Introduction
Nokia just announced a handful of devices and we were there to spend some brief moments with them. Two Android midrangers lead the way, but there are also a couple of feature phones that are nice throwbacks to simpler times.
We'll start with the Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2, two visually very similar handsets, each with a 6.3-inch LCD in a dual-glass package. They both have triple cameras on their backs with different main modules and shared 8MP ultra wides and 5MP depth sensors. The more upmarket 7.2 is equipped with a 48MP Quad Pixel (or, you know, Quad Bayer) cam while the 6.2 packs a conventional 16MP unit.
Nokia 7.2 specs
- Body: 159.9x75.1x8.3mm, 180g; Gorilla Glass 3 front and back; Cyan Green, Charcoal, Ice color schemes.
- Screen: 6.3" FullHD+ LCD, PureDisplay, waterdrop notch, HDR10.
- Chipset: Snapdragon 660 (14nm): Octa-core CPU (4x2.2GHz Kryo 260 & 4x1.8GHz Kryo 260); Adreno 512 GPU.
- Memory: 4/6GB RAM, 64/128GB storage, microSD slot.
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie; Android One.
- Rear camera: Main: 48MP, 1/2.0" Quad Pixel sensor, f/1.79. Ultra-wide: 8MP, f/2.2, 118-degree FoV. Depth sensor: 5MP. Zeiss optics, LED flash.
- Front camera: 20MP, Quad Pixel sensor, f/2.0.
- Battery: 3,500mAh, 5V/2A charging.
- Misc: USB-C, 3.5mm jack, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 2 mics, FM radio, Google Assistant button, notification LED.
Nokia 6.2 specs
- Body: 159.9x75.1x8.3mm, 180g; Gorilla Glass 3 front and back; Ceramic Black, Ice color schemes.
- Screen: 6.3" FullHD+ LCD, PureDisplay, waterdrop notch, HDR10.
- Chipset: Snapdragon 636 (14nm): Octa-core 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPU; Adreno 509 GPU.
- Memory: 3/4GB RAM, 32/64/128GB storage, microSD slot.
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie; Android One.
- Rear camera: Main: 16MP, f/1.8. Ultra-wide: 8MP, f/2.2, 118-degree FoV. Depth sensor: 5MP. LED flash.
- Front camera: 8MP, f/2.0.
- Battery: 3,500mAh, 5V/2A charging.
- Misc: USB-C, 3.5mm jack, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 2 mics, FM radio, Google Assistant button, notification LED.
As you can see, neither is strictly state-of-the-art when it comes to internals - on the contrary, they're powered by rather dated chipsets. The Nokia 7.2 gets the Snapdragon 660 which you can also find on the Nokia 7 Plus, nearing 2 years of age, while the Nokia 6.2 is fitted with a Snapdragon 636 - similar in age, more modest in performance. Even so, they're reasonably well specced for the segment they need to fight in.
Speaking of fights, the Nokia 800 Tough could take some serious beating. It's got MIL-STD-810G compliance, an IP68 rating ans is waterproof for up to 30 minutes under 1.5m of water. It's not exactly a stunner, and boots KaiOS as opposed to Android, but still has Facebook, Whatsapp, Google Assistant and whatnot.
Nokia 800 Tough specs
- Body: Rugged, IP68 rating, MIL-STD-810G, up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. 161.1x62.1x145.4, 161g; Black Steel, Desert Sand color schemes. Anti-slip grip.
- Screen: 2.4" QVGA LCD.
- Chipset: Qualcomm 205 (28nm): Dual-core 1.1GHz CPU.
- Memory: 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, microSD slot (up to 32GB).
- OS: KaiOS.
- Camera: 2MP, LED flash.
- Battery: 1,500mAh.
- Misc: MicroUSB, 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE Cat.4.
You'll get all of these on the Nokia 2720 Flip, and then some - it's a flip phone and we all know how cool flip phones are.
Nokia 2720 Flip specs
- Body: Clamshell/flip phone. Closed: 54.5x104.8x18.7mm, open: 54.5x192.7x11.6mm; Black, Grey color schemes.
- Screen: Main (inner): 2.8" QVGA LCD. Secondary (outer): 1.3" 240x240px.
- Chipset: Qualcomm 205 (28nm): Dual-core 1.1GHz CPU.
- Memory: 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, microSD slot (up to 32GB).
- OS: KaiOS.
- Camera: 2MP, LED flash.
- Battery: 1,500mAh.
- Misc: MicroUSB, 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE Cat.4.
We went hands-on with the new Nokia phones - smart ones, and not so smart ones. Hit the next page page button for some early impressions.
Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2 hands-on
Obviously, the two Android phones are what we find the most interesting. Physically identical, the Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2 share the same build - Gorilla Glass 3 on both sides, held together by a polymer composite, which Nokia says is twice as strong as polycarbonate and half the weight of aluminum.
