Nokia 4.2: Great looks, underwhelming camera

HMD Global, the Finnish company that manufactures the iconic Nokia-branded phones, has unveiled Nokia 4.2 -- its first smartphone of 2019 which is a budget offering with noteworthy features such as a dedicated key to fire up Google Assistant.

Priced at Rs 10,990, the phone is available in India in a single configuration of 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage.

The device essentially falls in line with the company's focus on value-for-money devices for the price-conscious buyers with good hardware and neat Android One experience.

Here's what we think of Nokia 4.2.

The smartphone comes with a sculpted glass sandwich design with polycarbonate frame on the sides.

The right side houses the volume rockers and the power key with a light ring circling around it that activates when you get a notification.

A dedicated Google Assistant button on the left is a feature that every budget phone gives a miss.

The front features a small waterdrop-style notch, inside of which lies the 8MP selfie camera with a slit above for the earpiece.

The bezels on the phone are mostly narrow, albeit for the one at the bottom, while a humble Nokia logo sits below. The bottom bezel could've been minimised for more screen real estate.

The rear houses a dual camera set-up with a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. We found the camera performance strictly average with some shutter lag; shooting in low light was a pain.

The 8MP front snapper managed to take some decent selfies though.

The smartphone is among one of the first devices to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, with a MicroSD slot which can expand memory up to 400GB.

Considering the entry-level pricing and chipset, the phone ran well during daily tasks. Browsing multiple social media apps and Internet was smooth as well.

A 3000mAh battery fuels the phone which was enough to deliver a day's worth of use. However, it packs in a MicroUSB instead of a USB Type-C for charging.

Conclusion: HMD Global's Nokia 4.2 is a device that looks stunning for its cost. However, smartphone players such as Realme and Xiaomi also offer tons of affordable phones in this price segment.

A clean, vanilla Android user interface and regular software updates is something you should buy this phone for.

(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be reached at krishna.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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