In the box:

• Nokia X2-00
• Батарея Nokia BL-4C
• Компактное зарядное устройство Nokia AC-3
• Стереогарнитура Nokia WH-205
• Карта памяти на 2 ГБ
• Быстрое зарядное устройство Nokia AC-8C (только в Китае)
• Кабель для подключения Nokia CA-101D (только в Китае)
• Руководство пользователя
• Ваучер на 200 рублей для покупки музыки (только Россия)
• Подписка на Nokia Comes with Music (ряд рынков, не в России)

Positioning

This model opens X music range and its 2 index means the lowest price of €85 (before taxes). It follows in the footsteps of Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, which became the music bestseller from Nokia and had a dominant position on the market in general. Sequels of successful models are difficult to come up with, but this case is an exception. Accessible models attract with their prices. Add more features, use new materials for the segment and you get a potential bestseller, especially if you can capitalize on Nokia brand name. In the company's lineup Nokia X2 is a definite bestseller, will be sold in large amounts and will oust several rivals from the market, which were either slow to appear or languished in the segment for too long.

The ingredients of success are simple – a music candybar with an excellent price. Nokia X2 somehow resembles sneakers for €15 you can buy in any European shop. Bright laces, white edge at the bottom and they look nice in the shop window. Easy to wear and democratic they are loved by teenagers and young adults for the price. Nobody cares that the sole will be destroyed in two weeks and the material is hardly of top quality. Key factors are price and trendy fashion. The same applies to this phone. It meets the expectations of customers and offers a compromise. Do you need a phone of metal? Here we have a metal back cover. Are you looking for two loudspeakers? Here you are. Would you like to have bright colors? Choose yourself.

It is easy to understand that the model has not only the price for young people, but is positioned accordingly. I cannot imagine a person after 30, who could buy a model for everyday use. It looks like a toy, which is rather good. The gender ratio among schoolchildren is 50/50, just choose your color. In the older age group men will prevail. I cannot explain it, but they are more eager to buy candybars. The ratio is 65/35. The upper age limit is 25 years. All in all we have two main groups of customers – 18-25 and 10-18. Nokia 5130 XpressMusic targeted these age groups as well.

This model is a good choice for parents, who want to buy an accessible phone to their children and need good value for money.

Design, dimensions and controls

When you look at its face you see a typical candybar. It can be Nokia, Fly, Sagem or something else. Unfortunately, the design is ordinary. Our sample was red with appropriate elements on the bottom and top. Sides also feature red plastic. The rest of the body is black. Brighter colors are for more expensive models.

I have no complaints to the build quality. Some owners claim that the back cover has vertical looseness, but I did not experience that during my week long testing. The phone has inexpensive plastic and the grill at the back cover showed signs of wearing off during the first day. I put this model in a jeans pocket together with another phone. I tested the plastic in other conditions and understood that it really wears off with ease. In the sun these areas look acceptable, but still the plastic wears off. Initially the plastic has certain gloss with nice speckles and shines in the sun, but not for long.

Impressions

There is no complaint about speech reproduction in both directions and the speaker offers good volume power. Communication quality is good. Loudspeakers are impossible to ignore, while the vibro is also above average.

In some countries the price of the model includes annual membership in Nokia Comes with Music (OVI Music Unlimited in its new incarnation). It is the best offer on the market, which cannot be rivaled by other companies. Sadly, this option is not for Europe or Russia and in the official Russian box we only have a 200 Rubles voucher to buy tracks in OVI Music. It is definitely not enough, but in Russia nobody ever cared about licensed music, especially buyers of inexpensive phones?

Let's look at X2-00 as a universal phone. This model is for young people and has lots of features unrivalled in other phones of the same price range and form factor. So we have a 5 MP camera with decent photos, battery cover of metal, many games and two loudspeakers, radio works without the headset and a 3.5 mm jack is onboard. It is very close to the ideal phone for a young person. We even get USB On the Go, which is heavily promoted in Nokia N8.

On the downside we have plastic on loudspeakers, which wears off far too easily. The screen lacks good viewing angles, but for an inexpensive model it is not vital. The text input in all apps is too slow and it is more serious. In general the phone is fast, but the text input is its main problem. The keypad is not convenient enough too.

In Russia the phone is offered exclusively in Euroset for $195. When the model becomes available from other retailers its price will go down by $16. The European price is even more attractive – up to €100 depending upon the country (there is an option without the memory card in the box). In its price range the handset offers best value for money and is the best solution for young people. Rivals just do not exist. There is a slightly dated Samsung S7220 Ultra in a pricier segment. It has similar features and is more interesting, but its production has already stopped. The price will not decrease. For €170-200 you can get Sony Ericsson Elm. This candybar also features a metal back cover, similar screen (less bright and surprisingly dim), offers 3G and WiFi. The camera has a decent autofocus and it can be viewed as advantage. Menu navigation is a bit slow. But it belongs to a different class, loses to Nokia X2-00 in some aspects, is not universal enough and its standard accessories are inferior (even headsets are cheaper). With the price difference of €50 Nokia X2-00 deserves special attention.