The last time I saw a flagship Nokia smartphone, it was when I travelled to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to get my hands on the Nokia 9 PureView. Although the phone got a mixed response from critics, I thought HMD Global would continue to churn out more flagships. That didn’t happen. Instead, HMD Global went into a shell. But four years after the Nokia 9 PureView, the Finnish company is finally back in the high-end smartphone segment. But unlike its peers, it has decided to stay away from the specs game. The new Nokia X30 isn’t purposely trying to be an iPhone 14 or a Galaxy S23 killer. Rather, it puts focus on classic Nokia design and features like long battery life to persuade consumers. I used the Nokia X30 for over a week, and here’s what I think about the return of Nokia in the premium phone space.
Nokia X30 price in India (as reviewed): Rs 48,999
How is the design of the Nokia X30?
Whenever I hold the Nokia X30 in my hand, I get a good feeling. I don’t know if it’s nostalgia but the phone does have a lasting impression. It has a zen-like calmness to it, a complete contrast to other modern-day smartphones. At first look, the Nokia X30 reminded me of old Lumia smartphones and quite frankly, I was craving that feeling in a current-generation Nokia flagship.
Available in Ice White or Cloudy Blue, the device feels very much like a premium product that has been made with quality materials. The fit and finish of the phone is fantastic. The power and volume buttons are on the right side, and there is a SIM card port and a USB-C port and speakers on the bottom. The rear is polycarbonate, similar to vintage Nokia phones of the past.
But for me personally, that isn’t a glaring issue. I, in fact, liked the matte texture finish – it’s smooth like a fine piece of cloth. The front of the phone is dominated by a display, coated in Gorilla Glass for extra protection, and the corners have been toughened with a solid metal frame. The Nokia X30 is relatively thin and much sleeker than my iPhone 14. Though I’d say it’s a bit taller it’s still a manageable size. After reviewing so many smartphones over the years, I don’t know what the ‘right” size of the phone is. The phone is IP67 rated and is water and dust-resistant.
How is the display on the Nokia X30?
The Nokia X30 has an impressive display, though the screen is not at the level of what you get on the Galaxy S23. It’s a 6.4-inch AMOLED, FHD+ display with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. I watched a few episodes of Sex Education and found the display bright, crisp, and visually appealing. Text on web pages and eBooks appeared sharp. For me, the impressive part of the display was that I could edit copies and read indianexpress.com while I was walking in the park in the morning. But yes, a more generous display with even brighter colours would have made the display a lot more enjoyable to watch Anime.
How does the Nokia X30 perform?
Powering the Nokia X30 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. I am not going to convince you that the Snapdragon 695 matches the performance of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor which powers phones like the OnePlus 11 and Galaxy S23 – it simply doesn’t. But what I can tell you is that year over year, the performance gains from new flagship chips aren’t at the same level as they used to be three years back. The Nokia X30 may not be a power ninja, but it ran very smoothly and had no performance issues under normal usage. I could still edit copies, check my Linkedin feed and listen to podcasts on the way to the office. But if you are like me and want a phone for essential things, you might want to consider the Nokia X30. For those who want to play graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact, I’d suggest there are better options on the market than the Nokia X30.
How long does the battery last on Nokia X30?
I was a little concerned about how the battery would last on the Nokia X30. I have had the same feeling with every smartphone I use. I am a heavy smartphone user, and if the battery life doesn’t meet my expectations, I do not recommend that phone to my readers. It applies to every smartphone that comes to me for review – no matter how a phone is priced. On paper, the Nokia X30 has a 4200mAh battery but combined with an efficient Snapdragon 695 processor, I easily got a day of juice without touching the power adapter. Of course, the daily performance of the battery varies depending on the usage but on average, the Nokia X30 lasted a day, assuming I start my day at 8:30 am and end around 7:30 pm. But one of the things I am going to miss is a charging adapter as well as wireless charging – both missing from the Nokia X30.
How good is the camera on the Nokia X30?
Although photography is very subjective and to some extent personal, I follow no particular school of thought to judge photos. I have seen mediocre camera phones taking better shots than many high-profile smartphones. Anyway, the Nokia X30 has two lenses on the back – a 50MP main and a 13MP ultra-wide. The images produced by the Nokia PureView camera can snap up bright shots with rich details in good lighting conditions. I was particularly impressed when I took a couple of portrait shots of my colleague in the office. For me, though, where the Nokia X30 made the most impact was in the low-light settings. It could actually take rich photos in the dawn and night with minimum noise.
The results are impressive. Here’s a photo I took at night while visiting a local outdoor market in Delhi.
Sure, the Nokia X30’s camera doesn’t match the iPhone 14 in detail but I can rely on the phone for photos I want to share with my friends. As with any other camera system, there are some flaws, like how sometimes the Nokia X30 can produce too vibrant shots, making it appear less natural.
Observation
The Nokia X30 runs on Android 12 with a guarantee of three years of warranty and regular operating system updates. The user interface is like what you get on a Pixel smartphone – light and mostly zippy. However, the phone does come with a few pre-loaded apps including Netflix, Spotify, Linkedin and GoPro Quick: Video Editor which can be easily uninstalled.
Is the Nokia X30 for you?
That depends on what type of user you are. The Nokia X30 is for minimalists who still have an attachment to the iconic brand but also want a phone that feels high quality, offers long battery life and has a camera that takes decent photos. But yes, Nokia X30 does seem pricey to many considering HMD Global is charging the top price for a phone that’s essentially a mid-range phone at heart.
