Nokia X30 5G review: A little stretch

table of contents:

Nokia X30 5G Unboxing

Rock-paper-scissors, science.. no charger

Unboxing a smartphone is a dark and lonely experience these days.Unboxing a smartphone leaves you with an empty cardboard shell.Going back to the modern era, the retail box of the Nokia X30 5G contains the phone, USB- Includes a C-cable (both sides), some paperwork, and a SIM eject tool.

The box features a beige ‘recycled paper’ exterior to highlight Nokia’s efforts to save the planet, but at the same time, inside there are a total of 11 paper leaflets that no one has ever read. Yes, it’s a huge clump of dead wood.

To be fair, it’s probably due to EU regulations for electronic gadget manuals or something. Metaphorical (and physical) frowns, though.

Nokia X30 5G specifications

sheep in wolf clothes

– Check the specifications in the table below.

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that the Nokia X30 is aiming for the mid-high segment. It’s a tough game to play in this price range. Detailed specs can be found here.

Nokia X30 5G Design and Colors

on the catwalk

The Nokia X30 5G is quite a piece of technology, no doubt about it. This is probably the best part of the whole thing, and if you’re into smartphones that are thin, light, and premium-looking, you’ll love it.

Phones from a few years ago tried to be as thin as possible, so the design might feel old-fashioned. Also, the overall frame treatment (matte aluminum with glossy beveled edges) is a bit dated, but it looks good.

The back of the phone is plastic, but I’m not sure about that. It’s very pleasant to the touch, feels like paper, and makes a cool “whoosh” sound when you run your finger through it. that.

With a slightly curved back and a weight of 185g, it’s also a pleasure to hold. Another cool touch is the camera bump. It’s made from a solid block of aluminum, with one side slightly flush with the body.

The bezels around the display are a bit heavy, but at least they’re fairly uniform, and there’s a hole-punch selfie camera placed in the top center of the display (the silver ring looks nice in this case).The color variants are cloudy blue and ice. It comes in two colors, white, and both look stylish.

Nokia X30 5G Display

When you take the lead…

When you’re done with Shakespeare, why not throw in a random Mass Effect reference? It’s like Harbinger, which is

in what sense? Well, it’s a 90Hz refresh rate display, but you can’t choose 90Hz. It has two modes: standard (60Hz) and adaptive (automatically switches between 60 and 90Hz).

You also have little to no control over the color scheme. You can use the slider to make the display cooler or warmer, but that’s about it. There are no color presets or precise factory calibrated settings.

While the above may be taken for criticism (misunderstanding), the Nokia X30’s display is actually pretty decent. It’s also crisp with a 400+ PPI index.

The problem is that most mid-rangers from other popular brands offer more features (120Hz, color calibrated mode, and a more sophisticated always-on mode) for a lower price.

Display measurements:

It has a fingerprint scanner under the display and works fine most of the time. Not the fastest, but you already know my preference for side-mounted capacitive scanners.

Nokia X30 5G Camera

back to basics

On the back of the X30 5G is a dual camera system featuring the usual suspects (wide-ultrawide configuration). The main camera is his 50MP sensor under his 1.8 aperture lens with optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus.

The ultra-wide snapper is a 13MP, f/2.4 camera with a 16MP selfie camera on the front. Nokia proudly presents its Camera 2.0 software with the X30, with features like Night Mode 2.0, TriiPod Mode, Dark Vision and AI Portrait.

The main camera doesn’t classify itself as a flagship grade, but it does well in good lighting conditions. Range is narrow.

The ultrawide situation is a little worse, as the sensor doesn’t get the same amount of light and detail as what’s under the main camera lens. understand. Detail is lost in ultra-wide-angle shots.

It also has a night mode and is labeled with the 2.0 version. Nothing groundbreaking here. It uses frame stitching, HDR, and other tricks to brighten dark areas and vice versa, revealing details in the process.

As usual, your mileage will vary. Using a mode like this requires a steady hand and is highly dependent on the frame you are trying to shoot. It doesn’t look like it’s been done (some Far Eastern models are guilty).

Video is decent, and the limitation here comes from the platform itself, which tops out at 1080p @ 60fps. I think the camera is more capable and the end result would have been much nicer for him in 4K, but again, that’s the reality.

There’s a cinema mode similar to what Sony is doing with its CinemaPro app, but I’m afraid it won’t get much use since it doesn’t have 4K.

Portrait AI is one of the new features and it works really well. This is also an algorithm that blurs the background for a sweet bokeh effect. At the most extreme settings, the ear tips were blurry, but overall, it got the job done.

Nokia X30 5G performance and benchmarks

measure for measure

The Nokia X30 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset and is one of the most affordable silicon with the 5G moniker. We weren’t impressed with the platform when we made the Xperia 10 IV, and the same is true here. The silver lining is that the phone works.It runs smoothly most of the time, but there are slight lags and stutters for the most demanding tasks. It doesn’t generate excessive heat and won’t warm your hands with it in the coming winter.

Performance benchmarks:

As for storage, the Nokia X30 comes with 128 GB of onboard space and 6 GB of RAM in the base version, and there is also a 256 GB model. No SD card slot.

Nokia X30 5G OS/Android version

keep clean

This phone can run Android 12 almost out of the box. This is a big plus. There are bloatware pinches (depending on whether GoPro Quik or ExpressVPN helps), but most importantly the software support cycle.

Nokia promises a three-year warranty, OS upgrades, and monthly security updates. This is good news for the model’s longevity and is another reason for its high price.

Other than that, there isn’t much to report on the software aspect. It’s clean, works flawlessly, and will last at least 3 years as is. What do you not like?

Nokia X30 5G Battery

In the middle

The Nokia X30 has a battery capacity of just 4,200mAh. This one is right in the middle – not up to other battery life champions, but also no slouch. The results paint the same picture – battery life is nothing to write home about.

PhoneArena battery test results:

In fact, you can easily get a full day of use thanks to the Snapdragon 695 and AMOLED screen. If you’re modest in your gaming effort, you can probably stretch it out to two full days (which is likely, given the similarly modest processor).
There is no charger in the box, but the Nokia X30 supports fast charging with power up to 33W. It takes about 90 minutes to fully charge with a typical 30W fast charger.

Nokia X30 5G Competitor

Stand in line. There are many options in this price range (around $540). first, Galaxy A53 is an excellent choice. Not only is it cheaper, but it also offers a larger, brighter 120Hz AMOLED display. With the same chipset but a larger battery, the Sony Xperia 10 IV lasts longer and costs less than the Nokia.

It’s hard to compare both phones, but again, Apple devices are cheaper. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G could enter flagship territory, offering more features for less (pixel 6, pixel 7, Xiaomi 12) just add another $50. With so many options for the Nokia X30 5G, I struggled.

Nokia X30 5G Summary and Final Judgment

It’s time to wrap up! The Nokia X30 5G is a very nice looking mid-ranger. It’s also slim, light and compact, and promises three years of major software and security updates.

Sadly, it’s still mid-range, hampered by a mediocre chipset (the lack of 4K recording hurts) and weighed down by the hefty price tag, too. The display tops out at 90Hz (if you decide ), there is little to no reason for people to choose Nokia when there are so many great options in this price range.