Nokia is back with a bang in 2017 with 3 new models
Posted by Marketing on 13th Apr 2017
Nokia are back on the smartphone scene after selling the Lumia brand to Microsoft and taking a much needed hiatus. Once famous for its early dominance within the mobile telecoms industry thanks to the success of the Nokia 3310, in recent years Nokia has struggled to keep up with its android rivals. However this time Nokia is ditching Microsoft’s mobile operating system in favour of the ever popular Android OS, a smart move in our opinion.
So what have Nokia got in store with us in 2017?
Nokia 3
The Nokia 3 is the entry-level phone in Nokia’s new range of devices, combining stylish looks, good performance and a pure android experience at a super affordable price. Sounds like a winning combination to us.
Design
At first glance the design of the Nokia 3 is uninspiring compared to the latest flagship devices coming from the likes of Apple and Samsung. However look a little closer and you will notice that the beauty of this phone lies in its simplicity and build quality.
The Nokia 3 features a metal frame making it feel both solid and well built, even with the plastic back cover the Nokia 3 does feel more expensive and premium than its price tag would lead you to believe.
Up front there is a 5.0 inch screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass and a 67.3% screen-to-body ratio. Combine this with rounded corners and curved edges and you get a device that is comfortable to hold and use one handed.
Specification
Screen
The Nokia 3 boasts a bright and crisp Polarised IPS display that measures in at 5.0 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and a pixel density of 294pp. This should provide a sharp enough display and is exactly what we would expect in a phone in this price bracket.
Software
Here at 32nd Shop we are big fans of android devises and in particular those that sport stock Android right out of the box. Thankfully Nokia have not only decided to make the switch from Windows to Android but they have also decided to stick with stock Android. This means that the Nokia 3 will be free from manufacturer added bloatware and clunky deign overlays so you get the Android experience just as google intended. Best of all, the Nokia 3 will receive prompt access to future android updates. In our opinion Nokia has made a smart decision to stick with pure Android as we believe there simply aren’t enough options for those looking for a pure Android experience.
Performance
The Nokia 3 is powered by a Mediatek MT6737 chipset with a Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and 2GB of RAM. While not a high end piece of equipment the Nokia 3 certainly has enough power to make it smooth and responsive enough for typical use, comfortably handling everyday apps and casual games. However if you are looking for a device that will hold its own playing graphically intensive games then the Nokia 3 might not be the best choice. 16GB of built in storage is enough for basic apps but again if you have a large music collection or want to download video from on-demand services then you will need to invest in a Micro SD card. The Nokia 3 supports Micro SD cards up to 128GB.
Battery
The Nokia 3 has a non-removable 2650maAh battery, this should be enough to expect a full charge to last a full day for moderate use. Although it is worth bearing in mind that this device does not have a fast charging feature, meaning mid-day top ups may take longer than expected.
Camera
8MP front and rear cameras with aperture of f/2.0 are acceptable for everyday snaps and the occasional selfies but there is nothing ground-breaking here, just solid reliable performance in normal conditions.
Overall
Solid performance in a well-designed and sturdy package makes the Nokia 3 a descent entry-level device for those on a tight budget. Combine this with stock Android and it is clear that the Nokia 3 is an interesting proposition for those looking for an easy to use device that covers all of the bases without breaking the bank.
Check out our full range of Nokia 3 Cases & Covers.
Nokia 5
The Nokia 5 is the mid-tier phone in Nokia’s new series of devices, combining premium all metal construction, solid all-round performance and a stock android experience at a very attractive price. The Nokia 5 defiantly Sounds like a worthy mid-range device.
Design
At a first glance you can’t help but notice how premium the Nokia 5 looks and feels. Constructed entirely out of a single piece of 6000-series aluminium you would be forgiven for expecting this phone to cost much more than it does.
Up front there is a 5.2 inch screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass and a 68.7% screen-to-body ratio. Combine this with rounded corners and ergonomically curved edges and you notice that the Nokia 5 is a pleasantly tactile and comfortable phone to hold.
We are also excited to see that a front facing fingerprint scanner that doubles as a home navigation key has been included. Usually reserved for more premium devices, it is great to see this technology filtering down to mid-range devices.
Specification
Screen
The Nokia 5 features a bright and crisp Polarised IPS display that measures in at 5.2 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and a pixel density of 282pp. This should provide a sharp enough display to make reading text and playing games perfectly comfortable, though I can’t help feel that a 1080p screen would have been more appropriate for this device.
Software
Again, the Nokia 5 features the same stock android 7.0 OS as its siblings so there are no surprises there. This means that your phone is a clean slate, all you need to do is head over to the play store and download the apps that you actually want.
