Ever since Nokia decided to go all-in with Windows Phone, there has been a nagging feeling that it would have been better off using Android as its mobile operating system of choice.
A feeling that has got stronger as Android devices have so rapidly taken over the lion's share of smartphone sales.
At Mobile Web Congress in February 2014, Nokia finally fulfilled this dream by announcing the Nokia X range comprising the Nokia X (reviewed here), a higher specified X+ and the physically larger Nokia XL. Not just one Android phone, but a whole range.
There was more than a little irony in seeing Stephen Elop, once a Microsoft stalwart and the architect of Nokia's Windows Phone strategy announcing these new devices on stage. He went to great pains to point out that the Nokia X is a phone running AOSP, the Android Open Source Project.
This project underpins every Android phone in the world. As always in the Nokia story, it is not quite as simple as that. While the Nokia X runs Android, it does not run Google Android.
Briefly, Android as we know it is typically made of two parts; the underlying Android system and the Google apps. The underlying Android system is what the Nokia X runs along with all the usual well known Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S range and the HTC One M8.
Unlike those devices though, the Nokia X does not run Google apps. In order to run Google apps – Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Google Now etc – phones need to be certified. Nokia has not taken this step and it has done so on purpose.
The Nokia X software is based off of Android 4.1, a version released in July 2012. There is so far no information on updates but we can only hope Android 4.4 is planned as that version is designed to run on lower end hardware.
Nokia has designed the X to use the equivalent services from itself and from Microsoft, and Nokia has provided an API for everything that Google provides meaning that developers should be able to port apps quite easily.
This makes the Nokia X an Android phone by name, but one that would perhaps be unfamiliar to those already used to running Android on other mainstream devices. If you are thinking of switching to the Nokia X from another Android device, it is most important to note that the Play Store is not available.
It is possible to side-load any legally obtainable apps including other app stores such as the Amazon app store, but even that wont bring Google services to the Nokia X.
Who would have imagined a Microsoft product running Android? It does seem like an anomaly. I guess that sales figures will be a big factor in the decision making for them, but this is far more a Nokia phone than a Microsoft phone.
Moving on from this mixed outlook, what do you get on the Nokia X? The standout software included are Nokia HERE Maps, a fantastic alternative to Google apps, and Nokia MixRadio which is a great way to stream your favorite music on demand.
Instead of the Play Store you will find the Nokia Store, which is already starting to fill out with many top apps. Nokia include Facebook and Twitter apps along with BlackBerry Messenger as standard. Various simple games are loaded on the X as well. All these apps run on a heavily customised version of Android 4.1.
Powering the Nokia X is a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Play processor running at 1GHz with 512Mb of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. The X has a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) LCD display and a fixed focus 3MP camera on the back. There's no front facing shooter.
These are very modest specs indeed and that does end up informing the whole experience of using the Nokia X.
What makes up for that is the price, the range starts at just €89 (around £75, $120, AU$135). This is a phone targeted at emerging markets, at people who are buying their first smartphone and perhaps their first phone. Some buyers of the Nokia X will have never bought any sort of computing device before.
Nokia is bringing the X range to Europe, including the UK, but it has been clearly designed to replace the top end of Nokia's Asha range of phones. The Asha range is filled with very nicely designed but slow and simple feature phones, which have very limited capabilities.
The Nokia X is a decent step up from an Asha device and has the potential to do a lot more. Here in the UK, other reasonable smartphones are available for a similar price as the X but in its first market, India, this is not the case. Phones at a similar price point suffer from extremely bad design and build quality and very poor performance.
Despite the meager specifications and just a 1500mAh battery, the Nokia X provides a reasonable upgrade for users in these emerging markets who are upgrading from either feature phones or locally produced budget handsets which simply will not have Nokia's level of design and build.
When you pull the rear shell off the Nokia X model it is possible to see another indicator as to the target markets for this new range. The Nokia X is a dual SIM device.
In many other markets, the best value for cellular connectivity is achieved by separating your contracts for voice usage and data usage, which mandates two SIM cards. It's like running your calls through Vodafone and your data through T-Mobile.
On the X, the dual SIM setup supports dual standby that means both SIM cards can be active at the same time. Only slot one supports 3G connections, so that is where you will want to put your data SIM. Both slots are of the micro SIM variety. There is no 4G in sight here, but that is hardly a surprise.
The X range comes in a lovely range of colours with the basic X is available in black, white, cyan, yellow, bright red and the bright green, which is especially striking. The slightly higher spec X+ shares the same palette while the larger XL swaps the red for an even nicer orange colour.
Nokia has done what Nokia always seems to do at the budget end of its range. It has designed and built a phone that looks and feels more expensive than it is, something Nokia do not get enough plaudits for.
If you buy a bright green Nokia X the colour is all you can see at first. It is incredibly bright. As soon as you start to handle the phone though, the other thing to note is how solid it feels and how well it is built.
Nokia has long been the master of plastic and it continues to use the material in a way that most other manufacturers can only dream of. The plastics on the X are reasonably hard but not at all scratchy, having an almost soft feel. The edges and angles are sharp but in a positive way, they never dig in.
All of the port cutouts including the speaker on the back of the Nokia X have soft edges, which adds to the quality feel.
It is a somewhat square device but sits very comfortably in the hand and all the controls are within easy reach. The size of the phone is well judged and it is easy to hit all four corners of the screen without stretching.
It is not the most svelte device on the market but then you should not expect it to be at its price. The thickness is not a hindrance though and the Nokia X never feels bulky.
There are gentle curves leading to the edges of the back of the Nokia X that seem to serve two purposes. Firstly they make the phone feel less bulky than it really is, and secondly these curves help the shape be more natural to hold.
The Nokia X has a completely reworked interface though and just like the Nokia Asha range, there is just one button and it is clearly a back button.
If you choose the Nokia X in one of its brighter colours, or even in white, it is a handsome enough looking phone that will be hard to lose.
Choose it in black though and it becomes somewhat anonymous and boring. I would recommend being bold and picking a nice, fun bright colour.
The Nokia X software is based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but is heavily customised by Nokia and does not include Google services.
It instead replaces them with Microsoft services or in some cases, Nokia's own services. It is those services that Nokia want us to focus on.
Strangely though, none of these replacement services are pushed on the user. Setting the phone up from new gives you a brief tutorial of the very basics of the user interface and that is it.
Nokia said that the aim with the X range was to be able to get first time smartphone users onto the Microsoft platform through a Microsoft account, but never once are you prompted to create one and the only Microsoft product pre-installed on the Nokia X is Skype.
Even more strangely, Blackberry Messenger is also installed out of the box, so Skype doesn't even have messaging exclusivity.
It is just as easy to open the mail app and connect to your Google account as it is to any other email system.
With the Nokia X being based on Android the mail app is the standard one that comes with most Android devices, albeit heavily skinned and restyled.
Nokia has provided some of its flagship services on the X including HERE Maps which are fantastic and allow you to download maps for offline usage. It works well, is reasonably fast and the GPS is as accurate as you would expect.
MixRadio is another great service allowing you to stream music or download mixes for offline playback. It is free with some minor limitations and is a great addition at this price point. The fact the speaker is loud is nice though it is very basic in every other sense.
The Glance screen, which shows the time and notifications when the phone is locked in a low power state, makes an appearance on the X as does the ability to double tap to wake the screen. Both of these features are brought over from Nokia's Lumia range of devices and are very welcome here.
The real selling point of the Nokia X though is the quality of the hardware given its price. It has a usable camera on-board and is a well-crafted device available at a lower price point than most smartphones. As a cheap entry point to smartphone ownership, it is a good option.