Nokia’s X line-up of Android phones was launched with huge expectations but things aren’t all rosy for the once-mammoth Finns. There have been compromises made here and there, performance issues are frequent and the interface can be erratic but there’s no doubt that the app issue, which has been Nokia’s Achilles Heels, has been solved to a lot of extent.
No wonder, there are a lot of fans for the series already. The good news for them is that the Nokia XL, the top-end phone of the series has finally been launched in Pakistan.
The phone brings a lot of notable changes over its younger siblings (Nokia X), most-prominent of which are the larger display, the better camera and the better battery life.
The display, which is the most-notable aspect measures at 5”, although it still has the same resolution. Colour reproduction and viewing angles should be fine, as they are on the X.
When I tested the Nokia X, one of the biggest issues I faced were related to the lack of RAM. The XL comes with 768 MB worth RAM, which is 50% more than the X. The rest of the specs are virtually the same.
Needless to say, though, if you’re a power user and have your heart set on an X series device, this is the phone for you.
I also found the camera on the X to be just usable. The XL solves that issue because not only has its camera got better resolution, but is also autofocus and has flash.
Dimensions must also be considered. While the X and X+ are compact and can be handled easily, the XL is large, comparing roughly to the Galaxy S5, but thicker. Still, Nokia has made use of the larger design to put a larger battery into the phone.
A memory card is also bundled, unlike the Nokia X.
Of course, the better specs come at a cost and the cost here is Rs. 18,000. That’s substantially more than that of the Nokia X and X+ but it should fall quickly.
Here is a detailed comparison between the three:
| Nokia X | Nokia X+ | Nokia XL | |
| Screen | 4-inch IPS LCD, 800 x 480px | 4-inch IPS LCD, 800 x 480px | 5-inch IPS LCD, 800 x 480px |
| RAM | 512 MB | 768 MB | 768 MB |
| Internal storage and included microSD card | 4 GB internal Up to 32 GB MicroSD card support | 4 GB internal Up to 32 GB MicroSD card support, 4 GB card included | 4 GB internal Up to 32 GB MicroSD card support, 4 GB card included |
| Rear camera | 3 MP fixed focus | 3 MP fixed focus | 5 MP, autofocus and flash |
| Front camera | – | – | 2 MP |
| Processor | 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon1 GHz dual-core | 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon1 GHz dual-core | 8225 Qualcomm Snapdragon1 GHz dual-core |
| Networks | ESGM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900WCDMA 900 / 2100 | ESGM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900WCDMA 900 / 2100 | ESGM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900WCDMA 900 / 2100 |
| Dimensions | 115.5 mm x 63 mm x 10.4 mm | 115.5 mm x 63 mm x 10.4 mm | 141.3 mm x 77.7 mm x 10.8 mm |
| Weight | 128.66 g | 128.66 g | 190 g |
| Battery life (on standby) | 2G = Up to 28.5 days3G = Up to 22 days | 2G = Up to 28.5 days3G = Up to 22 days | 2G = Up to 41 days3G = Up to 26 days |
| Battery life (talk time) | 2G = Up to 13.3 hours3G = Up to 10.5 hours | 2G = Up to 13.3 hours3G = Up to 10.5 hours | 2G = Up to 16 hours3G = Up to 13 hours |
Comparison chart courtesy of Wikipedia