Nokia G60 5G Review: a breath of fresh innovation

You will agree that purchasing a new smartphone can be burdensome, especially when you are not the tech type. For many, factors like durability and battery life can be their worst nightmare because, let’s face it, nobody wants to buy a ‘problem’.

Well, this is where the Nokia G60 comes in handy.

Although smartphones just became a thing in the last decade for many economies, phone brands like Motorola, Nokia, and even BlackBerry have established markets for many to reckon with before now, mainly because of their durability and longevity.

In the past, owning a Nokia product was as elite as holding an Apple product today. Nokia was the go-to brand for durability. For instance, the ‘giant’ Nokia 3310 was one device that represented the brand in that manner.

In fact, Nokia made some of the best camera phones, too, and was the leading phone brand on the planet for a period of 10 years.

But then, it seems like they fell off since HMD Global started churning out Android-powered Nokia phones. Notwithstanding, Nokia’s name still carries a certain weight with buyers, especially in Europe.

In this review, we look at what HMD Global is offering differently with the Nokia G60, which abandons their previously released models with under-powered processors – Snapdragon 480 5G – such that when you place those models beside competitors from other brands, it felt like poor value for money.

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The Nokia G60 – Quick look

This is Nokia’s latest budget-friendly android smartphone. It’s a mid-range device, so it’s cheaper than the high-end X30. This device is going for about $389, which is about N220k. Here are its specs:

• Body: 166.0×75.9×8.6mm, 190g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back; Splash resistant.
• Display: 6.58″ IPS LCD, 120Hz, 400 nits (typ), 1080x2408px resolution, 20.07:9 aspect ratio, 401ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.5″, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2, 1/5″; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4500mAh; 20W wired, PD3.0.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; 3.5mm jack.

In the box

The box comes with the device itself. A sim ejector pin, USB C charging cable, an adapter, and instruction manuals.

• Nokia G60 5G phone
• SIM ejector tool
• USB-C cable
• 20W power brick/adapter
• Paper documentation

Design

The Nokia G60 5G is made of a polycarbonate rear and frame made from 60% recycled plastic, which means that Nokia can reuse or recycle it once you decide to upgrade. Despite this, Nokia has avoided making it feel cheap. I think nature lovers would like this.

There’s no unwanted flex to the back panel, where you’ll find the main cameras. The primary wide camera has a 50MP sensor and an f/1.8 lens, while the 5MP ultrawide unit has an f/2.2 lens and fixed focus. There’s a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor and an LED flash. The frame feels firm, and at 190g, it has some heft, too.

Its front feel boasts a 6.58-inch 1080p IPS screen with an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz, which means that it will go to the maximum 120Hz when you engage with the screen and return to 60Hz when you are not.

The 390 nits of brightness on display are enough, yet not blinding. The panel’s brightness is increased by an additional boost in Auto mode, reaching 440 nits in direct sunlight. The 8MP selfie camera is housed in a waterdrop notch, surrounded by Gorilla Glass 5 and has a slightly thicker bottom bezel.

A power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner is next to a two-stage volume button on the right. On the phone’s left side is a hybrid dual SIM and microSD card slot that allows you to use two cards simultaneously.

On top of the G60 is a secondary microphone, while on the bottom is the G60’s sole speaker and USB-C connector.

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Software

Given the promise of three years of security upgrades, the Nokia G60’s use of Android 12 with a now-outdated August security patch is not very remarkable. For those unaware, HMD’s “3-3-3” pledge for the Nokia smartphone line-up refers to three years of OS upgrades, security patches, and warranties.

But then, it fulfils one end of the promise. Nokia backs it with up to 3 more Android version updates. So if you get this device, you are suitable for Android 13, 14, and 15. It also has 5G support, allowing you to surf the internet at a blistering speed.

The Nokia G60 packs a Snapdragon 695 chipset with 6GB of RAM. The device runs well with little to no hiccups and slowdown. The UI and overall appearance are close to stock Android.

G60 5G comes with stock android, so you have pre-loaded apps like the Google suite and others like Netflix.

Camera

This device has a rear camera set up with a wide (main) 50 MP camera sensor, an ultra-wide angle sensor of 5 MP, and a depth sensor of 2 MP (for your portrait shots). It doesn’t come with optical image stabilization, but you can get decent shots for the price range with the device.

The images I got offer full details and nice contrast. This is quite good compared to some of its competitors. Also, the night mode helps it deal with the struggle of shooting in the dark, but it’s not bad.

In video mode, you can only shoot 1080p at about 30 to 60 fps, which is decent as long as you shoot in good lighting. You won’t be able to get a 4K video out of it.

The selfie camera comes with 8 MP, f/2.0. It does very well and takes excellent pictures outdoors with good lighting. However, indoor and night shots might look soft and grainy. Not forgetting the Tripod Mode, which will detect if the phone’s on a stable surface and let the Night Mode run a bit longer for a brighter exposure.

Battery life

The Nokia G60 comes with a respectable 4,500mAh battery. Even when some of its rivals have about 5,000mAh batteries, we do not think there is any need to worry about the G60. We can confirm you would get a full day of use on the device, including about 6-8 hrs of mixed-use, streaming, gaming, media duties, and even web surfing.

Wrap-up

There you go! Putting it all together, we can say that the Nokia G60 is a pretty decent smartphone, and it won’t cause its eventual owners many problems.

To the moment and question you’ve been anticipating an answer for: Is it worth its original price of €350, about N220k?

Compared to its competitors, like Samsung, Redmi, and Oppo and their performances, it doesn’t perform poorly. It’s a decent buy for a mid-range device, as it packs the necessities.

So depends on what you are looking for. If you value longevity and performance over the best camera or screen, you should consider it.

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