By Mohammad Faisal
A lot of smartphone manufacturers are now packing better specifications into their phones, while cutting costs on the build of the smartphones. But HMD Global clearly has not joined the bandwagon with the Nokia smartphones. The Finnish company is still manufacturing smartphones that give a premium feel, and a balanced performance under the Android One programme.
Mid-range devices from the Nokia manufacturer have managed to garner interest partly because of the Nokia branding and partly because of the compact build and reliable performance along with regular updates, which companies rarely deliver on. The Nokia 4.2 follows the same lead.
In terms of looks, the Nokia 4.2 is in line with other Nokia Android One smartphones in the market. It packs decent specifications and a design which looks nothing less than premium. But how does the mid-range smartphone perform? We have put the phone to test and here is our review of the Nokia 4.2.
What’s good?
Nokia 4.2 has a polycarbonate chassis sandwiched between the front and rear glass panels. The back is clean, simple and visually appealing. Although the device is not thin, its small size and rounded corners make the build compact.
Nokia 4.2 does not have slippery edges, it fits into hands really well, and can be used with one hand only. The Power button and volume rockers on the right, and the Google Assistant button on the left are within reach. I really liked the idea of the notification LED on Power button. The 5.1-inch HD+ display of the Nokia 4.2 is decent. The screen has good viewing angles and it is bright enough to read text easily under direct sunlight. The screen is comfortable to look at, but I would have preferred sharper colours.
Nokia 4.2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor. It handles switching between apps and loads of notifications without any trouble. I opened dozens of apps in the background and 36 webpages in Chrome tabs. The transition between the apps and Chrome tabs is smooth and the phone does not lag even for a second.
Pure Android experience on Nokia 4.2 is a huge plus. The phone is powered by Android One, which gives assurance of three years of up to date security patches and timely software updates for two years. The phone does not click spectacular images, but it can take decent images if the lighting conditions are ideal. The HDR mode on the camera works really well and it also carries more details than the normal shot. The edge detection on rear camera bokeh mode is quite good and there is an option to adjust blur levels after a photo has been taken.
What’s not good?
While the back of Nokia 4.2 looks classy, it is a fingerprint magnet. Also, the smudges are really persistent and don’t leave the phone easily. You need wet wipes or damp cloth to get rid of them. The phone has broad bezels and a chin so tall that it could host two Nokia brandings on top of each other. Even the
sarea around the U-shaped notch is too thick. While using the phone, the bezels and chin constantly remind you how much space they are taking off your viewing space.
Nokia 4.2 handles transitions between apps smoothly, but it is not the best phone for multi-tasking users.
My review unit sports 3GB of RAM and at times it would just restart the app, even though I had not closed it. Photos captured on the phone often look washed out, dull and boring. In order to take good pictures, there has to be proper lighting. The shutter speed of the phone is not fast enough.
Verdict
The Nokia 4.2 is a budget device which is compact and looks premium. For its price range, the phone stands out because of its design, clean UI (stock Android) and smooth performance.
Estimated street price: Rs 10,990
