Analyzed: Nokia X7

Granted this isn't a new phone, but the Nokia X7 is still being sold in the Indian marketplace. To be honest we are surprised it is still on the market especially considering the current crop of smartphones on sale. We figured its unconventional yet functional design warranted a review just the same. The X7 is packed with high end features and runs on Symbian Anna.

From a looks perspective, the chassis has a rather pleasing design, with angled corners which house speakers in the sides (only on 2 sides though). The Nokia X7 feels solid and looks... well... different, with a metal backplate that also gives it a rugged feel. It looks like it can withstand the occasional drop and some tough use. Despite all this, the X7 is a little on the heavier side compared the similarly equipped smartphones, but we doubt you'll be able to tell the difference. Here is a look at some of the main features of the X7:

1. 4" display at a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels
2. 256MB RAM
3. 8GB storage expandable to 32GB via microSD
4. 8MP rear camera with 2 x digital zoom and dual LED flash (no front facing camera)
5. 720P HD video recording at 30 frames per second
6. Operating system: Symbian Anna
7. Weight: 146g
8. Battery capacity: 1320mAh

Using the phone might take a little getting used to especially if you haven't used a Nokia before. The touchscreen interface is a little slow to respond to the touch and scrolling is a little laggy as well. We must say though, we enjoyed watching videos on this display though... the color contrasts were pretty good and pixelation was at a minimum.With the 8MP camera on board, the Nokia joins like the likes of Samsung and HTC. Also included is 720p video recording, and a good double LED flash that sheds more light than usual on indoor scenes. You get an Instagram like image editing software on board that you can use to play with your photos after you've taken them. Nokia says the battery will provide 6.5 hours of GSM talktime, 4.5 on 3G, 6 hours of video playback and 50 hours of music playback if you are offline. You also get several apps pre-installed and can download other from the Nokia store.

Overall, this is a well packaged phone with a lot of usable features, but considering the newer models out in the market (including Nokia's own Lumia series), it is definitely dated. Now the question is, with Nokia's new found love with Windows Mobile and Microsoft, how much longer will we see them on the shelves!

Our Rating: 

The Nokia X7 is still on sale in India for around Rs. 20,000 (~$400).