Nokia X6 disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X6 disadvantages

By Moonlight → الخميس، 30 يونيو 2011

Introduction

In the world of Nokia it's all about evolution, rather than revolution. So don't expect the specs on the X6 to blow your mind. The handset is the next step for the market leader scrambling to make up for a late start in touch- screens. To be honest, the Symbian S60 touch edition has been struggling to catch up with the standard setters in terms of user experience. And the X6 claims to have the answer: the responsiveness only a capacitive screen can bring. 

The Nokia X6 is also the first XpressMusic handset to head straight for the high-end. Midrange is the highest the music Finns have gone so we are interested to see how this change of approach works. Nokia have always had a strong appeal to the masses, but pleasing the selected few is undoubtedly harder

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band 3G with HSDPA support
• 3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 capacitive touchscreen (360 x 640 pixels)
• Symbian S60 5th edition UI
• ARM 11 434 MHz CPU, 128 MB of RAM memory
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash
• VGA video recording at 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
• Built-in GPS receiver
• 32GB built-in storage
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth and USB (standard microUSB connector) v2.0
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Very good audio quality
• Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation and motion-based gaming
• Stereo speakers
• TV out
• "Comes with music" edition gives you a year of all-you-can-eat music subscription
• Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Ovi Maps 3.0 Touch
• Further Ovi and MySpace service integration (direct image and video uploads)
• Most regional retail packages include a set of the great Nokia WH-500 headphones

Main disadvantages:

• X6 is still quite pricey (around 500 euro at the time of writing)
• UI is still immature with somewhat inconsistent user experience
• Touch web browser not quite polished and with dodgy Flash support
• No voice-guided navigation license
• No office document viewer preinstalled
• Doesn't charge off microUSB
• Very poor sunlight legibility
• Slow image gallery
• No DivX/XviD support for the video player
• No microSD card slot (as a connectivity solution)

As you can see in the two lists above there is almost nothing new in the software package, so it all falls on the hardware to justify the high asking price. The well-stuffed retail package is a great place to start but does the capacitive screen improve usability enough to be worth the extra money over, say, the 5800 XpressMusic? And the difference in price is by no means trivial.

In the increasingly competitive touchscreen market manufacturers don't have much room for error. The unpolished S60 UI is enough of a burden already, so Nokia X6 has to be near perfect in every other respect. A tall task indeed, but let's see how they've tackled it.

Nokia X5-01 disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X5-01 disadvantages

By Moonlight →

Introduction

On occasion Nokia will experiment with form factor and shape. The Nokia X5-01 is the kind of phone that might just leave you wondering. Is it having a bad slider day or a great square day? No, the Nokia X5 is better than that. It’s a neat and chubby Symbian smartie with a QWERTY keyboard and a 5MP camera.

The struggle to provide a better system of text input while keeping the size down is still ongoing. Touchscreen provides an answer of sorts, but nothing yet really beats an old-fashioned hardware QWERTY keyboard.

The full four-row keyboard on the Nokia X5 has a long list of applications – from SMS and email, to IM and social networking. The Nokia X5-01 sports a dedicated media key too – it’s no square when it comes to having fun.

The 5MP camera is a constant source of photos to share with friends and you can do it over Wi-Fi, no need for a data plan. The Nokia X5-01 is a full-blown smartphone too – 600MHz and 256MB RAM put it within a stone’s throw of the Nokia N8 performance. And the Ovi Store is steadily growing with new and useful apps.

We were a little disappointed to find the X5-01 doesn’t have a GPS receiver. Check out our list of pros and cons to see what made the cut and what didn’t.

Key features

·                 Full QWERTY slider form factor

·                 Quad-band GSM/EDGE, tri-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA

·                 Symbian S60 UI, 3rd edition FP2

·                 600MHz processor, 256MB RAM; 200MB user-accessible storage

·                 2.36" 256K-color QVGA display 

·                 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, LED flash, VGA@15fps video recording

·                 Standard microUSB port (charging)

·                 microSD card slot (32GB supported, 2GB included)

·                 Wi-Fi b/g; DLNA and UPnP support

·                 Bluetooth (with A2DP) 

