With a focus on sustainability, the Nokia X30 5G built with recycled plastic and aluminum which was launched in late 2022, is the latest flagship smartphone from the Finnish company. The device is part of the Android One program, ensuring consistent software updates. In this article, we’ll review how the Nokia X30 5G be in the running from its competitors.
Alongside this article, you can have a closer look at our Nokia X30 5G and what it offers on our YouTube video review. You can watch it here:
Table of Contents
Nokia X30 5G Specification
| OS: | Android 12 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G |
| Display: | 6.43-inch 90Hz AMOLED display |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi, GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Memory: | 8GB + 256GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C, OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera Main – 50MP, f/1.9 Ultrawide – 13MP, f/2.4 Front Camera 16MP, f/2.4 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-Sim) |
| Battery: | 4200 mAh, 33W Wired Charging |
| SRP: | Php 27,990 |
The Unboxing
Inspired by having an eco-friendly mindset, the box that we got for Nokia X30 5G is made of recyclable cardboard. In front of the box, beside the model name and line art of the phone, we can see how they gave emphasis that they built it to last and how it was crafted.
Upon opening the box, it comes with the Nokia X30 5G, the information about the product written on a cardboard, a Type C to Type C USB cable, a SIM ejector pin, more additional papers about the product and safety info, and a starter guide. The way I see it, it is ironic that we got a lot of paper included in the box despite that we are actually expecting this product to be eco-friendly even so that the papers are made from recyclable materials.
The Design
Nokia is marketing its Nokia X30 5G as a sustainable smartphone due to the material it used upon building it. The back cover is made from 65% recycled plastic and its frame is 100% recycled aluminum. It is great to see that companies like Nokia are doing something with our planet’s resources.
At first glance, the looks of this smartphone gave us a business-type appeal. The back plate has a minimalist design with only its Nokia logo. It is made of plastic with a smooth finish and is not a fingerprint magnet. Additionally, it feels premium in actual touch as they do not cheap out the feel of the plastic they used. The frame that holds the phone is made of aluminum and it makes the phone have a sense of strong built when held in the hands. It has an IP rating and is rated IP67 dust and water-resistant.
The rear camera area is protruding from the back plate and houses 2 cameras and a flash LED. The smartphone is wobbly if you lay it flat on a surface.
What you will find on the right side of the smartphone are the power button and volume rocker. At the bottom are the SIM tray area where you can insert your two nano SIM cards, the microphone hole, USB type-C port, and the speaker grills.
The Display and Speaker
The Nokia X30 5G has a 6.43-inch display that is a 90Hz AMOLED display and has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. Its typical brightness is rated at 450 nits and can peak at 700 nits. The side bezels are located on the thicker part and also on its bottom chin. Nevertheless, it still uses a 90Hz AMOLED display that is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
The viewing experience is great from any angle, with accurate color reproduction, deep blacks, and sharp images. It’s also easy to see what is on the screen even in bright sunlight.
Sadly, it uses a down-firing speaker which is a letdown for its price point. Many smartphones in this price range are already using stereo speakers. But even if that is the case, the quality is loud and clear.
The Performance
Some people might find it odd as the Nokia X30 5G is using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G which can be found in smartphones that are under Php 20k. This is a compromise that Nokia took but regardless of it, this is still a good chipset for most people. It is paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage which is a UFS 2.2.
Here are some benchmarks we ran with the Nokia X30 5G:
Out of the box, it is running Android 12 and is quite a stock Android experience of what we got served. Nokia is guaranteeing us that it will have up to 3 OS upgrades and 3 years of monthly security updates which is good to know also being under the Android One program. So, with this, we can expect that we will receive the latest Android 13 anytime soon.
Using the smartphone is quick and snappy. We didn’t encounter any issues while using it for standard stuffs like using social media, chatting, and watching online content. However, if you are searching to play highly demanding graphic games like Genshin Impact or similar to its quality, it can run at a decent frame rate but expect that you will run at low graphic settings.
The security features that the Nokia X30 5G has are fingerprint and face unlock. The fingerprint reader is under the display which is common to see at its price point. It is slow but it does the job. If you want a faster one, you can use the face unlock which performs fast and snappy.
The Camera
The Nokia X30 5G has only two cameras on its rear. The main camera is 50MP f/1.9 with optical image stabilization and the ultrawide camera is 13MP f/2.4. The rear cameras are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass with DX+ which means it is scratch resistant and also has anti-reflective optics for better photos or videos. Also, the front camera is 16MP f/2.4.
The photos we got from the Nokia X30 5G rear camera overall are good. In a well-lit environment, we are able to have great images that are vibrant in colors, sharp in details, and has a decent dynamic range. In low light, it is better to use the Night Mode of the camera app as it improves contrast, sharpness, and saturation. The results that we got with Night Mode in a low-light environment are pretty impressive as it produces vivid colors, sharp details and the image is not blown out when there are bright lights.
However, the ultrawide camera is not the same level as the main camera as we expected. It is alright that is able to capture pictures that are well-detailed and have decent color reproduction in a well-lit area. But when taken in a low light area it performs badly as expected.
The selfies we have taken from the front camera are also good as it produced natural-looking colors and sharp details. It also has a filter feature that produces alright-quality images.
Unfortunately, the video quality that we can capture and record from the Nokia X30 5G is only up to 1080p at 60fps. It is the limitation that the Snapdragon 695 5G has of not being able to support 4k videos. But either ways, the quality of our videos are good and have software image stabilization that enables our video footage not to be shaky.
The Battery
The Nokia X30 5G is equipped with a 4,200 mAh battery that is able to last a full day of general use. During our PCMark Battery test, we got a result of 12 hours and 15 minutes at 50% brightness, which is a decent result.
The phone supports 33W fast charging but we were not able to test its maximum charging speed as it was not provided in the box. However, we have other smartphones that support 33W charging and they were able to charge from 5% to 100% in just over an hour.
Nokia X30 5G Verdict
The Nokia X30 5G may not have the specs that immediately catches the eye, but this phone should not be overlooked. It boasts a great design, robust build quality, impressive cameras, and decently long OS support. Additionally, it is crafted with eco-friendly inspiration, which maybe very appealing to certain consumers.
Overall, the Nokia X30 5G is a solid choice for many users. However, if you’re looking for a smartphone that is specifically designed for gaming or high-performance needs, then this may not be the best fit for you.
The Nokia X30 5G is priced at Php 27,990 and it is available at Lazada and Shopee.
