Nokia X & Why it does not make sense lol

[anony_mouse]

I know it's an article of faith on these forums that Android phones are slow and unreliable. I just want to say that is not my experience. Apart from the very cheapest, I've found they are quick (quicker than WP, in fact) and very rarely crash. My last Android phone would typically go months between reboots. I saw uptimes well above 1000 hours with any problems, and the most common cause of reboots was me forgetting to charge the phone.

 

[Reflexx]

I know it's an article of faith on these forums that Android phones are slow and unreliable. I just want to say that is not my experience. Apart from the very cheapest, I've found they are quick (quicker than WP, in fact) and very rarely crash. My last Android phone would typically go months between reboots. I saw uptimes well above 1000 hours with any problems, and the most common cause of reboots was me forgetting to charge the phone.

Low end, like the X is? I have a hard time believing that.

But on the higher end Android has definitely improved.

 

[Jas00555]

I know it's an article of faith on these forums that Android phones are slow and unreliable. I just want to say that is not my experience. Apart from the very cheapest, I've found they are quick (quicker than WP, in fact) and very rarely crash. My last Android phone would typically go months between reboots. I saw uptimes well above 1000 hours with any problems, and the most common cause of reboots was me forgetting to charge the phone.

yet my Moto X has crashed a dozen times in 2 months, yet I can count the number of times my 920 has crashed on one hand, and they were all during the developer preview.

 

[thed]

I have to wonder why anyone would buy this instead of a Moto G. The Moto G might cost just a little bit more but you get better internal specs (I believe, I haven't seen official specs for the Nokia X yet), a better screen, and access to the Google Play store. I just don't see what the target market would be, outside of hardcore Nokia fans who hate Microsoft I guess.

 

[tgp]

I have to wonder why anyone would buy this instead of a Moto G. The Moto G might cost just a little bit more but you get better internal specs (I believe, I haven't seen official specs for the Nokia X yet), a better screen, and access to the Google Play store. I just don't see what the target market would be, outside of hardcore Nokia fans who hate Microsoft I guess.

The Moto G is Google; the Nokia X is not. For some people that's a good reason to choose the Nokia X.

 

[sahib lopez]

well it looks like the nokia X has been already rooted to use google services :/ Nokia X rooted and Google apps installed; Android is Android | Android Central sure most people that are in the targeted markets might not care about rooting their phone but now that its shown that I can be rooted was there even a point to create a phone like this :/

 

[Reflexx]

well it looks like the nokia X has been already rooted to use google services :/ Nokia X rooted and Google apps installed; Android is Android | Android Central sure most people that are in the targeted markets might not care about rooting their phone but now that its shown that I can be rooted was there even a point to create a phone like this :/

How does affect the purpose and strategy behind the phone?

 

[PureView]

How does affect the purpose and strategy behind the phone?

Turns it from a useless **** into something of decent value. Seriously if Nokia thinks they can fool people into buying this in its default state, when phones like Moto G and other regional brands are out, then they really are out of their minds. People aren't stupid. They weren't stupid with Windows Phones and they won't be stupid this time around either.

 

[a5cent]

I just don't see what the target market would be, outside of hardcore Nokia fans who hate Microsoft I guess.

You forgot one target market... hardcore Android fans that hate Google ;-)

 

[worldspy99]

I have to wonder why anyone would buy this instead of a Moto G. The Moto G might cost just a little bit more but you get better internal specs (I believe, I haven't seen official specs for the Nokia X yet), a better screen, and access to the Google Play store. I just don't see what the target market would be, outside of hardcore Nokia fans who hate Microsoft I guess.

A little bit more eh? $120 vs $180 is 50% more. Obviously this phone is not targeted to people with first world math problems as far as cash is concerned

 

[a5cent]

Seriously if Nokia thinks they can fool people into buying this in its default state.

I suspect you take issue with the fact that it comes without Google's services. However, the non-Google Android market is already by far the fastest growing part of Android. I would never buy this either, but in China, Russia and elsewhere, non-Google Android is very popular. Nokia doesn't need to dupe anyone. Those markets have already decided they like non-Google Android.

 

[a5cent]

A little bit more eh? $120 vs $180 is 50% more. Obviously this phone is not targeted to people with first world math problems as far as cash is concerned

And this $120 is the launch price. It will be around $60 in six months.

 

[PureView]

I suspect you take issue with the fact that it comes without Google's services. However, the non-Google Android market is already by far the fastest growing part of Android. I would never buy this either, but in China, Russia and elsewhere, non-Google Android is very popular. Nokia doesn't need to dupe anyone. Those markets have already decided they like non-Google Android.

