Nokia launches large Android smartphone across Asia and Africa

Nokia, now owned by Microsoft as of Wednesday,  launched the big-screen Android based Nokia XL in select global markets including India. The big 5.0-inch Nokia XL, high-end model among the Nokia X family smartphones has been made available in the Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, and Africa, said Adam Fraser, Nokia spokesperson, on his official blog. The company while announcing the availability of Nokia X in India this March had said that the Nokia XL and X+ would be released in two months.

Nokia (/Microsoft) has launched the second device in its Android line after the Nokia XL, a larger version of its original Nokia X smartphone, went on sale across Asia and the Middle East for €109 (around $265). Like the Nokia X, the XL will not be sold in the US. The Nokia XL is much like its older sibling in terms of aesthetics, albeit that it has a five-inch screen, better quality cameras and dual-SIM support. The phone is powered by an updated version of Nokia X Platform, the company’s forked version of Android, which means it can run Android apps and Microsoft services like OneDrive (which comes pre-loaded) and Skype. The user interface bears similarities to Nokia’s higher-end Lumia smartphones with a tiled-style home screen for apps and services.