What we'll say is that they feel lighter than expected for the size and the 180 grams of weight isn't really a burden. The phones fit nicely in the hand too, though at this diagonal one-handed operation is a stretch.
A slight surprise in terms of the design language are the large circular camera clusters on the backs of the 7.2 and 6.2. We're getting a distinct Moto vibe out of these, though you could find a reference to the Lumia 1020 too.
Camera bumps
Inside those bumps there are the same 8MP ultra wide-angle cameras and 5MP depth sensors, plus the main camera that's specific to each phone. We couldn't really get a chance to shoot samples during the brief time we had with the two Nokias.
Anyway, the Nokia 7.2 has the super popular 48MP Quad Bayer sensor, which Nokia calls Quad Pixel, behind an f/1.79 aperture lens (f/1.8 would have been precise enough in our book). There's prominent Zeiss branding sitting amidst the camera lenses, and the bokeh modes inside the camera app also have the German optics manufacturer's name stamped around - ZEISS Modern, ZEISS Swirl and ZEISS Smooth - it is a lot of Zeiss.
Meanwhile, the Nokia 6.2 opts for a regular 16MP imager with an f/1.8 lens - yes, this one is specified as f/1.8 in the press materials. No Zeiss badges here, though.
The Nokia 7.2 and 6.2 have fingerprint readers under their camera assemblies - conventional capacitive sensors. We tried them real quick and they seemed to work just fine, no issues.
One interesting addition on these two Nokias is the Google Assistant key. It's placed on the left of the handsets and serves as an always available shortcut to the assistant - really handy if you're one to use it a lot. The other physical controls are on the right - a classic arrangement featuring a power button and volume rocker.
Google Assistant is a key press away
The Nokia 7.2 and 6.2 have the same 6.3-inch display - an LCD with FullHD+ resolution. Nokia calls it PureDisplay and promises 500nits of brightness and 1500:1 contrast. The panel is also HDR10 capable and the phones will try and upconvert SDR content to HDR. We can't really comment much on the display quality other than say that colors looked nice and outdoor visibility was okay - more one we get to review these guys.
Two phones, same display
The Nokia 7.2 is powered by the Snapdragon 660, which is a bit dated, but still offers pretty great performance in both CPU and GPU intense tasks. The Nokia 6.2's Snapdragon 636, on the other hand, isn't as powerful but should help the 6.2 achieve the promised 2-day battery life, just maybe. We're not too thrilled about the 5V/2A charging capabilities - it'll take a while to fill those 3,500mAh batteries.
The phones boot Android 9 Pie and they're on the Android One Program so the interface is bloat-free. Nokia promises two major OS releases (so Android 10 should be coming soon), plus an extra third year of monthly patches.
Nokia 2720 Flip
Alongside the droids, Nokia also unveiled a few feature phones. We're more than fond of the Nokia 2720 Flip - a clamshell design with two screens and oversized buttons.
On the outside, you're getting a 1.3-inch screen for caller ID and notifications, while there's a bigger 2.8-inch one inside for main use. The huge tactile keys will be super convenient for the elderly or if you have big fingers too.
The Nokia 2720 Flip boots KaiOS and that means you get Facebook, Whatsapp, and even Google Assistant. Last time we used KaiOS app couldn't run in the background which could hinder the usefulness of a messaging app, but we're looking forward to seeing if there are any updates to the OS on this front.
The phone has a key on the side which can be set up to send your location and a text message to 5 contacts in case of emergency, or you can have it summon the Assistant.
Nokia 2720 Flip
With a Snapdragon 205 and 512GB of RAM inside, the Flip isn't exactly a performance beast, but it's a basic phone after all. It does come with some proper connectivity options, including 4G and Wi-Fi b/g/n, plus it has an FM radio.
Nokia 800 Tough
The Nokia 800 Tough gets the same internals as the Flip but puts them in a very rugged shell. The grippy rubberized body is designed for rough handling and has undergone testing according to the MIL-STD-810G military standard (though it's unclear which tests it has passed).
Nokia 800 Tough
It carries an IP68 rating too, for water resistance up to 30 minutes under 1.5m of water. The Tough also has an integrated hook on the bottom for hanging off your wrist/neck/backpack/ATV or whatever.
Wrap up
Nokia's latest Android phone announcements aren't overly exciting, but that's rarely the case with midrangers. Value for money is the game here and we'll know more about where the Nokia 7.2 and 6.2 place on that scale once we get to review them. Having spent some time with them and looking at the spec sheets, we can see they do have potential.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for a backup phone or a relatively basic calling machine, the Nokia 2720 Flip and Nokia 800 Tough will deliver, while also catering to some specific needs. Or wants - we know some of us here want that Flip.
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