Nokia 1 priced at Rs 5,499 directly challenges the Xiaomi Redmi 5A and 10.or D. Both these handsets come with the normal version of Android. Can Nokia 1 challenge these handsets strongly on the basis of Android Go? Let’s find out through the review…
Nokia 1 Design
Nokia 1’s compact and nifty design gives it a distinct identity. Especially when the market is dominated by handsets with big screens. The display has wide borders at the top and bottom. At the same time, the white rim on the edge of the front panel gives it a cool look. You will see a glimpse of the old Lumia smartphone in the design of Nokia 1.
The power and volume buttons are on the right side and are conveniently positioned. The button response is also good. There is a headphone socket on the top and a micro-USB port at the bottom. The rear camera and single LED flash are housed in a capsule-like design at the back. Its white border further enhances the design.
With a simple and colourful design, the Xpress-on rear shell makes the Nokia 1 feel unique. It should also be noted that during the review, despite taking precautions, the removable shell got scratched easily.
As expected, Nokia 1 is made of plastic and does not feel premium. With a thickness of 9.5 mm, this phone cannot be called slim, but it fits easily in the hands. There is a battery under the back cover which can be removed. There are also separate slots for two SIM cards and a microSD card.
With handsets like Nokia 6, Nokia 8 and Nokia 3, HMD Global has built a reputation for offering strong and durable handsets. Nokia 1 also furthers this strategy of the company. During the review, the phone fell from our hands a couple of times, but nothing happened to it.
Nokia 1 Specifications, Performance and Software
Nokia 1 is a smartphone that is built specifically for the Android Oreo Go platform. Android Go is a less feature-rich version of Google’s popular Android OS. It is meant for budget smartphones that come with weak processors and 1GB or less RAM.
Nokia 1 is obviously not a powerhouse. It is powered by a quad core MediaTek MT6737 processor with a maximum clock speed of 1.1 GHz. The phone has 1 GB of RAM. The battery is 2150 mAh. The 4.5 inch IPS screen has a resolution of 480×854 pixels.
Nokia 1 has only one variant which has 8 GB inbuilt storage. If needed, it is possible to use a microSD card up to 128 GB. Talking about the camera, you will get a 5 megapixel fixed focus rear camera and LED flash as well. It has a 2 megapixel fixed focus front camera. Connectivity features include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS / A-GPS, FM radio, Micro-USB and 3.5 mm audio jack.
The basic user interface is very smooth. But the phone starts to slow down when we have even 5-6 apps open in the background. We found the phone to be slow even with simple tasks like scrolling through a Twitter feed, browsing mobile-optimised websites, and chatting on WhatsApp.
First party apps like messaging app also took longer to load than expected. The default Maps Go app failed to find our location at times. The phone heats up a lot if you have a few apps open in the background and are also playing games. To be honest, the user experience reminded us of budget smartphones of the days when everything was slow and boring. Such complaints are not found even in this price range today.
Gaming experience on Nokia 1 was very poor. Subway Surfer game, which usually runs smoothly on every smartphone, was stuttering on this handset.
In Android Go, Google has designed all the default Android apps in such a way that they consume less data. Apart from this, changes have also been made in the system UI and kernel so that work can be done even with 512 MB RAM.
On paper, things sound very promising. But our first experience with Android Go was not great. Even the default apps sometimes work, sometimes not. Subscriptions and personal recommendations features are missing from YouTube Go. The app crashed several times during testing. The good thing is that you can decide in which resolution the videos are downloaded. This way it becomes easier to control data and storage.
The Google Go app is impressive. You get shortcuts to features like translation, GIF search and voice search. With the help of Files Go app, users will be able to manage storage.
It also has Nokia’s Glance Screen feature. You will see notifications of missed calls, alarms, mails, messages etc. on the lock screen.
Overall our experience was not satisfactory. What is the reason for this? It is difficult to determine. If Nokia 1 was running on a normal Android version, the phone’s weak specifications could have been blamed. However, the Android Go platform is designed for this type of hardware. Whatever the reason, the performance has tarnished the image of this platform.
We weren’t expecting much from the 4.5-inch FWVGA IPS display. It’s very dull and washed out. It’s not easy to read anything in sunlight. Touch response is satisfactory and viewing angles are quite good.
In our experience, the call quality was good. However, there were some complaints of call drops even in areas with good signal. The single speaker on the phone produces a loud sound, which caught our attention. The sound does not crackle even at maximum volume. The quality of the earphones that come with the phone is very average. There is nothing surprising in this considering the price.
Nokia 1 cameras and battery life
Like other low-cost phones, the Nokia 1’s cameras disappoint. Photos taken with the rear camera in low light are noisy and colours appear washed out. Photos in better light are good. However, shots lack detail. The fixed focus seems to struggle when taking macros and close-up shots. The maximum resolution you can record videos is 720p. We found that the recorded clips were noisy.
The front camera is also average. It gives poor results in low light. Selfies taken during the day are slightly better, they can be used on social media. The camera app is easy to use. It also has a manual mode. You will be able to control the white balance and exposure.
In our HD video loop battery test, the Nokia 1 lasted 8 hours and 45 minutes, which is disappointing. Under normal use, the battery barely lasts a full day. We found ourselves needing to charge the phone by 7-8 PM every day. It also takes 2 hours to fully charge, which is disappointing.
Our verdict
The biggest complaint with Nokia 1 is its price of Rs 5,499. If the price of Nokia 1 was kept lower, it would have been a great option for users who are thinking of upgrading from feature phone to smartphone. If Jio users take into account the cashback offer, its effective price becomes Rs 3,299. But other users should check about some other options before buying this phone. Because today there are many great options under Rs 10,000.
Redmi 5A and 10.0r D are priced around Nokia 1 and offer a much better user experience. Android Go is still in its early stages, but the existing shortcomings cannot be ignored.
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