New Nokia 3 smartphones

HMD Global is reviving the famous Nokia brand. The plans are to create top-end, flagship devices, but we have already presented the budget Nokia 3 for review.

The new Nokia 3 differs from Chinese inexpensive smartphones in pure Android 7.0 Nougat, recognizable design and support for 4G LTE. There are other features, for example, the absence of a fingerprint scanner. Let's take a closer look at this device from HMD Global.

In the box we will find:

• Smartphone
• Charger (5V, 1A)
• MicroUSB cable
• Headset
• SIM Card Removal Tool
• User Guide

Nokia 3 differs little from the Windows Phone series of two years ago. The design is outdated and lacks rounded corners.

The metal body gives an impression of premium quality, and the plastic back cover goes well with it. The surface will not become heavily soiled by fingerprints. Due to the curved sides, the 8.5 mm thick case appears thinner and sleeker.

On the front panel there is a Nokia logo in the upper right corner, next to capacitive Android buttons at the bottom. There is no backlight for the keys, as well as LED notification indicators. What's most missing is a fingerprint scanner; many cheap Chinese smartphones have it.

It uses a MicroUSB port for charging, rather than the modern USB-C. Two SIM cards can operate in Dual SIM mode; there is a separate slot for MicroSD cards on the left side. The phone does not have any protection against moisture, dust or drops.

The 5-inch HD (720x1280) IPS LCD display makes individual pixels visible, especially when reading text. But the worse thing here is that the colors are distorted and unbalanced - for example, white appears bluish. Such serious problems with color display are rarely found on modern smartphones.

Positive features: the panel perceives up to 10 touches simultaneously, and the oleophobic coating repels dirt.

The maximum brightness is 485 nits, but the Nokia 3 is difficult to use outdoors due to the reflective screen. There is no built-in blue light filter, although the corresponding application can be downloaded from the Internet. Even the brightness reduced to the minimum (20 nits) irritates the eyes at night.

Nokia 3 has no unnecessary or duplicate applications. Google software dominates: gallery - Google Photo, calendar - Google Calendar, browser - Chrome, email client - Gmail.

Problems with Facebook occur on many modern Android smartphones, as here, the application freezes when opening the photo gallery and scrolling through the news feed. The FM Radio receiver allows you to connect headphones or external speakers.

The keyboard is standard, each click results in a long vibration, which is more annoying when typing than helpful.

The entry-level MediaTek MT6737 28nm quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM is not enough for all day-to-day tasks. Navigation around the home screen and main apps is smooth, but minor open programs slow it down a lot.

Of the 16 GB of internal memory, only 7 GB is available for applications, photos, videos and music - the rest is occupied by the system. MicroSD memory cards are supported, adding storage capacity.

Nokia 3 scored 27,838 points in benchmark AnTuTu, 13,626 in JetStream, 533 in single-core and 1,417 in multi-core Geekbench 4 test. For comparison, in the same tests Motorola Moto G5 Plus scored 63,191, 29,879, 783 and 3,586 points.

The mobile version of Google Chrome is installed, there are no other browsers. But Chrome requires too many resources, and the smartphone cannot cope - this is especially noticeable when opening more than one page at the same time.

4G LTE communication is supported with the following frequencies: FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28) and TDD-LTE (Bands 38, 40). Dual SIM mode is available. Connection options include Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth and NFC.

The Nokia 3 smartphone has an 8-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and an 8-megapixel sensor on the front. The application is launched by double-clicking the Power/Lock button. It's outdated, slow and awkward - making it difficult to quickly start shooting video.

There are two side by side shutter buttons. The smaller one serves to demonstrate two shooting modes: Beautify and Panorama. When you click on the big one, 3 more buttons appear: 1x, 2x and 3x - this allows you to speed up video recording, but they completely interfere with the main window.

For storing, sharing and basic editing of photos or videos, the Google Photos application is pre-installed with a simple interface.

Focusing is slow, which can cause you to miss important points. There is a lack of detail, although the colors are beautiful and the images are generally high quality. Focus and exposure settings change with one click, which hurts color and exposure.

The front camera is not impressive at all - it also has problems with focusing.

