Nokia G50 Unboxing & Review; Everything You Need To Know Before-During-After Purchasing It

 Nokia G50 Unboxing & Review; Everything You Need To Know Before-During-After Purchasing It

Nokia G50 review: Buy for the battery and software program, now no longer 5G

By John Gembi Nyamekye

The Nokia G50 in blue.

Nokia G50

MSRP $three hundred.00

Score Details

DT Recommended Product

“The Nokia G50's 5G connection isn't always a purpose to shop for, it is only a respectable gain for the future. Instead, the battery lifestyles and software program make it really well worth in search of out.”

Pros

Long battery lifestyles

Strong construct first-rate

Fuss-free, dependable software program

Guaranteed software program updates

5G for the future

Cons

60Hz refresh price display screen

Low-decision display screen

Big and heavy

$three hundred FROM NOKIA

The $three hundred Nokia G50 may also get headlines for consisting of 5G for its $three hundred charge, however irrespective of what the cellular enterprise desires you to assume, it’s now no longer certainly a purpose to shop for this telecellsmartphone, or some other on the moment. Instead, you need to nonetheless be searching in any respect the same old suspects — software program, battery, display screen, and digital digicam — earlier than creating a decision.

With the G50 in my each day use for extra than per week now, I’ve observed it wins in  out of these 4 categories, because of this that 5G is sufficient to tip it over the brink to come to be a encouraged purchase. But you continue to want to be very privy to its one main downside.

Design

The Nokia G50 is a completely large telecellsmartphone. The 6.82-inch display screen is massive, the frame is sort of 9mm thick and 174mm tall (the Galaxy S21 Ultra is 10mm shorter, for comparison), and it weighs 220 grams. It will hassle small wallet, however in no way wander away in a bag. There is truely not anything diffused approximately it in any respect, and it's far totally wrong to be used with one hand.

Nokia G50 visible from the lower back.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The rear panel is crafted from plastic and is reasonably grippy. On the proper-hand facet is a fingerprint sensor withinside the electricity key, and at the left is a Google Assistant button. It’s in precisely the proper vicinity to press all of the time, and is a hateful addition as it can’t be remapped to some thing extra human beings may also locate helpful. You can deactivate it totally, however this manner it simply looks like a wasted opportunity.

Around the lower back, the layout is enterprise as normal for Nokia with a round digital digicam module, easy branding, and an Ocean Blue color, that's some other in a line of Nokia colorations stimulated with the aid of using the Nordic environment. It catches the mild in an appealing style and doesn’t get included in fingerprints. On the pinnacle of the telecellsmartphone is a 3.5mm headphone jack, and charging at the alternative quit is finished the use of a USB Type-C connector.

Nokia G50 fingerprint sensor.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

For the beyond week, the G50 has been inside and out of wallet and bags, kind of thrown withinside the door pocket of my car, and normally now no longer handled with youngster gloves. There’s some thing approximately the full-size body and large length that encourages this form of remedy, and the coolest component is the G50 seems similar to it did whilst it got here out of the box. It’s now no longer a rugged telecellsmartphone, however there’s a wonderful durability right here, and even as the layout makes it difficult to inform it aside from many different current Nokia telephones, it’s nonetheless appealing in a easy manner.

Screen

Oh dear, the display screen is in which the G50 certainly loses points. It’s 6.82-inches in length, that's large, however the 1560 x 720-pixel decision is genuinely now no longer. It’s an IPS LCD panel, so there’s no always-on show available, there are a few severe bezels round it, the 450 nits most brightness is most effective pretty much desirable, however worst of all is it’s a 60Hz refresh price panel.

Nokia G50 display screen.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Whether it’s the low decision matched with the massive length, or that my eyes are very used to a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh price display screen, however scrolling at the G50 is regularly an ugly, fuzzy mess. The G50 might be used to promote telephones with better refresh price displays, due to the fact the distinction among them is so marked, even the maximum ardent “I don’t recognize the fuss” denier will speedy be satisfied 90Hz or better is the most effective manner to cross.

Almost as awful is the dimwitted automated brightness, that's a ways too gradual to react in sunny out of doors conditions, and it’s regularly quicker to surely alter the brightness manually. It’ll want to be at max brightness to be visible anyway. Does this suggest it’s a catastrophe for video? No, it’s now no longer that awful. Viewing angles are desirable however you speedy lose a number of the color, which, whilst regarded instantly on, are brilliant and pretty. It’s all a ways higher than you’d count on. I may even stay with the clean and loud unmarried speaker on the lowest of the telecellsmartphone.

However, the bushy blur from the 60Hz refresh price is harsh for your eyes, makes the entirety from Twitter to Google Discover ugly to apply, and with the aid of using a ways the worst a part of the Nokia G50’s display screen. It’s unfortunate, as otherwise, it’s respectable for a telecellsmartphone at this charge.

Performance

Nokia’s pushing the G50 as an less expensive 5G telecellsmartphone, and positive sufficient, I obtained a 5G signal, added right here with the aid of using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor and its related modem. You’ll get Sub6 5G, however now no longer mmWave. While 5G is first-class to have, it’s now no longer critical for ordinary use yet, and I’d as an alternative have a better refresh price display screen for example.

