- Nokia X, X+ and XL are the first handsets from the Finnish firm to run the Android operating system
- The X and X+ have 4-inch screens while the XL is 5-inch
- The Nokia X costs 89 euros, the X+is 99 euros and the XL is 109 euros
- The X is available now and the X+ and XL go on sale from April
- Will be sold alongside Nokia’s budget Asha range running Windows
- Includes the new Asha 230 announced at the same event, worth 45 euros
- Android is the most popular operating system worldwide
Nokia has officially launched its first Android handsets – the much-rumoured Nokia X, the X+ and XL - at an event in Barcelona.
The X and X+are both entry-level devices with 4-inch screens, while the XL is larger at 5-inches.
The X is available now for 89 euros. The X+ and XL go on sale from April for 99 euros and 109 euros respectively.
Nokia has announced that it's launching its first Android handsets. The X range (pictured) has been designed to look similar to Nokia's current basic Asha smartphones, which run Windows Phone
The UK and US prices for the phones have not yet been announced.
Nokia's CEO also announced the Lumia phones will be reduced as a result.
THE NOKIA X SPECIFICATIONS
The Nokia X is an entry-level device with a 4-inch screen, 5MP camera and just 4GB of memory.
The X looks similar to Nokia’s current basic Asha smartphones and is due to go on sale next month.
Elsewhere, the screen has a low 800 x 480 resolution and is powered by the 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM.
Despite being the first Android handset from the Finnish firm, it has chosen to run an older version of the Google-owner software – Android 4.1 Jellybean. The most up-to-date version is Android 4.4 KitKat.
Camera wise, the Nokia X comes with a rear-facing 3MP camera and the XL includes a 2MP front-facing device and 5MP on the back.
Both the Nokia X and Nokia X+ will be available in bright green, bright red, cyan, yellow, black and white.
The Nokia XL will be available in bright green, orange, cyan, yellow, black and white.
All three devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor and support Dual SIM, letting people switch SIM cards to get better deals.
The X range has been designed to look similar to Nokia’s current basic Asha smartphones, which run S40 software.
Nokia made the announcement at the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.
Nokia also announced a basic smartphone called the 220, with a 2MP camera, for 29 euros and the Asha 230 for 45 euros. The X series is a significant release for Nokia, despite the basic specifications.
Previous Nokia handsets ran the Windows Phone operating systems, and although the software has slowly been gaining ground on both Android and iOS, it still lags behind.
Windows Phone has been criticised for being difficult to use and runs a fraction of the popular apps seen on the other platforms.
Android, on the other hand, holds the majority share of the smartphone market in every region globally and has an app store with more than 700,000 apps.
It is also synonymous with budget and low-end handsets because its intuitive design appeals to less technical users.
Nokia will be hoping to attract this end of the market, as well as appeal to emerging markets with the release of X and X+.
It hasn't abandoned Windows Phone completely, though. Although the operating system is Android based, Nokia has added the tiles and personalisation features seen on Windows Phone
Asha 500 (pictured) has a 2MP camera and starts at $69 (£42), the 502 and 503 handsets both have 5MP cameras and costs $89 (£55) and $99 (£61) respectively. Pictured is Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop speaking at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona
Similarly, the Nokia X range doesn't use Google apps or cloud services.
It seems Nokia has chosen Android purely for the apps than the interface, and will use Microsoft's cloud services including OneDrive instead.
The Nokia X range also complements the firm’s existing range of budget handsets, namely the Asha range.
The Asha range starts at £42 ($69) with 2MP and 5MP camera models. The original Asha 501 handset was announced in May last year and began shipping in June. It has a 3-inch screen, 3.2MP camera and comes in red, green, cyan, yellow, white and black.
The X and X Plus are both entry-level devices with 4-inch screens, while the XL is larger at 5-inches
The latest Asha devices, announced in October added improved sharing options, for example, photos can be shared with one click to Facebook, Twitter, over Bluetooth and now Whatsapp.
Asha 500 has a 2MP camera and starts at $69 (£42), the 502 and 503 handsets both have 5MP cameras and costs £55 ($89) and £61 ($99) respectively.
WILL LACK OF EASY ACCESS TO APPS HOLD NOKIA BACK?
The Nokia X, X+ and XL are a vast departure to what we've seen before from the manufacturer - but the customisable, tiled OS is similar to what we got from Nokia's Lumia range, according to Rob Kerr, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com.
'Nokia's new smartphone family might run on Android, but it doesn’t give users access to the Google Play store,' he said.
'However, it will have all of the big-name apps like Facebook, Skype and Twitter, as well as Nokia's own Here maps and Mix Radio.
'Also, with some clever leverage of Microsoft's services with a month's free Skype calls and the OneDrive cloud storage service, the Nokia X range proves a great entry to the smartphone ecosystem for new users.'
He added that the lack of easy app access might hold Nokia back but, with a little bit of effort, Android software can be installed on the higher end models via a microSD card. However, Kerr said that could prove a barrier for those without the know-how, or lacking the inclination.
'The XL sports a large five-inch screen. It's nothing new – screens have been getting bigger for a while – but it shows Nokia is keeping up with the Joneses, and phones like the five-inch Samsung Galaxy S4, matching current competition in terms of popularity,' he said.
Leaked images of the new Nokia handses emerged earlier this month, under the name Nokia X.
Teaser invitations to this morning’s press conference hinted towards this name, too, before a series of ‘early built’ images were posted on Chinese site Coolxap.
Rumours about a Nokia handset running Android began towards the end of last year, and these leaked shots appeared to confirm it; with grids and icons similar to those found on existing Android phones.
This is likely to be the last Nokia release before Microsoft officially takes over, following an acquisition in September.
Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop holds up the Nokia X handsets at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona
The launch of an Android Nokia phone is the company’s latest foray into new areas of the market.
Alongside the Asha handsets, Nokia also launched its first tablet last year – the Lumia 2520 10.1-inch tablet running Windows RT.
It also launched its first 6-inch, phablet device, the Nokia 1320, to compete with some of the other larger models on the market including the HTC One Max and the Galaxy Note range.
Nokia’s wider offering may have something to do its recent takeover from Microsoft.
Microsoft signed a deal to buy Nokia’s phone business in September for 5.4bn euros ($7.2bn; £4.6bn).
Nokia has also licensed its patents and mapping services to Microsoft.
The purchase is set to become official soon and 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to the Washington-based firm, which recently hired a new CEO Satya Nadella.
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