The maximum resolution with which video is recorded is 720p (HD). This is disappointing, since even the cheapest modern smartphones support 1080p recording. Video footage lacks detail and colorful colors. When playing back, it seems that the shooting was done on a phone 10 years ago. The sound recorded on the microphone comes out tinny.

There is one speaker at the bottom. The user's hand is usually located there, so the sound may be muffled. There is not enough volume and clarity, the sound is worse than on other smartphones. There is an audio jack at the top.

The quality of calls will suit those who do not require perfect clarity. The owner of the Nokia 3 can be heard normally, although the interlocutor's voice is muffled.

Nokia 3 battery

The 2,650 mAh battery lasted 7 hours and 47 minutes in our test - slightly longer than the iPhone 7 and slightly less than the Galaxy S8. This is a worthy result.

In practice, the smartphone is discharged in about 1.5 days with average load, and in a day with more intensive use. Full charging via the included adapter takes a long 3 hours.

Bottom line

Nokia 3 costs less than $160 (RUR 9,600). This is one of the cheapest smartphones from a trusted brand at the moment, but it has competitors that are superior in many ways.

For a little more, you can get the Galaxy A3 (2017) with a sleek design, waterproof design, good camera, and Samsung's unique interface. Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime has a very durable battery and a powerful Snapdragon 625 processor, as well as an excellent camera.

In February 2017, developer company HMD Global presented its Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 smartphones for the first time. Earlier, the older brother of the Nokia 6 trio was presented in China. All of them are entry-level devices equipped with budget chipsets. They differ in display diagonal and some characteristics. They have good cases, and the price difference between them is in increments of $50.

But now we have a review of Nokia 3, so let's look at it in more detail. Its recommended price on the official website is $165. In Ukraine it is sold for 4299 UAH, in Russia for 9990 RUR, in Belarus from 268.90 RUR, and not found on sale in Kazakhstan.

The device received a budget filling, and for what the manufacturer set the price on the verge of mid-budgeters we will find out below.

Design, case materials, dimensions and weight

The body of the Nokia 3 is what I want to praise the smartphone for. On the front panel we are greeted by tempered Gorilla Glass of an unknown generation. It has a 2.5D design and flows seamlessly into the metal side frame. The oleophobic coating is simply one of the best I've ever seen. Fingerprints are wiped off in one motion.

Above the display there is a speaker in the center, to the left of which there are proximity and light sensors (they are practically invisible). To the left of the sensors is the front camera. There is a neat Nokia logo in the right corner.

Below the display there are touch-sensitive navigation buttons without backlight. The button for running applications is located on the right (many are accustomed to seeing it on the left), which will not be convenient for everyone, it takes some getting used to.

The back panel is made of soft-touch plastic, which leaves virtually no fingerprints. It feels pleasant to the touch, the smartphone does not slip out of your hands. The main camera does not protrude and is located in a dedicated area along with the flash. In the center is a logo with glossy letters.

Metal side frame. On the right side there are chrome volume and power buttons. They have a clear stroke with a click. The buttons are located high, and it would be more convenient to feel them lower.

On the left side there are two trays: for a memory card and for two SIM cards.

In 2017, a trend was noticed in which manufacturers finally began to get rid of hybrid slots for memory cards combined with a SIM card. With Nokia 3 you don't have to choose between memory and a second operator.

But the connector on the bottom is still MicroUSB. It's been about two years since the Type-C connector appeared, but it is still the prerogative of top-end devices. Next to the USB connector there is an audio speaker and a conversational microphone. The antenna dividers are also visible there.

At the top end there is a headphone jack, a microphone for noise reduction and two more plastic inserts for better signal reception.

The dimensions are as follows: 143.4 x 71.4 x 8.5 mm; weight 140 g. The smartphone is not heavy, not thick and quite compact. Yes, Nokia 3 can be classified as a compact smartphone.

Overall I liked the design. The logos do not interfere and do not attract much attention, and the body cannot be called a remnant, although there are no sharp corners.

Chipset

Nokia 3 runs on the most budget MediaTek MT6737 chip, has 4 cores and is built on the ARM Cortex-A53 architecture. Made according to the old tech. process at 28 nm, and the maximum core frequency reaches 1.3 GHz. Graphics chip – Mali-T720. The chip supports LTE networks, and this is perhaps its only modern characteristic.

