Sometimes, photos ended up as .NRW (“Nokia RAW”, not Nikon RAW) files when we tried offloading the photos right after they were taken. If that happens, open the gallery and after it’s done updating the photos will be ready to go. This only happens if you try to copy photos immediately after they were taken though.
The images are very noisy despite the noise reduction applied. On the other hand, compression is way too heavy. These two combined seem to bring down the practical resolution of the X2 camera to way below 5MP. There’s also the obvious oversharpening and nasty purple fringing too.
Poor video recording
Things don’t get any better when it comes to video recording. The X2 manages QVGA resolution at 20 fps that only seem good enough for an occasional MMS. But video recording uses a lot of processing power that the X2 can’t afford so that’s understandable.
Low-end connectivity
The Nokia X2 tries to look like it costs double what it actually does and it works. But it can’t offer much in terms of value added features. You get quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP.
The microUSB port is the easiest way to transfer files and charge the phone (you can’t always find a 2mm charger, but microUSB cables are common enough). The easily accessible microSD card can help with bulk data transfers.
That’s it for the connectivity on the Nokia X2 – no 3G (but no screen or browser for it either), no GPS, no Wi-Fi.
Typical Series 40 phone, the Nokia X2 didn’t have many major disappointments in store. There’s not much to rave about either. The camera was the only really questionable feature, though some of the software issues are off-putting too. Software problems are fixable with a firmware update but there isn’t much to do about the poor camera module and processing. Of course, given the 100-euro price tag you should be prepared for the small screen and the modest in-box accessories.
But still, the excellently performing stereo speakers and the built-in FM antenna perform admirably and audio output on the headphones was very good too. And that’s the core functionality of an Xseries device like the Nokia X2.
Unfortunately for this music fan, there’s stiff competition with plummeting prices.
Source: GSM Areana