Performance
The Nokia 5 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset with an Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and 2GB of RAM. While the snapdragon 430 chip is not the newest or highest performance processor in the world, it has proven itself to be perfectly adequate. With the Nokia 5 you can expect a smooth and responsive experience with all but the most resource hungry apps and games. 16GB of built in can be expanded by up to 128GB with the addition of a Micro SD card, this should provide more than enough storage space for all your apps and music library.
Battery
The Nokia 5 has a slightly larger non-removable 3000maAh battery than its cheaper sibling, the Nokia 3. This small increase should be enough to counteract the more power hungry chipset in this device, so it is safe to expect a full charge to last around a day of moderate use. As with the Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 does not have a fast charging feature. This means that mid-day top ups may take longer than expected.
Camera
The Nokia 5 Packs in an impressive 13MP f/2.0 front camera with a sensor size of 1/3”, phase detection autofocus and dual tone flash and an 8MP wide angle selfie camera on the front. Both cameras then sound very capable of producing the quality of images you would expect from a modern phone.
Overall
Strong mid-range performance in a well-designed and premium feeling package makes the Nokia 5 feel much more expensive than it actually is. It is safe to say that the Nokia 5 is a solidly performing all-rounder and the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner is a nice touch, but we do have one reservation. The price gap between the Nokia 5 and its siblings, when you look closely the Nokia 5 starts to feel like the awkward middle child. In our opinion If you like the look of the Nokia 5 it might be worth reading on and consider stretching your budget for its bigger brother.
Check out our full range of Nokia 5 Cases & Covers.
Nokia 6
The Nokia 6 is the current alpha of the pack in Nokia’s trio of new android powered devices, combining premium aluminium design, fantastic all-round performance and a stock android experience at a reasonable price. The Nokia 6 stands firmly in the upper echelons of mid-range Android devices and offers an attractive amount of bang for your buck.
Design
We can’t quite believe quite how good the new range of Nokia devices look, especially when you consider the price tag. Much like it’s cheaper sibling, the Nokia 6 is constructed entirely out of a single block of high quality aluminium. Weighing in at a respectable 169g the Nokia 6 feels sturdy and reassuring to hold without feeling bulky.
Up front there is a 5.5 inch screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an impressive 70.7% screen-to-body ratio. Combine this with rounded corners and curved edges and you find that the Nokia 6 feels smaller than you would expect from a device verging on phablet territory.
We are also excited to see that a front facing fingerprint scanner that doubles as a home navigation key flanked by soft touch navigation keys. This frees up screen space as the on-screen navigation can be removed.
Specification
Screen
The Nokia 6 features a full HD Polarised IPS display that measures in at large 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 and a pixel density of 403pp. This is a noticeable step up from the 720p panels present in its cheaper siblings.
Software
Again, the Nokia 6 features the same stock android 7.0 OS as its siblings so there are no surprises here. You can also expect to be first on the receiving end of googles updates, as Nokia have not interfered with the operating system.
Performance
The Nokia 6 is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset and Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 processor as the Nokia 5 but with an extra 1GB of RAM meaning the Nokia 6 has an impressive 3GB of RAM. While the snapdragon 430 chip is not the highest performing processor, the boost in RAM should make the Nokia 6 noticeably smoother than the Nokia 5. With the Nokia 6 you can expect a smooth and responsive experience that extends to even the most demanding of games. 32GB of built in can be further expanded by up to 128GB with the addition of a Micro SD card, this should provide more than enough storage space for all your app, music, games and video.
Battery
The Nokia 6 has the same non-removable 3000maAh battery as the Nokia 5. This should be plenty of power to ensure the Nokia 6 lasts a full day from a single charge. As with the other 2 models from Nokia, the Nokia 6 does not have a fast charging feature. This means that mid-day top ups may take longer than expected.
Camera
The Nokia 6 Packs in an impressive 16MP f/2.0 front camera with phase detection autofocus and dual tone flash with a complementing 8MP wide angle selfie camera on the front. Both cameras appear very capable of producing the type of high quality images that you would expect from a device at this price point.
Overall
Great design and Strong spec sheet make the Nokia 6 a great mid-range device capable of performing smoothly in all but the most demanding situations. Its well-designed and premium feeling aluminium body make the phone feel comfortable and reassuring to hold. It is safe to say that the Nokia 6 is a fantastic all-rounder for those wanting a premium feeling phone on a modest budget. Our only reservation would be the Nokia 6’s underwhelming chipset, it will be interesting to see how this phone performs in benchmarking tests compared to its rivals. All in all the Nokia 6 looks like a great return to form for the company after ditching the windows operating system in favour of Android.