The processor tends to get a little warm during heavy tasks, and this is definitely not a gaming solution. However, the chip's operation is stable, and in three consecutive AnTuTu tests, Nokia 3 shows from 27726 to 27175 points.

Downloaded the game Gangstar Vegas from Gameloft. It's like a GTA game, only free. It's not bad, you can play comfortably. However, the loading speed between missions is slow, and once the smartphone simply froze during the game. Another disadvantage during the game is the heating of the case, especially the metal frame, and the location of the speaker is not entirely suitable for gaming.

The smartphone works well with interface elements, but web rendering is the weakest point of the hardware, judging by the tests.

Memory

The permanent memory in Nokia 3 is 16 GB. This is the minimum that is now found in the most budget smartphones. It's good that there is a separate slot for a memory card.

RAM is 2 GB, and this also becomes the minimum. This is enough to launch several applications, you can minimize the game, go to the browser and open several tabs, and then return to the game to continue without rebooting. However, if you open 8 tabs in the browser, start a video in the Youtube application, and minimize the game, then Youtube will freeze and stop responding, the game crashed and started to start again when you logged in again, and the sites began to slow down. Multitasking is not the Nokia 3's strong point. True, not everyone needs this use case.

Autonomy

The first thing I want to say about the autonomy of Nokia 3: at 7 percent charge, while watching a video, the smartphone turned off without any warnings. The hot Finnish guy left in English.

The battery is non-removable 2630 mAh. A standard charger charges in 2 hours and 40 minutes, which means there is no fast charging technology; this is quite a long time for such a battery size.

In games, the smartphone will last 4 hours 40 minutes, and we cannot say that this is a bad indicator. However, smartphones with good battery life are a couple of hours short.

While watching a video via Youtube, the Nokia 3 will lose only 4 hours, which is very little, and usually streaming video takes almost half as much charge as playing games.

In general, autonomy is at a typical budget level, nothing outstanding. You will have to charge your smartphone every day.

Display

The Nokia 3 has a normal screen with a resolution of 1280x720. With a diagonal of 5 inches, there is enough clarity. It has a fairly acceptable IPS matrix for its price category, with normal viewing angles. Colors practically do not fade at maximum angles, only in one position does black fade into red.

I would like smaller frames on the sides

The display has no air gap. The display does not tire your eyes. There is no PWM, unlike some OLED matrices.

No advantages from the polarizing screen declared by the manufacturer were noticed.

Sound

The external speaker on the bottom of the Nokia 3 is not of great quality. I would say it is hoarse and produces a flat sound. No hint of clarity or bass. The headphones are also nothing special.

However, you won’t miss a call, since there are standard melodies (including the Nokia Tune branded ringer) that “squeak” so much that your ears are blocked.

Cameras

The main camera shoots in 8 megapixel resolution, and the aperture is opened to F/2.0. Autofocus is supported and there is a flash. Pixel size 1.12 microns. Nothing special though. Although “on paper” it doesn’t look so attractive, in reality everything is at a decent level. Judge for yourself.

In poor lighting, the Nokia 3, like any budget smartphone, takes low-quality pictures. But in good conditions everything is at the level of mid-price devices. Below we compare pictures from the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) and Nokia 3. The camera in Nokia is superior to the premium Korean smartphone of last year.

The front camera has the same characteristics as the main one. The manufacturer claims good autofocus for both cameras, but due to the weak chip it works very slowly, and not always. You have to help by tapping on the display.

The video is shot in HD resolution (30 frames per second) and recorded in 3gp format (lower quality compared to mp4).

Communications

In this section of the review I would like to note the good connection with GPS satellites. As soon as the search for satellites was launched, Nokia 3 immediately found and contacted nine. The compass also works great; on Google maps you can immediately see where you are and which direction you are heading.

To use GPS navigation without a good Internet connection, first download the area of ​​the area that interests you into Google maps.