·                 Accelerometer-based controls

·                 Dedicated media key

·                 Stereo FM radio with RDS, Internet radio

·                 3.5mm audio jack

·                 Excellent audio quality

·                 Comes With Music bundle in select markets

·                 Good email and social networking support

·                 Office document viewer; ZIP file support

·                 Quick Business and Personal homescreen toggle

Main disadvantages

·                 No GPS receiver

·                 No office document editing

·                 Small, low-resolution screen

·                 Non-hot-swappable microSD card under the battery

·                 Fixed focus camera

·                 Poor video recording 

·                 No camera lens protection

·                 No DivX or XviD video support out-of-the-box

·                 No smart dialing

So, some things were left out, but Nokia managed to fit a lot of features in a small package. The last square-shaped QWERTY messenger we reviewed was the Motorola Flipout, which had its own set of pros and cons. For one thing, the Nokia X5-01 is a cheaper entry into the world of smart messengers. And it’s an entry with a bang.

It’s clearly not a phone that will appeal to everyone, but some will fall for its looks and rectangular charm. And as far as non-touch smartphones go, the Nokia X5-01 actually ranks pretty high on features.

It has a couple of nice accelerometer-based tricks too. If you press and hold the volume key, then shake the X5-01 it will “knock” several times – according to how many new messages you have. You can also skip a music track by shaking the phone.

Now, you can go ahead and skip to the next page for the hardware tour. We begin with unboxing and the 360-degree spin

Nokia X3 disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X3 disadvantages

By Moonlight →

Introduction

The Nokia X3 is our first glimpse into the new Xseries and we’re excited to see how things have changed since XpressMusic ran the show. And they have changed, the new angular look is a testament to that. The S40 on the inside has changed as well, throwing Ovi Store and basic multi-tasking into the mix. 

Currently the Xseries is composed of two completely different phones. The Nokia X6 is a touch phone running Symbian, and the X3 is an affordable Series 40 slider. It packs stereo speakers, excellent audio quality and a built-in FM radio antenna for a complete sonic experience. All right, we said affordable, so don’t go looking for top-notch gear beside the obvious full music package.

The Nokia X3 runs the Series 40 6th edition but it’s unlike any S40 handset we’ve seen before. For a brief, joyful moment, we thought Nokia have finally given in and added multitasking. The truth turned out to be different but still there were small steps 

taken in the right direction. And you should see what they’ve done with the Gallery – it’s only a notch bellow the S60 one.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and let’s take a look at the Nokia X3 pros and cons. 

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 2.2" 262K color QVGA display
• 3.2 megapixel fixed focus camera
• S40 user interface, 6th edition; rudimentary multitasking
• Stereo FM radio with RDS; Built-in antena (so it plays on the loudspeakers even if you don’t plug the headset)
• Stereo speakers
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Up to 26 hours of music playback
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 2GB included)
• Rich preinstalled application package
• Ovi Store, Ovi Maps and Ovi Share

Main disadvantages:

• No 3G connectivity
• Smallish display with poor viewing angles and sunlight legibility
• Slider action has an unpleasant plastic-on-plastic friction
• No accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• S40 interface feels clunky and out of date
• No true multitasking
• No smart dialing or an office document viewer
• A bunch of software bugs
• Video recording maxes out at QCIF@15fps 

The specs look like nothing to be excited about but a shortish feature list never tells the whole story. So, think before you go “Nah, it sounds lame”, because you’ll be wrong about sound. We spent several days with it and now we’re ready to tell you the story behind those specs, the good, the bad and the ugly, the whole thing. 

Do we have your interest? Good. Jump to the next page where we open the box and take a look at the Nokia X3. After the hardware inspection we’ll try to explain what the deal is with this multitasking-but-not-quite situation

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type disadvantages

By Moonlight →

Introduction

Nokia is trying really hard to build back some lost trust. The new Symbian^3 smartphones are just one weapon in their armory. The other is the touch-enabled lineup of feature phones called Touch and Type. S40 has never before been into the touch business, but the X3-02 is here to change all that.

You have the right to remain skeptical. In fact a healthy does of skepticism is welcome – this market just might not have enough room for yet another touchscreen feature phone. And it’s a S40 phone at that. But you know what – the Nokia X3-02 will not listen to doubters. It’s a phone whose glass is always half full. Half full with touchscreen and half full with keys.

The Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type doesn’t rely on its touchscreen only but on good looks and charm too. It comes in four different colors and has a redesigned keypad. That’s right, Nokia refuses to give up on the good old numeric keypad and it will be an essential companion on the X3-02.

