Nokia X2 with Android is unveiled

Microsoft has unveiled another low-end Android device as the firm continues to try and grab smartphone market share.

The Nokia X2 will begin rolling out globally from next month. It is priced at 99.

Running a heavily customised version of Android, which is made to look like the Windows Phone interface, the X2 is targeting users who are looking to make a transition to a smartphone.

Nokia X2 specifications

Display: 4.3in WGVA ClearBlackProcessor: 1.2GHz SnapdragonRAM: 1GBCamera: 5-megapixel rear, VGA frontBattery: 1,800mAh

The X2 has Outlook.com, Skype and OneDrive apps pre-loaded. OneNote and Yammer are the latest Microsoft apps to be added to the Nokia Store.

Photos and documents can also be backed up to OneDrive, which has 15GB of free cloud storage.

Microsoft has openly claimed that it wants to use Nokia X devices to act as gateway to its ecosystem and, ultimately, get users onto the Windows Phone platform. However, this strategy has been met with bemusement by some analysts.

I still don't get this Nokia X portfolio strategy, particularly in WE. Not a single operator we have spoken to knows how to position the XFrancisco Jeronimo (@fjeronimo) June 24, 2014

Problem for Nokia X & Amazon Fire - an Android smartphone without Google's apps is less appealing than Google's Android (outside of China)Ian Fogg (@ianfogg42) June 24, 2014

The original Nokia X was launched in February and has proved popular in India, Pakistan, Russia, Kenya and Nigeria, where dual-SIM functionality is desirable. It is available through various online retailers in the UK priced at 99.

Khidr Suleman is the Technical Editor at IT Pro, a role he has fulfilled since March 2012. He is responsible for the reviews section on the site  - so get in touch if you have a product you think might be of interest to the business world. He also covers the hardware and operating systems beats. Prior to joining IT Pro, Khidr worked as a reporter at Incisive Media. He studied law at the University of Reading and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism and Online Writing at PMA Training.