HMD Global’s Nokia 5.3 is among the very few new phones that are part of the Android One program. It starts at Rs. 13,999 in India and runs stock Android.
The Nokia 5.3 comes with the promise of two years of major Android version updates and three years of security updates. This guarantee is a rare find in the budget-friendly phone market.
Is the stock Android experience the only thing on offer with the Nokia 5.3? Is it a great phone worth the price?
Nokia 5.3 Quick Review
Nokia phones are known for their simple yet straightforward designs. As reported by Indian Express, Nokia 5.3’s design is very much identical to the Nokia 7.2. However, the company has cut some corners to keep the price of the phone low.
This phone has a plastic body and feel. This holds since we are talking about a budget-friendly phone. The circular camera housing it is almost similar to the Nokia 7.2’s, with four camera lenses and flashes grouped in round form.
Nokia 5.3 is 8.5mm thick and weighs only 185 grams. It’s easy to hold and won’t slip from the hand, even if it is a large phone with a 6.5-inch screen.
In terms of internals, the Nokia 5.3 runs a Snapdragon 665 processor, the same one used by the Redmi Note 8. Even if it is not the latest processor today, the phone is still fast enough to run even quite demanding games, such as Call of Duty: Mobile.
The 4GB RAM and 64GB storage should be enough for average users, plus a microSD card slot to add more space.
The promise of regular software updates
HMD Global’s take on the budget market is Nokia 5.3. It is priced at £150 in the UK or $199 in the US.
Design-wise, it continues the subtle Finnish design seen across HMD Global’s range. There are some nice touches, such as the ‘breathing’ LED inside the power button. However, there’s nothing flashy or out of place.
The catch here is the regular software update promised by the company.
The Nokia 5.3 comes with the promise of two years of major Android version updates and three years of security updates. Which smartphones in the budget-friendly market don’t usually get?
Like other Nokia smartphones, this one is an Android One device, which means no bloatware or data draining apps.
The Android One program means that the Nokia 5.3 does not have any pre-installed bloatware, and the UI is very similar to what you’ll find on Google Pixel smartphones.
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