I repeat that the smartphone has 2 slots for Nano-Sim cards and supports 4G. Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n. Bluetooth 4.0.

operating system

The operating system here is pure Android 7. I think this can be considered an advantage, since everything is very simple and looks nice. Standard application icons are round and unobtrusive. It is possible to create folders with applications on desktops, which also fit into the overall design. The box with installed applications is placed in a list and is called up by swiping up. The most recently launched applications are displayed at the top of the list.

If you swipe left on your desktop, the Google browser will open. And in general, everything here is tied to native Google applications. For example, there are no pre-installed players, and music opens in the Play Music app. There is also no gallery; all pictures and videos are stored in Google Photos. There you can synchronize everything filmed to the Google Drive cloud. Everything in the curtain is also familiar to Android.

Is pure Android an advantage? Perhaps yes, since if you are just mastering this operating system, then even a child can understand the interface. However, I don’t think that the Nokia 3 model, based on the outdated Mediatek chip, will receive updates to version 8. However, the manufacturer has promised that it will update all three models (Nokia 3, 5 and 6) to Android O.

Peculiarities

After a detailed review, it is difficult to identify any features. Pure Android, without pre-installed unnecessary applications and shell, is what can set Nokia 3 apart from its competitors. The camera takes decent pictures in good lighting, and not every “Chinese” with a large number of megapixels will show the same result.

Alternatives

But you can find enough alternatives for this price.

At the MWC 2017 exhibition, three Android smartphones from the Finnish-Chinese HMD Global were presented under the Nokia brand. Before the release, the device we tested today was the most affordable device in the line. In this review, I will tell you what features it has and what may interest consumers.

Technical characteristics of Nokia 3

• Display: 5″, IPS, 1280×720 pixels
• Processor: MediaTek MT6737, 4-core 1.3 GHz
• Graphics accelerator: Mali-T720MP1
• RAM: 2 GB
• Permanent memory: 16 GB
• MicroSD memory card support: up to 128 GB
• Wireless networks: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• Main camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, flash
• Front camera: 8 MP f/2.0, autofocus
• Battery: 2650 mAh
• Dimensions: 143×71.4×8.5 mm
• Weight: 140 g

The smartphone costs approximately $160. Looking at the technical specifications, frankly speaking, it is not clear why, besides the logo of a famous brand on the case, the manufacturer is asking so much money. Let's try to figure it out.

Scope of delivery

Nokia 3 comes in a compact cardboard box. There's nothing special inside: a power adapter (5V/1A), a USB/MicroUSB cable, a clip for removing the slots for SIM cards and MicroSD, a simple headset and a lot of pieces of paper. I received my smartphone for testing with an incomplete power adapter and cable, so they are not in the photo.

Design, materials, assembly

The Nokia 3 buyer can choose from four body color options: black (like mine), blue, silver and white with a copper-colored frame.

The appearance of the smartphone does not have any striking differences from most devices on the market. A discreet brick with slightly rounded edges. In the design you can see some similarities with the Lumia line of smartphones.

As for personal feelings, I liked the design, there is nothing repulsive in it, but, as already said, there is nothing special about it either. In general, quite ordinary appearance. Perhaps the inscription on the back cover will be able to hook former Nokia fans through nostalgia for the glory days of old.

The case materials are more than practical - 2.5D glass on the front, an aluminum frame around the perimeter and a polycarbonate back panel, which, due to its matte surface, practically does not attract fingerprints and other traces of use. The quality of the oleophobic glass coating is average.

The assembly of the device is not ideal; when you press on the back panel, you can hear a slight creak. But in everyday use this is a subtle nuance.

Layout of elements

In this matter, everything is familiar and without excesses. The front screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass. Above the screen there is a front camera, proximity and light sensors, a speaker slot and the Nokia logo closer to the right corner.

There are three touch buttons below the screen. Unfortunately, they are not illuminated.

On the right side there is a metal power button and a volume rocker. They are located a little higher than we are used to seeing in other smartphones, but you get used to their location quickly, and the thumb of your right hand rests directly on the unlock button.

On the left side we see two slots. The taller one accepts 2 nano SIM cards. And underneath there is a separate slot for a MicroSD memory card.

Such an offer is a rarity these days, so support for 2 SIMs and a memory card is unconditionally the right decision on the part of the manufacturer and will definitely not be deprived.

