Nokia X2 launches with bigger screen, more power and home key

Nokia X2 launches with bigger screen, more power and home key
More Android love from Nokia

The Nokia X2 has been officially announced by the Finnish firm on its blog after teasing us with the launch last week.

It's been less than six months since Nokia took to the stage at MWC 2014 to announce its first trio of Nokia X devices, but already we're getting a successor in the form of the Nokia X2.

This time though parent company Microsoft is laying claim to the handset, with the press release stating "Today Microsoft unveiled the next-generation of Nokia X, the Nokia X2."

Sporting a 4.3-inch display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera and a 1800mAh battery the X2 has seen its specs bumped up across the board.

In terms of design the Nokia X2 is very similar in looks to its predecessors, although it has gained a translucent outer layer which we first saw on the Nokia Asha 503 - and you'll be able to pick it up in green, orange and black, with yellow, white and dark grey joining the line up later this year.

At 121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1mm the Nokia X2 is a little chunkier than the Nokia X, X+ and XL, but it should still be manageable in the hand and at 150g it isn't too heavy.

Go home

Another physical change Nokia has made on the X2 is the addition of a home key below the screen.

It joins the back key which was the only physical navigation option on the previous Nokia X handsets - which caused some users a little trouble when it came to using the device - so the inclusion of Home should make it easier to use.

While the Nokia X2 may be running Android at its core, the operating system has been rebuilt from the ground up to make it unrecognisable as Google's offering, providing a more Windows Phone style interface.

That Android core means that you can download Android apps onto the Nokia X2, but Google Play isn't available so you'll have to use a third party store.

Some of Microsoft's apps also make it onto the X2 including OneDrive, Outlook and some Xbox Games.

In terms of the Nokia X2 price it's being listed at €99 (around £80, $135, AU$140), and it's available "immediately in select countries globally".

Here's a quick video highlighting the key features of the Nokia X2.

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

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