MWC 2014 | Nokia enters Android market with Nokia X, X+ and XL

Rumors of an Android smartphone produced by Nokia have been coming forever, even after the company was purchased by Microsoft, and the wait is finally over. Today at MWC in Barcelona, Nokia took the wraps off their new Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL smartphones, targeting the rapidly growing low-cost smartphone market.

All three devices run the open-sourced version of Android 4.1, though Nokia has added a twist by customizing the phones with the familiar tile-based interface of Windows Phone. As a result, the smartphones are capable of running most Android apps seamlessly, while including integration with Microsoft services such as OneDrive and Outlook. This does come with a cost, as applications can only be installed through the Nokia store and not Google Play, though side loading of apps will not be restricted.

With regards to the actual hardware on the devices, the Nokia X and Nokia X+ both feature 4" IPS displays and a 3MP camera. The differences between the two are minimal, as the X has 512MB of RAM while the X+ bumps that up to 768MB and adds more storage and a microSD slot. Both devices will also be available in a range of colors, including red, green, cyan, yellow, black and white.

As for the Nokia XL, it's true to its name with a larger 5" display, a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-facing camera. The XL is also available in the same colors as the rest of the Android family, and all devices are powered by dual-core Snapdragon CPUs and feature dual-SIM capabilities.

Nokia plans on beginning rollout in the Asia Pacific, Europe, India, Latin America and Middle East regions as soon as possible, starting with the Nokia X which retails for 106 euros. The Nokia X+ and XL will take a bit longer to come out, with an expected second quarter launch at 118 and 130 euros respectively.

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