On the bottom edge there is a MicroUSB port located exactly in the center, to the right of it is the main microphone, and to the left are two oblong cutouts for the main speaker. To the right and left of all elements are plastic antenna separators.

At the top are an additional noise-canceling microphone and a 3.5 mm audio jack, offset from the center to the right, and the same antenna leads as on the bottom edge.

On the back panel there is a peephole for the main camera with a flash, below in the center there is a vertically embossed Nokia logo and at the very bottom there is some service information.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the Nokia 3 are fine. Thanks to the rounded corners and edges, the device feels thinner than it actually is. In addition, the dimensions of the smartphone are relatively small, so it is convenient to use.

Nokia 3 display

The device is equipped with a 5-inch display. The installed matrix is ​​IPS. Resolution 1280x720 pixels.

The display is excellent - bright, contrasty and rich. Viewing angles are maximum, colors and contrast are not lost due to diagonal and linear deviations. The HD resolution doesn't show itself at all unless you look closely at the screen at close range.

Adaptive brightness works great and the brightness adjustment range is also good. The firmware does not provide any standard means for adjusting the color rendering of the display.

Performance

In terms of technical equipment, Nokia 3 is a budget device, although if you look at its cost, then at least questions may arise. And all because an inexpensive processor from MediaTek is installed here - MTK6737, 4-core, with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz. Video accelerator - Mali-T720MP1. The results of synthetic tests AnTuTu and Geekbench 4 can be found below.

The 2 GB of RAM installed in the Nokia 3 is enough to adequately work with 4-6 running applications, but with some reservations. The more applications you have in the background, the slower the system will work, so you should periodically remove unused applications from the multitasking menu. The system itself works more or less smoothly - not too fast, but within acceptable limits.

You probably won’t enjoy playing heavy games on your smartphone, but it’s still possible. Simple arcade and casual games work well.

In general, the hardware is capable of providing the performance necessary for comfortable work in simple tasks.

Nokia 3 cameras

The main camera is an 8 megapixel module, f/2.0 aperture.

The output quality of images from the main module is average. To get a clear photo, you need to shoot in good lighting conditions, because when there is a lack of light, which is generally expected, noise creeps in. Autofocus sometimes misses. Dynamic range is mediocre. The white balance is sometimes strange and takes the photo into cool tones, although with the latest update of the camera application, which, by the way, is updated through Google Play, the problem has almost disappeared. Simply put, the camera is average, well worth the price tag.

The smartphone records video in 720p resolution. The quality is not very good, detail is low, electronic stabilization is present, but does not save the situation.

The front camera is also 8 megapixels, also with autofocus. The quality of the images, considering that this is a front-facing camera, turned out to be quite good.

The camera app is extremely simple. On the main screen, above the shutter button, there is a shooting mode switch. On the right is the video recording button. On the left is a transition to the gallery. At the top there is a settings button, flash on/off, camera switching, timer and HDR. In the settings you can enable the display of a grid, compass, watermark and enable manual mode with adjustment of exposure, white balance, ISO and focus.

Autonomy

Nokia 3 has a 2650 mAh non-removable battery. The capacity is below average, however, one battery charge lasts for a full day. The average screen operating time during active use with a Wi-Fi connection is more than 5 hours, and with alternating Wi-Fi and 3G you can count on 4-4.5 hours.

In general, a day of active work - no problem. It is possible to stretch it further, but not by much. I didn’t like the fact that the smartphone charges quite slowly - more than two hours. And, of course, using an outdated microUSB port doesn’t bring joy either.

Sound

The sound in the smartphone was not surprising. Normal run-of-the-mill sound. The speaker is loud and the sound quality is good. The main speaker is also good. Notification, incoming call, watching video, listening to music - everything is fine with this.

The sound of music in the headphones is also not amazing in quality, but it is not disgusting. There is plenty of volume reserve, the sound is clear. By the way, as for the included headset, it’s purely for show. Their sound is like from a barrel. Well, the design, of course, is so-so, very uncomfortable.