Gaming at the Nokia G50.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Snapdragon 480 is a respectable performer, however it’s in no way what you’d name certainly speedy. Apps open and displays switch at a sedate-however-in no way-irritating pace, you could play Asphalt 9: Legends however it in no way feels blisteringly, side-of-your-seat short, simply desirable. The G50 has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of garage space, and the coolest information is there’s a microSD card slot to feature as much as 512GB to this total. The name first-rate is certainly desirable, and I had no issues with community, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth connections.

Camera

It’s popular fare withinside the round module at the lower back of the G50, with a 48-megapixel fundamental digital digicam, a 5MP wide-attitude digital digicam, and a 2MP intensity digital digicam. The outcomes are regular with comparable digital digicam setups observed on different telephones too, with the principle digital digicam generating pretty, colorful, and shareable (with a chunk of editing) pictures. I like it.

Nokia G50 digital digicam module.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The wide-attitude is much less a hit. It takes photographs which might be too darkish, and element receives misplaced in shadow mainly on overcast days. I wouldn’t pick to apply it in conditions in which I care approximately the outcomes. The intensity digital digicam assists with portrait shots, that have desirable side reputation however additionally be afflicted by issues in low mild. There are diverse portrait selfie modes that upload an uncommon historical past in your shots, however they aren’t very a hit because of a very synthetic look.

Wide-attitude

If the 48MP/5MP/2MP digital digicam aggregate didn’t provide it away already, the Nokia G50’s digital digicam doesn’t stick out from the competition, however does the activity supplied you don’t count on an excessive amount of out of doors of the principle digital digicam.

Software and battery

The Nokia G50 has Android eleven set up with none unique interface over the pinnacle, which means it’s similar to a Google Pixel’s software program experience, and all of the higher for it. The Snapdragon 480 chip is gutsy sufficient that the software program in no way feels ponderous, it runs all of the apps I set up, obtained notifications with out issue, and has been a trusty accomplice all through my time with the telecellsmartphone.

Charging the Nokia G50.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Friendly software program like that set up at the G50 makes a large distinction to possession. The telecellsmartphone won't have flagship hardware, however the software program is higher than a few different telephones that do have extra enviable specs. It’s logical and smooth to apply proper from the start, and a excessive factor of the G50.

It’s the equal with the battery. The 5,000mAh mobileular withinside the G50 genuinely contributes to the telecellsmartphone’s length and weight, however due to the fact the telecellsmartphone lasts for 2 to 3 days with out a recharge, it possibly won’t rely to everyone. If battery sturdiness is what you want, the G50 is really well worth it. It sips electricity whilst on standby too. When the telecellsmartphone wasn’t used a lot out of doors of messages and some photographs, it slightly used 20% of its electricity although it swapped among 4G and 5G connections for the duration of the day.

If battery sturdiness is what you want, the G50 is really well worth it

Sadly it doesn’t have very speedy charging — 18W short fee most effective and no wi-fi charging — and it takes at the least an hour and forty five mins to recharge.

Price and availability

The Nokia G50 may be bought via Nokia’s very own on line keep withinside the U.S. for $three hundred, or withinside the U.K. for 2 hundred British kilos.

Our take

The cellular enterprise desires you to assume 5G is a purpose to shop for a smartphone, however it’s now no longer. At least, it’s now no longer yet. It’s higher to think about it as a characteristic which can assist you maintain preserve of the telecellsmartphone for longer, and as an alternative have a take a observe capabilities that beautify possession on a each day foundation now, inclusive of the display screen and the digital digicam whilst deciding on a brand new telecellsmartphone. The G50 doesn’t excel in both area, however gives good enough capacity for the charge, and wins with its exquisite software program and lengthy battery lifestyles.

Is there a higher alternative?

In the U.S. you may check the Moto G Stylus (2021) or the Moto G Power (2021) which value among $250 and $three hundred, the OnePlus Nord N200 5G which has a 90Hz display screen, or the $280 Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. However, in case you spend $four hundred you may get the Google Pixel 5a with its extremely good digital digicam or even higher software program, or the presently decreased OnePlus eight with its Snapdragon 865 chip and 90Hz display screen.

Don’t confuse the G50 with the lately introduced Nokia G300, for you to be launched via the Tracfone and Straight Talk networks. It’s simply $2 hundred, however has a smaller display screen and a lower-spec digital digicam.

In the U.K. the Realme eight 5G offers you a 90Hz display screen, a large battery, and a great digital digicam for the equal charge because the Nokia G50, as does the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G. If you could stretch your finances to three hundred kilos the OnePlus Nord 2 CE 5G is right value, or for four hundred kilos, get the OnePlus Nord 2 5G or the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G.

How lengthy will it remaining?

There’s desirable information at the software program because it will get hold of main model updates for 2 years, and protection updates for 3 years. While 5G isn’t a purpose to shop for the G50 on its very own, its presence may also make a distinction over the path of possession because the community will become extra handy and useful. The G50 doesn’t value a lot money, however will realistically offer 3 years of use.

It does now no longer have a water resistance rating, and it’s now no longer a rugged telecellsmartphone with the aid of using layout. A case could be a great idea, even though the telecellsmartphone does experience like it’ll take a bit little bit of harsh remedy on its very own.

Should you purchase it?

Yes, the software program, battery lifestyles, and construct first-rate, in conjunction with a respectable-however-primary digital digicam, are the motives to shop for. The 5G will simply assist it remaining you longer.

Nokia G50

$three hundred FROM NOKIA

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