Yeah well Nokia has little to no presence in China so they can forget about this. They have massive presence in countries like India. And no, you're not going to sell a bastardised Android smartphone there. You know why people don't buy Windows Phones? Because it doesn't have their favourite app. Nokia took the biggest advantage Android has, which are its 1 million apps, and removed it from Nokia X. You expect people to buy this? Why on earth would anyone buy this over something like Moto G?

Secondly my problem isn't only with the lack of Google apps. It's with the horrendous software. Android 4.1? This is a joke right? That's a TWO YEAR old build of Android. Did you see the hands on videos of this phone? The Facebook app took 5-7 seconds to launch. That does not happen on even the lowest end Android device.

So what is Nokia hoping for here? A customer goes into the shop, has an option of hundreds of Android phones, including the awesome Moto G. He then says, hmmm, I'm instead going to buy an Android phone that has about 1/10th of the Android apps, runs a 2 year old build of the OS, has specs that belong on a 40 Euro device and God knows about its future when Nokia is gone as a phone maker.

Like I said before. Nokia is hoping to catch a few either stupid, or unsuspecting people. Because no one else is going to buy this.

 

[PureView]

You forgot one target market... hardcore Android fans that hate Google ;-)

Yeah that market does not exist. And even if it does, kudos to Nokia for targeting the niche-est of markets in the world.

 

[Reflexx]

Turns it from a useless **** into something of decent value. Seriously if Nokia thinks they can fool people into buying this in its default state, when phones like Moto G and other regional brands are out, then they really are out of their minds. People aren't stupid. They weren't stupid with Windows Phones and they won't be stupid this time around either.

And how does this affect strategy?

You throw out a lot of useless insults about the device but didn't address the question you replies to.

 

[Reflexx]

You forgot one target market... hardcore Android fans that hate Google ;-)

Or current Nokia feature phone owners (doesn't have to be hardcore) who want an Android device for their first smartphone because they've been told by everyone they can't buy a WP because of lack of apps.

 

[a5cent]

Yeah that market does not exist. And even if it does, kudos to Nokia for targeting the niche-est of markets in the world.

Notice the smiley in my post? Wasn't meant to be taken too seriously.

 

[a5cent]

Nokia took the biggest advantage Android has, which are its 1 million apps, and removed it from Nokia X. You expect people to buy this?

I have no particular expectations of the Nokia X. You are missing the point. You can make as many arguments as you like as to why the inability to access the play store means this won't sell. The fact remains that millions of Android devices without that access are sold each month, which leaves me to believe your arguments aren't that relevant in the markets where this will be sold. Then we also have the fact that a large chunk of the devices being sold today still run Android 2.3. I agree with you that in western Europe or the U.S. this is a joke. Elsewhere, market statistics suggest otherwise.

 

[PureView]

And how does this affect strategy?

You throw out a lot of useless insults about the device but didn't address the question you replies to.

It doesn't effect their strategy, if that is what you meant. Their strategy makes no sense to begin with. They're using this phone as a gate-way to Lumia phones? That makes absolutely no sense. There is NOTHING in the Nokia X that would make someone get a Lumia phone. In fact it is quite the opposite. Nokia X has quite a few more apps than Windows Phone does. The situation will only get worse for Lumia phones as more and more apps are ported to Nokia X. 75% apps are already 100% compatible with the X, all they need is submission to the Nokia Store. Why would someone get used to having so many apps and games, and then decide to switch to a platform that has none of that?

If somebody really has a hard-on for Microsoft services, he can easily get those on his Android phone. OneDrive, Bing, Here Maps and practically all Microsoft services are available on Android phones. Skype is much better on Android than on Windows Phone. Go figure.

Another reason why Nokia's strategy makes no sense is because they're betting their hedges on the brand name. Majority of the people in developing markets don't buy a Windows Phone, they buy a Nokia phone, which just happens to be a Windows Phone. So what is going to happen when Nokia is no more? Someone using a Nokia X is going to switch to a Windows Phone by some other OEM? Yeah I just don't see that happening often.

But you know what, don't buy what I say. We'll let the sales figures talk for themselves when the phone is out. I live in one of the developing markets (Pakistan) where this phone will be marketed heavily. I'll let you know how many people are buying this over a conventional Android phone in the same price bracket.

 

[PureView]

The fact remains that millions of Android devices without that access are sold each month,

And how much do they cost? There are tons of Android devices out there that cost less than HALF of what the Nokia X costs. Contrary to what you may think, 89 Euros is a lot of price for an absolute bottom of the barrel spec'd phone in a developing market.