So, you have the touch, and you have the type. There’s the right measure of style too. But that’s not always enough for a classy phone. People want features as well. So, let’s take a closer look at them.

Key features

·                 Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support

·                 Quad-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA

·                 Neat and well built, slim and lightweight, metal on the body

·                 2.4" 256K-color resistive TFT QVGA touchscreen

·                 S40 6th edition UI

·                 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera

·                 VGA video recording at 15fps

·                 Wi-Fi b/g/n

·                 Stereo FM radio with RDS, Visual radio

·                 Bluetooth v2.1 (with A2DP)

·                 Standard microUSB port (charging enabled)

·                 USB On-The-Go

·                 microSD card slot (32 GB supported, 2GB included)

·                 3.5mm audio jack

·                 Innovative vibrating touch feedback

Main disadvantages

·                 Small screen (for a touch phone)

·                 No multitasking

·                 No GPS

·                 Fixed-focus camera

·                 No document viewer

·                 No smart dialing

·                 No video-call camera

·                 No accelerometer sensor

There are quite a few things left off of this S40 handset, but it’s the first with a touchscreen on board. Wi-Fi is a rarity on this platform too. In fact we’ll admit quite ahead of our conclusion – we do like the Nokia X3-02 already.

But it’ll take more than that. You’ll have to simply love it. You’ll have to not notice the bad. One thing the Nokia X3-02 won’t give you is multitasking. Another important absentee is GPS and navigation. We just can’t have everything, can we? That might be quite an omission for some, but we hope the performance and ergonomics will make up for that. Let’s see how those shape up right after the jump

Nokia X2 disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X2 disadvantages

By Moonlight →

Introduction

When you’re shopping on a budget, getting the most bang for your buck is what counts. And the Nokia X2 is keen to give you an exchange rate that’s hard to beat. This no-nonsense bar delivers a 5MP camera with flash, great audio with stereo speakers, dedicated music keys and a built-in antenna for the FM receiver.

Features like that can run up quite a bill at checkout – but not with the Nokia X2. Its price hovers around the 100 euro mark – a bargain for that feature set.

Not that there weren’t compromises made – here’s the rundown of what made the cut and what was scrapped.

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

Nokia X2-01 disadvantages

Nokia

Nokia X2-01 disadvantages

By Moonlight →

Introduction

Good build, QWERTY keyboard and one-touch access to music: the Nokia X2-01 has the right ingredients to serve and entertain. And if you’re looking to buy cheap, it’s an offer that’s hard to beat.

Nokia has long made the low-end their fortress and X2-01 must be following a strategy that’s proven to work. The Nokia X2-01 is a music phone for the young with emphasis on Facebook and messaging.

With its combination of features and form factor versus price, the Nokia X2-01 has a market segment of its own. It’s another foot soldier in Nokia’s offensive in becoming the world’s number one QWERTY phone manufacturer

Key features

·                 Entry level QWERTY messenger bar 

·                 Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity

·                 2.4" 256K-color QVGA TFT display with great sunlight legibility

·                 VGA camera with QVGA video recording at 24fps

·                 Series 40 UI, 6th edition

·                 Stereo FM radio with RDS

·                 Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR) 

·                 Standard microUSB port

·                 microSD card slot (8GB supported, 2GB included)

·                 3.5mm audio jack

·                 Good audio quality

Main disadvantages

·                 No 3G

·                 Piss poor camera

·                 No smart dialing

·                 No USB charging 

We are ready to turn a blind eye to some of the disadvantages. 3G is not essential in this price range and so is a decent camera. The S40 is not the best-looking feature phone interface but it would’ve been a lot easier to live with if it had smart dial, some document viewer capabilities or basic multitasking.

Cost-cutting is key for the X2-01. Nokia obviously presumes the target audience doesn’t really need those things. The X2-01 is all about simplicity and ease of use plus some great build quality. This entry-level messenger will not be bothered by comparisons.

Don’t hesitate to follow us along as we check up the exterior and internals of the X2-01 – we’re about to find out exactly what you’re getting for your hard earned cash.

Editorial: Normally, phones like the X2-01 stay under our review radar as they rarely excite much interest in our readers. However, the Nokia X2-01 is special. Its Daily Interest rating has hit 35% at the time of writing this. That’s an impressive number for a low-end handset – it equals the daily interest rating of the Google Nexus S and the Motorola DEFY combined. Obviously Nokia X2-01 has somehow managed to attract our visitors’ attention