Nokia model licensee HMD International has kicked off its 2021 innings in India with two telephones, the Nokia 5.4 and the Nokia 3.4. The previous is the massive brother right here. It has largely higher specs than what you get on Nokia 3.4, and additionally it is the subsequent improve over final 12 months’s Nokia 5.3. Now, Nokia 5.3 was a fairly first rate cellphone for its value, which was Rs 13,999. And apparently, the brand new Nokia 5.4 prices the identical, in what may very well be HMD’s try in making the cellphone extra interesting than it already is.
To chop an extended story brief, Nokia 5.4 is a gorgeous HMD cellphone with few gems in its crown, and it’ll leverage them in combating off rivals. And HMD desires you to purchase the Nokia 5.4 due to some stable arguments that go in favour. There may be profitable pricing of Rs 13,999, the promise of normal and quick Android updates, a very good mixture of cameras and battery, a giant show, and, lastly, Nokia’s belief. Is the Nokia 5.4 price your cash? Discover out the reply on this evaluate.
Nokia 5.4 evaluate: Attractiveness and brilliant show
I like Nokia telephones and have at all times favored them. That is due to how stunning these telephones look. I’m not factoring specs in right here. Nokia 5.4 is available in Polar Evening — which is the topic of this evaluate — and Nightfall colors. There’s a shiny paint job on this variant with patterns everywhere in the polycarbonate physique. There isn’t any means this cellphone appears like it’s price simply Rs 14K, and that is maybe probably the greatest issues about Nokia 5.4. However thoughts you, this end will entice fingerprints. The cellphone’s grip is nice, and the cellphone can be straightforward to carry for a very long time, due to its 181-gram weight.
On the again, there’s the Nokia branding embossed vertically. Above it’s the fingerprint sensor, the elevated ring includes rear cameras whereas the LED flash is positioned on the left aspect of it. That’s it. The remainder of the again is clear and handsome. The fingerprint sensor works wonderful and may deliver the notification drawer down with a downward swipe. However I discovered myself by accident swiping down on the sensor many occasions, solely to get pestered by the notification panel in the midst of my work. I’m nitpicking right here. Anyway, the quantity rocker, energy button, and the Google Assistant button are simply accessible and provides tactile suggestions. And I’m glad to let you know there’s a 3.5mm audio jack obtainable on the Nokia 5.4.
The Nokia 5.4 has a 6.39-inch LCD with a punch-hole cutout on the highest left nook. This 720p display screen doesn’t present high-quality content material, which suggests the movies on YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime Video max out at 720p decision. A excessive refresh fee of 90Hz can be absent.
I really feel there ought to have been a 1080p show on the Nokia 5.4. Firstly, as a result of Nokia 5.4 is logically an improve over final 12 months’s Nokia 5.3, it additionally had a 720p display screen. And secondly, manufacturers equivalent to Realme are giving 1080p screens with 90Hz refresh fee on telephones for much less value. This isn’t solely dangerous as a result of when utilizing the show, the textual content appears adequately crisp whereas video-viewing can be satisfying. The show can be fairly vibrant and will get brilliant sufficient to make the textual content readable beneath direct daylight. The brightness additionally helps in unlocking the cellphone by means of facial scanning, which though labored wonderful for me in my utilization, I by no means relied on it a lot and went for the bodily fingerprint sensor.
Nokia 5.4 evaluate: First rate efficiency however good battery life
To remind you, HMD has at all times emphasised that its telephones usually are not about specs. To some extent, it is a legitimate level. Except the software program is nice, the {hardware} can solely accomplish that a lot. And telephones within the sub Rs 15,000 section don’t want a specification overkill. As an illustration, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor that powers the Nokia 5.4 works effectively. It’s a seasoned processor that has been used inside dozens of telephones, a few of which I’ve reviewed previously. Primarily based on my expertise, I can say HMD’s alternative of processor will not be dangerous. Multitasking, picture processing, and sure different issues are dealt with effectively by this chipset. Calling on the cellphone is ok whereas audio system are common sounding.
Coming to gaming on the Nokia 5.4, I used to be not too formidable concerning the chipset, and I used to be confirmed proper. I performed Name of Obligation Cell and Shadow Warfare Video games with graphics set to highest. There have been occasional lags within the sport however not very intense, so my gameplay was not severely impacted. I additionally observed some body drops when taking part in Asphalt 9: Legends on the Nokia 5.4. To make gaming higher, I dialled down the graphics by one degree, and the outcomes had been consistent with my expectations. I might say that Nokia 5.4 is completely able to dealing with video games equivalent to Garena Free Hearth and Name of Obligation, however you’ll not have the most effective expertise of taking part in them on this cellphone.
Notably, the Nokia 5.4 doesn’t deliver vital efficiency enhancements over the Nokia 5.3 launched final 12 months. The Nokia 5.3 is powered by a Snapdragon 665 processor that’s on par with the Snapdragon 662 chipset, aside from its barely increased obtain speeds.
