Nokia X30 Review: Eco-Friendly Battery King

After being acquired by the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer HMD Global, Nokia didn’t release any new phones in the premium price category in India in the past three to four years.

But things have finally changed, as the company has finally launched the Nokia X30 5G in this price category, focusing on Eco-friendly construction, excellent low-light photography, and long battery life. But does the Nokia X30 5G succeeds in all those departments? Let us find out.

Nokia X30 5G: Display and Build Quality

First of all, the grip and feel of the Nokia X30 are fantastic. With a weight of 185 grams, it’s also quite light. Unlike most modern smartphones, it exudes a zen-like calmness and fits easily in most hands with its aluminum frame. As a result, the smartphone feels like a high-quality product made with premium components.

We received the Ice White color variant, which is certainly not particularly eye-catching. Nevertheless, the phone is excellently manufactured. A dual SIM card slot, a USB Type-C port and the speakers are on the bottom, while the power button and volume keys are on the right. The back is made of recycled plastic and Gorilla Glass Victus protects the 6.43-inch Full HD + AMOLED display, which has a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz. In our tests, it survived all minor drops, and we haven’t seen any notable scratches so far.

The phone can also be used for most outdoor activities as it is IP67 dust and water resistant, meaning you can even use it up to 1 meter under water. The rear camera case is also quite simple, with the two rear cameras oriented vertically. However, the phone comes without a case or screen protector in the box to stay true to the eco-friendly motto.

Nokia X30 5G: Performance and Battery Life

The Snapdragon 695 chipset powers the Nokia X30 5G and handles almost all daily tasks efficiently. This 5G-capable mid-range chipset can handle browsing, messaging, multiple apps, and even light gaming without much trouble. But unfortunately, the X30’s processing power is not the same as some other smartphones in its price range.

When playing intensively, the smartphone stutters a lot. We frequently observed frame dropouts in graphically demanding games like PUBG: New State and Asphalt 9. The Nokia X30 has a single working and storage option with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.0 storage. However, the storage is not expandable like in many other smartphones on the market.

But to our surprise, the battery life and longevity of the Nokia X30 impressed us. The phone has a 4200 mAh battery, and combined with the efficiency of the Snapdragon 695 and stock Android ROM, the phone easily lasts over two days with moderate use. Even when we played games, used the 5G network constantly, and made several calls outdoors, the phone easily lasted a full day with almost 30% battery remaining. In total, you can expect more than 9 hours of screen on time from the Nokia X30 5G.

With all the inaugural offers, Nokia is currently providing the 33W charger USB PD Type C when you purchase the smartphone from official retailers at no additional cost. The 33-W charger also charges the smartphone within 90 minutes, which is not the fastest time according to the latest industry standards, but it is still acceptable. Overall, we are very satisfied with the smartphone’s battery life, and Nokia has undoubtedly fulfilled its promise of a 2-day battery life.

Nokia X30 5G: Software and Connectivity

The Nokia X30 5G comes with a clean stock Android with very few third-party apps preinstalled. All third-party apps can also be easily uninstalled. Since Nokia also promises a clean experience, we didn’t see any ads or multiple customization features on the smartphone.

But Nokia has implemented the “Always on Display” feature very cleverly, and it works well with various planning modes or “Tap to View.” The only major drawback of the OS is that it still ships with Android 12. However, Nokia should soon release the update to Android 13, which promises Android updates for up to three years.

As for network quality and call reception, we had a consistent 5G connection outdoors with a connection speed of more than 500 Mbps with a Jio SIM. Note, however, that the phone feels warm on the back when using a 5G connection for extended periods of time. However, the earpiece is loud and clear when answering calls, and the proximity sensor works without any issues. Overall, it’s a reliable smartphone for everyday calls and web browsing.

Nokia X30 5G: Camera

The X30 has two rear cameras that take great shots with enough detail in daylight. The main camera’s 50MP sensor is equipped with OIS, which is very helpful when shooting blur-free videos and low-light shots. Furthermore, Nokia’s PureView camera can capture vivid images with many fine details in ideal lighting conditions.

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In low-light conditions, the Nokia X30 could really shine. It could even take detailed pictures with little noise at dusk or at night. In normal photo mode, the phone processes photos in about 2-3 seconds between shots. In night mode, the wait is significantly longer, but the results are impressive.

When using the 13 MP Ultrawide sensor, we see some loss of detail and color shift. Nevertheless, it can capture a wider field of view in daylight or good lighting conditions. The 16 MP front-facing camera delivers impressive selfie shots and improves the quality of the photos. When lighting conditions worsen, you can switch to night selfie mode for better-looking, typically well-lit images. An AI Portrait option offers further improvement with respectable edge detection.

Nokia X30 5G Review: Verdict

Regular operating system and security updates are promised for the Nokia X30 5G for three years. The user interface is light and generally snappy, with all the essential features you would find on a Pixel smartphone. You can also expect excellent battery life with this smartphone, as the phone lasts almost a day and a half with intensive use.

But the Nokia X30 5G smartphone is typically offered for Rs 48,999. For a mid-range smartphone, that’s definitely on the higher side. Even for Nokia connoisseurs, the Nokia X30 5G isn’t an automatic choice, as phones in the same price range, like the OnePlus 11R or iQOO 10T, offer better camera performance and processing power.

But as of publishing this review, Nokia X30 is being offered for Rs 36,999 on Amazon as part of the Blockbuster Value Day sale, which makes it an attractive buy at that price.

In summary, we recommend buying this phone if you are an Android One enthusiast and find it okay to spend more money on a minimalist phone that has a sturdy build, great battery life, and an almost stock Android experience without bloatware and UI bugs.

Buy Nokia X30 5G