Nokia officially took the wraps off its latest budget smartphone, Nokia 4.2, in India, bringing more competition to the fiercely competitive market. With the goodness of Nokia branding, Nokia 4.2 is poised to reach huge success in India and the affordable price point will just add to the demand.
HMD Global launched Nokia 4.2 for Rs 10,990 for the 3GB+32GB configuration and customers get to choose from Black or Pink Sand colours. While the new budget smartphone will be available across select retail stores starting May 14, those who cannot wait can order the handset from Nokia's official website right away for just 7 days. Nokia 4.2 will be available pan-India across offline and online stores starting May 21.
Nokia 4.2 is the latest affordable option smartphone shoppers will find in India that also gives a great value for money. Besides the familiar brand name, the handset stands out with its features. Let's take a look at the key specs of Nokia 4.2:
Display: 5.71-inch HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio
Processor: Snapdragon 439 octa-core chipset
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB, expandable up to 400GB
Camera: 13MP+2MP dual rear camera and an 8MP selfie snapper
Battery: 3,000mAh
OS: Stock Android 9 Pie
Add-ons: Fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, 4G VoLTE, VoWiFi, dual SIM, 3.5mm jack, microUSB port
With these features, Nokia 4.2 might not stand out completely but sure does pose a threat to rivals in the sub-Rs 12K category. Nokia sent us the review unit of the new smartphone and as I unboxed the Nokia 4.2 for review, here are my initial thoughts on the phone.
Design & Display
Nokia 4.2 is a typical Nokia smartphone with a signature design most of you are familiar with. There's a modern touch on this new phone with a tiny waterdrop notch on top of the 5.71-inch display to hold the front camera and reduce the bezels around. But the bottom bezel is quite massive and it simply has the Nokia branding on it.
The HD+ display is suitable for most tasks, regardless of surrounding light. There's not much reflection in any lighting condition, but I would bet highly under direct sunlight on a bright day. Given the price range, I couldn't have asked for a better display on the Nokia 4.2.
The rear side of the Nokia 4.2 has a curved glass, which gives a sense of premium feel. The rounded corners are quite unique, so is the light ring around the power button, which is lit everytime a new notification arrives. It's pretty cool of Nokia to offer an LED light after removing the top bezels. If you don't like this new feature, you can turn it off under settings.
The glass back houses dual cameras in a vertical pill-shaped module, which also holds the LED flash. Just below the camera, there's a fingerprint sensor on the same plain as the back panel, which makes it hard to locate at once. The usual Nokia and Android One branding can also be seen at the back.
Nokia 4.2 has the standard microUSB port right next to the speaker at the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack is at the top and the volume controls are on the right. An interesting addition is the dedicated button for Google Assistant, which is located on the left side of the phone, just below the SIM card tray.
Cameras
The dual rear cameras with 13MP f/2.2 and 2MP f/2.2 sensors seem to be doing a decent job. There's an 8MP selfie shooter on the front with f/2.0 aperture for better low-light photos. The cameras come with Live Bokeh, Lens integration, 1080p video shooting on both cameras, Panorama and Time Lapse. The interface is clean and not clustered with multitude of options, making it easy to operate for everyone.
The photos shot on Nokia 4.2 are decent, and nothing spectacular. Stay tuned for full review with camera samples soon.
Performance
Nokia 4.2 gets a Snapdragon 439 octa-core chipset paired with 3GB RAM and Adreno 505 GPU. Don't expect it to run PUBG Mobile smoothly, but it can do your everyday tasks without any lags. As long as your usage is limited to calling, messaging, browsing social media and occasional gaming, Nokia 4.2 won't disappoint you. I will test the phone to see just how much it can handle and share the results in the coming days.
The best part about Nokia 4.2 is that the handset, like other Nokia phones, comes with stock Android 9 Pie. This is a great reason to pick up this phone as only so many handsets at this price range let you experience stock Android.
Nokia 4.2 comes with a 3,000mAh battery, which seems to be fine for a full day of mixed usage. But the handset still uses a microUSB port. It's nice to see the 3.5mm headphone jack make it to the phone.
Should you buy?
Nokia 4.2 definitely makes sense for anyone who cannot afford spending a lot on a smartphone. The appealing design, stock Android OS, reliable battery and decent cameras and performance make for a solid choice in the sub-Rs 12K price range. But India poses a difficult market for Nokia 4.2 as there's stiff competition from handsets like Realme 3 Pro and Redmi Note 7 Pro, which offer more at a marginal price hike. Stay tuned for full review of Nokia 4.2.
