Nokia X7

The Nokia X7 is a smartphone based on the Symbian operating system (OS). It is the latest device in the Finnish company's stable and is touted as an entertainment-focused device. Along with features such as a 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen and 8-megapixel camera, the handset will run a new version of Symbian that boasts an updated user interface.

Upside

The X7 has a full touchscreen design with a metallic back. Much of its front surface is taken up by a large 4-inch AMOLED display which has a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels. This is similar to what's found on the Nokia E7 business phone. This should give you good colors and sharp text even though the pixel density is lower than similarly sized devices with WVGA screens.

As with many other high-end Nokia phones, the X7 comes with a comprehensive set of connectivity options. These include HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and A-GPS for satellite navigation.

Along with all the hardware features, Nokia will be introducing Symbian Anna, the latest version of its smartphone OS. This is supposed to improve things such as user interface and text input. Given the criticisms leveled against Symbian when it comes to usability, any improvement is certainly welcome.

The connectors on the X7 include a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones and a micro-USB for syncing and charging. Using an adapter, full-sized USB 2.0 devices such as keyboards and flash drives can be connected to the micro-USB port as it supports USB On-The-Go.

Downside

The 8-megapixel camera on the X7 should give most users enough image resolution for casual snapshots. However, the use of a fixed focus camera may not appeal to some users. This was discussed in our preview of the E6, which also adopts a similar camera. In a nutshell, the disadvantage of such an implementation is that it's harder to focus on close subjects so capturing text off namecards or magazines may be difficult.
 

Outlook

Nokia has a good track record for making great hardware and the X7 will probably be a beneficiary of that, too. A factor that may put off potential buyers is the Symbian software. Nokia has already publicly embraced Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone platform, so it is natural to think that Symbian would take a back seat when it comes to improvements and developer support. The X7 will be available in Asia by the end of Q2. Its price is still unannounced for now.