Nokia X was introduced in India last month for Rs 8,599. Though a decent phone in the sub Rs 10,000, there is no dearth of alternatives to the Nokia X, literally. Now it has got another rival in the form of HTC Desire 210 which was introduced yesterday for Rs 8,700.
Design
Nokia X features the best of the Nokia Lumia and Nokia Asha design language mashed into one for creating a clean and neat looking mono-block touchscreen smartphone. The Nokia X features interchangeable Polycarbonate shell with the rubberised matte finish. While HTC has aimed to offer matte finish at the rear of the Desire 210, it does appear to be a younger kin of the Desire 310 with slight variation in the camera module placement.
Preference of design might differ from person to person. The Nokia X has rectangular mono-block design while the Desire 210 has rounded corners which give a slightly better aesthetic grip to the palms.
###PAGE###
Software implementations
Nokia X runs the code forked Android Open Source Project which is called as the Nokia X Software Platform. The Fastlane feature from the Asha devices has been implemented while the feel of the user interface is very much like Windows Phone platform.
On the other hand, HTC has added the famous BlinkFeed feature to the Desire 210 for users to enjoy aggregated content on the homescreen. The Desire 210 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update and thereby we can estimate a slightly older version of HTC Sense on it. Both devices have their platform specific implementations and improvisations.
Hardware
Nokia X integrates a dual-core 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 mobile Processor which is paired with 512 MB RAM and offers only 4 GB on-board storage. There is a memory card slot that can hold up to 32 GB micro SD card. Nokia X has a 4-inch LCD display with 480×800 pixel resolution and thereby pushing pixel density of 233 ppi. This display supports two-touch and offers wide viewing angles. Nokia has packed Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer and Proximity sensor. 
HTC Desire 210 offers a 4-inch LCD display with 480×800 pixel resolution. Our experience with a demo unit of the Desire 210 was not that great since its touch response was not up to the mark. We hope that the issue was limited only to the demo units. HTC has packed a dual-core 1 GHz MediaTek MT6572M mobile Chipset paired with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB internal storage in the Desire 210. Even this phone has a memory slot to support up to 32 GB micro SD card.
Both the phones have WiFi, GPS and 3G Network support, but the Desire 210 features Bluetooth 4.0 support with aptX while the Nokia X offers variety of Bluetooth profiles.
###PAGE###
Camera
Nokia has packed a modest 3 Megapixel fixed focus camera with 1/5-inch sensor in the Nokia X. With the help of an f/2.8 aperture, the Nokia X’s rear camera can click a photo decent enough to be shared over the social networks. On the other hand, the Desire 210 flaunts a 5 megapixel camera but has no Flash light. In short, neither of the devices would give you great photos in low light conditions. Also, during our first look at the Desire 210, we found that the camera performance was bit average compared to Nokia X. Then again, we need to test out the Desire 210 properly before shooting randomly in the dark.
Battery
Nokia has packed a 1500 mAh battery inside the Nokia X to promise Talk time of about 10.5 hours on a 3G network. Though the talktime is not great but it still look much better in front of HTC Desire 210 which has a smaller 1300 mAh battery. Also since Nokia X does not run Google Mobile Services in the background, it is expected to offer better back up.
Quick Thoughts
Nokia X and HTC Desire 210 smartphones are offered by two of the most popular handset makers that attract the loyalists. HTC Desire 210 did seem little out of the the typical premium finish and look offering HTC device, we did face some issues with the demo unit – we shall not let that change our opinion till we test it out thoroughly. When both are compared, at this stage, the Nokia X does seem like a fresh new smartphone worth trying out with the Windows-esque user interface and Fastlane feature. HTC Desire 210 has couple of miles to cover, especially on the software front to be the worthy top spot contender in the sub Rs 10,000 segment.
Nokia X retails online for roughly about Rs 6,600 (launched for Rs 8,599) while the HTC Desire 210 will be sold in India for Rs 8,700.