It looks like Microsoft won’t be axeing the Nokia X series. If the sources are anything to go by, Nokia Microsoft Mobile will be releasing next generation Nokia X devices sometime in the future. And unlike their legacy counterparts, they will come with a dedicated home button.
Probably the most disliked and misunderstood physical feature of the current Nokia X devices is the sole back button at the front. How Nokia thought it was a good idea to implement the same button for backing up on screens and for launching the homescreen is beyond me. It is even more annoying as, unlike on the Asha series where you can swipe to the notification centre (Fastlane, that also doubles as second homescreen) from the lockscreen, Fastlane on the Nokia X can only be accessed from the homescreen itself.
So to access notifications while in an app, users first have to long-press the back button, wait for the homescreen to load and then swipe for Fastlane. Long thing. I mentioned in my review of the Nokia X how I found it quicker to lock the screen and access my notifications from the lockscreen.
While it’s still nothing more than a rumour, the much coveted home button on the next generation Nokia X’s will be a step in the right direction. I don’t even know which news holds more significance; that Microsoft might be continuing the pseudo-Android line or that they Nokia X might finally be getting a home button. You decide.
