Nokia 4.2

The reliability of Nokia paired with a grand design, Nokia 4.1 is a phone that any budget user can be proud of. However, priced at Rs 10,990, this phone delivers a few negative aspects that can be expected from a budget handset.

Nokia 4.2 does not come with anything exceptional. As expected, the phone arrives with a low-tier processor and inferior cameras. However, it delivers with its display and battery and remains successful in performing the essential functions of a phone. It is capable as a budget phone, but does not come with the best price, and thereby it isn’t a value-for-money handset.

The Nokia 4.2 looks pleasant and has a near-premium feel and look. It has a glass front and back panel with a Polycarbonate frame. The phone weighs around 161g and has the dimensions of 148.95 x 71.3 x 8.39mm. The rounded corners paired with the curved edges make the phone comfortable to hold, and the aspects make it suitable for one hand use. One of the problems with the set is when you tap the rear glass, you can feel the lack of the premium feel that more expensive phones have. The volume buttons and power key is present on the right side of the phone. The left hand side houses the Google Assistant key to access smart voice assistant. On the rear panel, the camera module is placed with a very slight bump.

Below it is the fingerprint scanner which works wonderfully. The phone has a micro-USB port and not the new USB Type-C port, which makes it dated. However, it does have something for the traditionalists – a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Nokia 4.2 greets you with a 5.71-inch display with a tall, new 19:9 aspect ratio. It has a teardrop notch cut on top of the screen which holds the selfie camera. The phone has an HD+ display with a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels, which is okay for the price range. However, the phone does not have the best high definition, having only 295ppi of pixel density. The display remains clear and bright. In harsh sunlight, the legibility of the phone drops.

The phone comes with the power of the low-tier Snapdragon 439 chipset, twinned with a 2GB or 3GB RAM. The processor is quite slow, and it makes the phone sluggish. Running too many apps simultaneously can freeze the phone. It can’t run high-end games without noticeable frame drops. Even casual gaming can be a trouble as it can get laggy at times.

The Nokia 4.2 fits an excellent dual camera, even though it is a low-cost phone. It has a primary 13MP camera which is paired with a 2MP camera for depth sensing. The camera app is a bit sluggish, and there is a bit of a shutter lag present too. The daylight shots come out acceptable and, as expected, low light shots are inferior, with extremely grainy definition. In portrait photos the blur is reasonable, even though the edge detection is a bit faulty. You can use Google Editor to adjust the blur effect.

On the front, the phone sports an 8MP shooter which clicks decent social media-worthy shots.

The phone comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, which is quite adequate for the phone. It can keep the phone chugging for an entire day with light and moderate use. The battery is a definite plus for this phone.

As a budget phone, the Nokia 4.2 seems accomplished. While it does not have the best camera or performance, it comes with a decent battery to last it through the day and handy design for easy use. Nokia 4.1 is a capable handset and suitable to be used as a second phone for emergency purposes. However, the price is a bit on the steeper end for any budget users, compared to which the hardware is inadequate.