Communications

The Wi-Fi module in Nokia 3 works fine, does not fall off, and has a standard range. No problems found with Bluetooth 4.2. GPS works great, there are no complaints about positioning. An important point is that the smartphone, unlike competitors in its price segment, has an NFC module. In connection with this, the presence of this module in Nokia 3 becomes more useful than ever.

Firmware and software

The smartphone runs the purest Android 7.1.1. No third-party shells, launchers, or unnecessary applications. Shortcuts, multi-window functionality - everything is available and works flawlessly.

Nokia's firmware includes a simple support application and the aforementioned camera application. They, like Google apps, are updated through the Google Play store.

I also found in the settings a separate unique item with gesture settings, which is not present in pure Android. There are only two points: turn the phone over to reject an incoming call and reduce the volume when lifting the device from a horizontal surface.

The system generally works well, but sometimes I came across the same bug - the smartphone screen did not respond to presses at all. This problem is “cured” by re-locking and unlocking the device.

Conclusions

Compromise smartphone. He has something that his competitors don't have. For example, pure Android with regular updates, which for some may be a definite advantage, separate slots for SIM cards and MicroSD, which is also rare, and the presence of an NFC module is an undeniable plus. The device also has a good IPS screen.

The disadvantages are a weak processor and average cameras. But the “C”, like any other device, will probably find its buyer, since it is made more like a “B”... with a slight minus.

A budget smartphone with an attractive design.

Verdict

The Nokia 3 looks like one of the best budget phones on the market, but a deep dive reveals long boot times and poor battery life. If you prefer style over features and are also looking for a way to save money, the Nokia 3 could be a good choice. Nokia 3 review more...

• Reliable build quality;
• Low price;
• Android software;

• Disappointing performance;
• Limited memory;
• Average operating time;

In 2017, the Nokia brand is experiencing a resurgence in the phone market, with recent exciting releases including , and Nokia 3.

The Nokia 5 costs more than the Nokia 3, but the smartphone offers several additional features that we think are worth the extra cost.

You get a slightly better premium build, much more performance, and an under-display fingerprint scanner.

Of course, the Nokia 5 isn't without its problems, it's limited to 16GB of internal memory and a 720p resolution instead of Full HD, but overall it's a better option than its cheaper sibling.

More details: .

Motorola Moto E4

Not bad!

The Nokia 3 looks like one of the best budget phones on the market, but a deep dive reveals long boot times and poor battery life. If you prefer style over features and are also looking for a way to save money, the Nokia 3 could be a good choice.

At the moment, Nokia 3 is the most affordable smartphone from the resurrected Nokia. Despite its low cost and position in the lineup, the new product still has something to brag about. There is a separate slot for a memory card, there is support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, an 8 MP front camera with autofocus, and an NFC module. The latter is extremely rare in the budget segment, and given the widespread use of terminals supporting near-field connection technology (in stores, catering establishments, and even in metro turnstiles), this function is becoming increasingly in demand. And this is even without remembering the possibility of quick connection with various electronics such as cameras, televisions, multimedia centers or speaker systems.

Specifications

Appearance and ease of use

Formally, the smartphone belongs to the budget class, but it does not look cheap. From a subjective point of view, in the dark version the Nokia 3 looks more expensive than its formal competitor, the Samsung J3 2017, which costs as much as . To a certain extent, the tested smartphone is similar to a more expensive one, which is also comparable in cost to.

Only the frame covering the ends of the case is made of aluminum alloy, and the back cover is made of plastic with a matte surface that is pleasant to the touch. The build quality is pleasantly pleasing. When trying to twist, the body gives only slightly even with significant force. When lightly tapping the case, it was not possible to make the lock and volume control keys rattle, whereas in the case of the model this drawback is clearly pronounced. But still, in the case of the tested smartphone there is something to complain about. The cover of the device is quite thin, so it is easy to bend under pressure. And everything would be fine, but with pressure in the center in the area just below the chamber, where fingers often fall during a telephone conversation, the lid creaks a little. Of course, we cannot exclude the possibility that this deficiency manifested itself only in a specific sample.

On the front side above the display there is a sensor unit, a camera with autofocus, and a speaker. Below the display there are three standard touch control keys. The keys are not backlit, which is extremely inconvenient when working with a smartphone in the dark. Of course, muscle memory begins to work over time, but at first you still have to go through a period of adaptation and habituation.

