14 DAY TRIAL // Today, Microsoft has announced a second-generation Android-based handset, none other than the long-rumored Nokia X2, and has also unveiled a brand-new OS flavor loaded on top of it, called Nokia X Platform 2.0, which has some appealing new features to provide its users with.
The smartphone, which runs under a forked version of Android, the same as its predecessors, comes with a new hardware design, which includes a Home button next to the Back button that was present on Nokia X, and the updated platform has been built to take full advantage of it.
In addition to allowing users to easily go to the home screen with a single tap, the new design also enables them to easily access the handset’s task manager, by pressing and holding the Back key.
Thus, they will see a list of all running apps and processes, and will be able to close them fast. The new design ensures better multitasking features, while also offering increased control over applications.
The addition of said Home button will enhance the navigation on Nokia X2, which is complemented by a cleaner home screen, which now shows four tiles side by side, instead of only two on Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL handsets.
Moreover, as Timo Saari, delivery manager at Microsoft, explains, the new platform iteration arrives with an app list, which resembles a lot the one present on its Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphones.
The list will show all of the applications and games that have been already installed on the handset, and users will be able to scroll through them to easily find what they are looking for. Moreover, a search option was included there, to make things even simpler.
“We’ve made some improvements to the way the tiles move around on the home screen when you’re resizing or relocating them. It’s a more playful way to personalize.”
The virtual keyboard on Nokia X2 has also seen improvements when compared to what was available on its predecessors. According to Yannis, it was rebuilt from the ground up, and it is completely different from what Nokia X users can enjoy, offering increased performance and more appealing looks.
The Nokia X software platform 2.0 also arrives with a notifications manager, new home screens, an updated camera interface, and an enhanced control panel. The Fastlane has received improvements too, the same as other parts of the operating system.
Unfortunately, it seems that Nokia X, X+ and XL will not receive an upgrade to the new OS version, due to hardware limitations. Instead, Microsoft has promised various other enhancements for them, in the form of software updates, but has not offered specific info on what they will include.
