The Nokia ‘Comes with Music’ range of music orientated mobile phones has now evolved and has been re-branded as the X-range, a second model from the series has now been launched called the Nokia X3 alongside the recently released Nokia X6 offering a sliding model alternative to the candy-bar designed X6.
The new Nokia X3 offers dedicated music and volume keys acting like a standalone MP3 player for music on the move as found in the X6 but the X3 is a new sliding phone and the first ever to be branded with the X-range tag. Aside from the latest Nokia music player and software the Nokia X3 also offers a 3.5mm audio jack so that the consumer can use their preferred standard headphones rather than those included in the packaging.
Other features include a 3.2 mega pixel camera with video support, instant messenger, email and web browsing as well as Nokia Maps for navigation and route finding. This latest music phone also offers access to the Ovi store where there is an abundance of new applications to download to keep the user entertained, informed and up to date.
There is also an expandable memory of up to a substantial 16GB, that’s up to 5,500 songs that can be stored or a mix of photos, videos and applications. This sleek, sliding music phone joins the existing Nokia X6 in its blue and silver colour scheme which to date has been an Orange network exclusive, this is expected to end soon with further networks picking up this new touch screen device.
The Nokia X3 has been initially launched on Orange as well with a T-Mobile network release due very soon. Dedicated music phones are not something that all manufacturers adopt, probably the most well known is the Walkman range from Sony Ericsson and there are a couple of models that do present a real alternative to the Nokia X3.
These include the higher specification Sony Ericsson W995 as well as the Sony Ericsson Aino although the latter is not a Walkman phone it is an attractive multimedia device with a slide out keypad. If you are not a big fan of touch screen phones but like to have a decent music player then the Nokia X3 is a good choice of phone, the Nokia X6 is more expensive but the manufacturer has just announced the release of a 16GB edition rather than the standard 32Gb currently on offer which may well make it more affordable to many.
If it is purely a well equipped sliding handset that you are looking for and not the music capabilities of the X3 then good alternatives come in the form of the Samsung Classico, the LG BL20 Chocolate and Sony Ericsson Yari which all offer similar specifications.