Despite being a budget and mid-range brand, Nokia makes some pretty solid phones. They don’t compete with the premium market like Samsung and Apple do, but they still pack enough features to satisfy most people.
We’ll look at a few of the company’s most popular models here. You’ll find something here for everyone, from a classic phone to a modern flagship.
Design
In the early 2000s, Nokia had a strong foothold in the mobile phone market. It had a well-established design team that iterated quickly on phone designs and targeted a diverse customer base.
Despite the company’s successes, a few misfires hurt its chances of winning the smartphone war.
For example, they didn’t always get it right regarding camera quality. Their phones were often tied to Symbian OS and lacked modern features like touchscreens or high-resolution screens.
Camera
The camera is one of the essential features of a smartphone, and Nokia phones are known for their cameras. It’s also a sign of the brand’s history and ethos.
The best Nokia phones have a classic industrial design with clean software that delivers fast updates and no bloatware. Some even have rugged designs ideal for a tough life on the go.
The Nokia X30 combines specs, design, and price, delivering excellent photos in both low light and bright daylight. Its native monochrome mode is a unique feature perfect for capturing beautiful black-and-white shots without converting them to color.
Performance
Nokia has a long history of building good-quality phones focusing on durability and excellent value. This has helped the brand become one of the world’s most successful mobile phone brands.
The best Nokia phones are at the lower end of the budget spectrum, so you won’t get high-end specs like iPhone or Samsung devices, but they are still an excellent option for your money. They also feature a classic industrial design and clean software with Android One, ensuring fast updates and no bloatware.
The company offers a range of exciting phones, including a rugged smartphone for the modern world that may take you back to the indestructible Nokia 3310 of yesteryear. It also has a range of solid-performing mid-range smartphones that benefit from componentry usually reserved for higher-end handsets.
Battery
It’s no secret that the Nokia brand is a big player in the budget and mid-range smartphone markets. That means you can get stock Android software, guaranteed updates, and cool designs without breaking the bank.
And the company knows that battery life is a considerable concern for its customers. That’s why it offers devices with batteries that last two days or more.
The Nokia G21 comes with a big 5,050mAh battery, and it promises to offer up to two or three days of regular use before you reach for the charger. Does it deliver?
The G21 is a power-sipping budget phone, relying on energy-saving technology and less powerful processing to give it that extra juice. But does it retain the same smartphone quality?
Software
Nokia phones are known for their classic design and good software. The latest in the series, the X30, does not deviate from these tenets.
It is an Android One phone, meaning you should expect three years of updates and security patches. Sadly, this is not enough to keep this phone competitive.
The software on this phone is a mashup of Android, Windows Phone, and Asha, which makes for some awkward moments. It also means that your favorite Android apps won’t work on this device, and you’ll rely on Microsoft services for everything else.
