Repairable smartphones are a slice of the market that most companies in the sector are not putting at the center of their attention, except Nokia. Already with the G22, the company began a journey towards repairs within everyone’s reach and above all, towards sustainability. These themes are usually accompanied by not so excellent performances and devices, but Nokia wants to offer both qualities of such a device while also keeping the price under control. In this mix of good intentions lies the new Nokia G42 5G and this is its review.
Our review of the Nokia G42 5G
In addition to easy repairability, the Nokia G42 5G stands out for its elegant design, a good level of technology and good performance. All with great attention to the environment which sees the use of recycled materials for the smartphone and packaging and excellent battery optimization.
But let’s start in order.
The technical data sheet of the Nokia G42 5G
- Dimensions: 165 mm x 75,8 mm x 8,55 mm
- Weight: 193,8 g
- Processor: Snapdragon 480 + 5G
- Memory: 128GB
- RAM: 2GB/4GB
- Display: 6,56″ HD+
- Camera rear: 50MP AF, 5P, f/1.8 + 2MP Depth + 2MP Macro
- Front camera: 8MP
- Drums: 5000 mAh, QuickFix replaceable battery
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11
- Operating system: Android 13
Design
The Nokia G42 5G features a modern and elegant design that fits perfectly in the hand, with a slim and lightweight body, it is comfortable to hold and use for long usage sessions. The body is made with 60% recycled plastic and provides an excellent feel on the fingers that leaves no fingerprints. The back, featuring a bright purple color (it is also available in gray and pink), also houses the camera compartment consisting of three in-line lenses and the flash. On the inside side we find the power button with built-in fingerprint reader and the sound adjustment buttons. On the left side there is the drawer for the SIM card (Nano) and any expansion MicroSD (up to 1TB). On the bottom of the smartphone we find the Type C charging input, the 3.5mm Jack input and an audio output.
The 6.56″ display is characterized by a very large Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen, although the frames are clearly visible, especially on the lower side. It all ends with a central camera notch for selfies.
Included in the package, made with recycled paper, we find a USB Type-C cable for charging and the instruction booklet.
Technology
Under the body we find all the technologies of a low-end smartphone which however defend themselves very well. A 2.2GHz octa core Snapdragon 480+ 5G processor powers everything along with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage expandable up to 1TB.
The 6.56″ display uses HD+ technology with a resolution of only 720 x 1612 pixels and a IPS a 90 Hz. We are certainly not faced with the latest technological advances but they are more than enough elements to get the most out of a device in this price range. In this regard, the maximum brightness stops at 560 nits, not very many but all in all the video quality holds up well.
On the camera side, we find what we would expect to find in a low-end smartphone. The main camera boasts 50 megapixel (ƒ/1.8.) to which are added two sensors of only 2 megapixels, one for macros and one to improve the depth of the portrait effect. The front camera is 8 megapixels.
In conclusion, we find a 5,000 mAh battery, among the highest standards on the market which promises excellent autonomy. In this regard, we remind you that the power supply is not included in the package, but know that the Nokia G42 5G supports 20W fast charging.
Our test of the Nokia G42 5G
For this review, we tested the Nokia G42 5G to its full potential by making it our everyday smartphone.
Let’s start by saying that despite the “low-end” classification, this smartphone presents itself excellently with a minimal design but full of character. The use of recycled plastic doesn’t make it any less durable or pleasant to hold than other models, and the vibrant (purple) coloring makes it pleasant to look at.
We cannot reserve the same amazement for the performances. Although the smartphone performs excellently in everyday life despite a not so powerful chip, you cannot expect astonishing performance when it comes to the most demanding apps or some video games. Forget about playing them at maximum graphics settings. It must be said, however, that for browsing the internet, using social media and all those ordinary actions, the smartphone has always reacted best and has never shown signs of slowing down.
The battery performance, however, is excellent. Thanks to a not so high loading effort and an average quality display, the 5000 mAh battery performs excellently and has allowed us to get to the end of the day several times even with a good 20% charge.
As for repairing the smartphone (FORTUNATELY), we didn’t damage it during the test, but iFix certified it in all respects as a “repairable smartphone”. Each repairable element can be purchased separately and includes: display (€50), battery (€25), backcover (€25) and USB-C port (€20).
Camera performance
Even the camera kit of Nokia G42 maintains the standards of a low-end smartphone even if the sensor 50 megapixel main ƒ/1.8. moves discreetly. In bright environments and without particular difficulties, the photo performance is excellent while with poor light the quality decreases exponentially. It must be said that the night mode manages to improve the quality but without overdoing it. Overall, we are faced with a modest but effective photographic sector.
The situation is different with videos that stop at Full HD quality and give up any optical stabilizer and a night mode, which is a real shame.
The Nokia G42 5G review in brief
In conclusion, the Nokia G42 5G is a phone that offers an elegant design, cutting-edge technology and good performance. During our test, it proved to be reliable, responsive and able to meet the needs of even intense daily use.
Certainly the most interesting part of a smartphone of this type, in addition to its repairability, is the price: around €220. A more than accessible figure for a smartphone that could be used for a very long time, amortising the expense even further.