{Hardware} is one factor however allow us to discuss concerning the software program now. The Nokia 5.4 is definitely probably the greatest telephones when it comes to the consumer interface, due to pure Android software program. There isn’t any bloatware on the cellphone, and whereas there are some preloaded Google and Nokia apps, they are often uninstalled in case you need. Having a near-stock Android software program on the Nokia 5.4 means, you additionally do not need these nifty methods, equivalent to three-finger screenshot. People who find themselves used to those options might not like utilizing inventory Android however take my phrase, it’s well worth the compromise due to promised software program upgrades for 2 years and safety updates for 3 years, which you will not get with customized skins.
Nokia 5.4 lasts lengthy. The cellphone has a non-removable 4000mAh battery inside. Below regular utilization, the Nokia 5.4 lasted for greater than a day. This utilization consisted of watching a Netflix film for about 2 hours, clicking some images often within the day, taking part in Warfare Video games for about 45 minutes, and utilizing the web, chat apps. That is all good however the dangerous half now.
The Nokia 5.4 helps solely 10W charging, which, not at all, belongs to the present requirements of battery charging applied sciences. You might have no less than 18W quick charging on telephones round Rs 10,000, with Realme Narzo 20 Professional providing the 65W quick charging know-how for Rs 1,000 extra solely. Nokia informed me that they needed to stability the specs and the value, which is why 10W is what they went for. I’m not certain how that argument matches right here, however I can provide HMD the advantage of the doubt, contemplating Nokia’s cellphone enterprise will not be as lustrous as Realme’s.
Nokia 5.4 evaluate: Good cameras
The Nokia 5.4 comes with 4 cameras on the again: a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 5-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. When it comes to what has been upgraded from the Nokia 5.3, solely the first sensor stands out and never simply in principle. The 48-megapixel digicam clicks good images. I used to be impressed by the tendency of the first sensor to retain pure colors in images. For instance, the pile of gravel reveals the true gray color that they’ve whereas the sunset orange color of the pot marigold appears spectacular.
And whereas I’m praising the cameras, a few of you could discover the images boring. That’s since you are used to seeing oversaturated images with loads of heat, clicked by telephones from Samsung, Realme, and Redmi, no less than, on this section. There may be nothing improper with that as a result of these images are additionally good. Pure tones enable for a better degree of enhancing since there’s pure color as a substitute of an enhanced one.
The first digicam helps 2X optical zoom, 5X hybrid zoom, and 8X digital zoom. The digital zoom is of no use. You higher click on a photograph within the 48MP decision mode and crop the world you need as the image. And this 48MP mode clicks good particulars. For the zoom high quality, test the photograph of the Indian chameleon taking its candy time on prime of a stick. This was shot utilizing a 5X zoom, and the readability pleases me. The night time mode images are, nonetheless, not that good. There may be a number of noise in them, however, sure, they do the job of brightening the scene adequately. And the portrait mode is common, each on the entrance and the rear digicam.
And speaking particularly concerning the 16MP entrance digicam, the outcomes are beneath common. In correct gentle, the selfies look first rate, although they don’t retain many particulars. The dynamic vary can be not superb. I might say these selfies will want some edits earlier than they change into good to go on Instagram.
HMD is touting the brand new Cinema mode on the Nokia 5.4, which helps you to shoot 21:9 movies. The factor about these movies is that this ratio is supposed for big cinema corridor screens and HMD is pitching you Nokia 5.4’s capability to shoot them.
After I switched to the Cinema Mode, the on-screen information helped me perceive how this characteristic works, which is a pleasant contact as a result of it is a professional characteristic, and everybody may not perceive how you can use it. The H-Log (Hybrid Log-Gamma) permits you to seize a wider dynamic vary within the SDR mode. The movies look washed out when this setting is in use however utilizing H-Log Help brings some aid. The result has a very good dynamic vary, however you’ll be able to color grade these movies from Google Images utilizing the Cinema Editor instrument. The OZO assist for audio capturing makes these movies higher. It’s helpful for people who find themselves into making movies however may also train you some nitty-gritty of videography.
Nokia 5.4 evaluate: Must you purchase?
Nokia 5.4 comes as a very good possibility for Rs 13,999 (the price of 4GB RAM model, 6GB RAM mannequin prices Rs 15,499). I favored the 720p show and how briskly the fingerprint sensor works. The cameras additionally happy me with their capability to maintain the pure colors of the topic intact. The battery lasted for greater than a day. And, sure, its arresting design. However there are a number of areas the place Nokia 5.4 might have been higher.
The show might have been a 1080p 90Hz panel, the processor might have been a little bit higher, the selfie digicam might have taken a little bit higher photograph, and there might have been no less than 18W quick charging on it. That each one is there on the Nokia 5.4 however don’t forget Android updates that you’re promised with this cellphone.
So, the underside line is that in the event you prioritise Android as a tidy software program, Nokia 5.4 is an effective possibility. That is for individuals who don’t have already got a latest Nokia cellphone mannequin. And by latest, I imply the Nokia 5.3, which can provide almost the identical expertise. You don’t want to improve to Nokia 5.4 this early.
Nokia 5.4 evaluate
Execs
- Attractiveness
- Good battery life
- Pure colors in images
Cons
- Common efficiency
- 720p 60Hz show
- 10W charging
