Nokia’s World War Has Begun! Nokia X Beachheads on the Philippines!

It’s no coincidence that the Nokia X phone was code named “Normandy”, and at the press launch of the phone yesterday, they made sure it made sense. Not too long ago, the concept of Nokia going the Android route was very much wanted, but seemed unlikely, especially after Microsoft acquired the company’s mobile division.

Then, leaks came pouring in. But at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia gave every tech enthusiast a boner when they unveiled not one, but THREE Android-based mobile phones! And just hot off the grill of that announcement, Nokia finally officially launched the most affordable of these phones, the Nokia X, in the Philippines. Held at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Makati, Nokia held, in my opinion, one of the best launches I’ve ever attended. For one, all throughout the event, we were given free reign to toy around with a lot of functioning model units (which is why I took a lot less photos than before hahaha).

The launch was supposed to be held in an open area in Global City, but because the weather was being such a prick yesterday, they moved it indoors, which was such a shame because they contracted some skateboarders for some exhibition, which would have symbolized the phone’s mantra of being a “fast lane”. In any case, though, we didn’t mind because we were busy toying around with the thing, which is much more effective in pushing that message through. The event also cleared up a lot of questions in our minds. Here’s a rundown of the most important details:

Nokia X is a new product family line. It’s not meant to replace the Asha line, and with the unveiling of new phones in the Asha line, it’s a safe bet that Nokia will still continue to produce phones under it. They confirmed it as such during the event. Instead, the new X line will sit snugly between the Lumia and the Asha line. Nokia envisions the new line to be their Marines in the World War of Smartphone platforms by offering an affordable phone targeted at emerging markets.

 

So what’s the point of this line, when its main purpose is being filled up by the Lumia 520 and the Asha phones? Well, it’s no secret that the Windows platform isn’t making any significant penetration in the market, despite the fact that it is steadily growing. And while the war in the high-end front is being hotly contested by iOS and Android, the mid- and low-end fronts are completely dominated, if not almost monopolized, by Android. And that is where Nokia wants a slice of the pie. And I don’t blame them.

That market is very lucrative and is where much of the growth is (studies suggest that the high-end front is reaching its plateau, especially since the prices of the phones in this front are nearing ridiculous levels). Unfortunately, the Asha line has no way of competing in this front, and the Lumia 520 isn’t gaining any ground fast enough. Availability of apps plays largely in this equation, and that’s where the Nokia X comes in.

Having a forked version of Android, married with Windows Phone’s interface, then you truly have the best of both worlds. As its Marine, Nokia intends the phone to penetrate these markets that can afford only low- and mid-range smartphones, and hopefully shift to the Lumia line once they’re ready to go high-end. I can see a couple of problems with this strategy, although it’s kinda cool to think that they’re using the strength of their enemies to gain precious ground. Very Sun Tzu of them! In any case, I’m just happy to have an Android phone with a FULLY FUNCTIONAL NOKIA HERE APP!!!!!

UPDATE: Check out our full review of the Nokia X here!

Oh, and best of all? I now possess the phone, so expect a review in the coming days! But, for now, I can safely say this: This is the best thing that Nokia’s done!

The Nokia X is now available in the Philippines for only Php5,990.

Our Nokia X review will be published next week. Watch out for it!