From the back, only the camera is visible, complemented by a flash consisting of a single LED. The camera unit is protected by a barely noticeable lip that prevents the protective glass from coming into contact with the flat mounting surface.

On the left side surface there is a noticeable pair of slots, one of which is intended for installing a pair of SIM cards (in the DualSIM version), and the second for a misoSD card. On the right side surface there are keys for locking and volume control.

At the top end there is a microphone and a 3.5 mm jack (mini-jack) for connecting a headset or headphones. At the bottom there is a second microphone, a system speaker, and a microUSB connector.

Software

Like the recently reviewed Nokia 5, the Nokia 3 uses pure Adnroid 7 without any additional software. The only difference from other pure Android smartphones is the camera control program. In general, such a solution can only be welcomed, because the user can always install a third-party “launcher” or any other software on his own.

Display

The smartphone uses an IPS matrix with a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Of course, there are similar-priced smartphones with FullHD displays on sale, but, from a subjective point of view, such a high resolution for a 5-inch screen is unnecessary, and besides, such matrices consume battery power faster. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass with a 2.5D effect, so additional protective glass on it will look like a saddle on a cow. However, additional protection is not particularly required, because during a week’s use not a single scratch appeared on the screen. There is an oleophobic coating, but it is not very effective, so you still have to wipe the display periodically. The screen supports up to 10 simultaneous touches, but it does this very reluctantly, so it was not immediately possible to achieve the display of “tens” in the Multi-Tuoch Test window. Problems with touch recognition begin with 6 simultaneous touches to the display. However, it’s unlikely that anyone will need more on a 5-inch display. Display brightness is average. At maximum backlight power, the brightness of the white field was 407.3 cd/sq.m, while the brightness of the black field was 0.33 cd/sq.m, which corresponds to a contrast of 1234:1. And this is a great result. Color balance is clearly not the display's strong point. Even with the naked eye, a shift towards blue-green shades is noticeable, which was confirmed by instrumental tests. The color gamut does not match the standard sRGB color space. The graphs show a clear lack of warm tones and an excess of cold ones. The color temperature over the entire brightness range is within 9558...9859 K, which is significantly higher than the reference 6500 K. And everything would be fine, but the ability to adjust the color temperature is not provided. The color shift delta E has set an anti-record - on the gray scale in the area of ​​dark tones the shift is no more than 10, but closer to white the error grows sharply and reaches a value of 32.7. When measuring on primary colors (CMYRGB), the error is not so significant and, depending on the color, is in the range of 3.6...13.4.

Sound

The smartphone is equipped with separate conversational and system speakers. There are no comments about the conversational speaker - the sound volume is sufficient in any typical operating conditions of the smartphone, the sound itself is clear, without pronounced defects. The system speaker also turned out to be relatively loud. When playing a sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 m, a sound pressure level of 77.2 dBA was recorded. But, unfortunately, the sound quality is not the best even by smartphone standards - the sound is flat and poorly detailed. Of course, there are no obvious defects such as hissing, crackling or choking when setting the maximum volume level, but still some competitors sound better.

When playing the same test signal as the system speaker volume test, the analog audio output recorded a level of 171.6 mV (32 ohm load), which is one of the lowest values ​​in our measurement database. Among smartphones, only the output signal level is lower - only 136.1 mV.

Sound quality testing on the analog audio output was carried out in the RightMark Audio Analyzer application using the Creative E-MU 0204 USB external audio interface.

General results 24 bit, 48 kHz

Performance

The smartphone is based on the not very productive MediaTek MT6737 system-on-chip, introduced in the spring of 2016. This is a 64-bit 4-core solution with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. The Mali-T720 MP2 is responsible for the video subsystem. The amount of RAM is 2 GB, ROM is 16 GB, but only 9 GB of disk space is available to the user. Fortunately, it is possible to install a pair of SIM cards and microSD media at the same time.

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System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. The performance of the disk subsystem was determined in the Androbenchmark test package. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: MediaTek MT6737T, 4 cores (4×1.44 GHz), 5.5 inches, 1280x720 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4 GHz, 4x1.1 GHz), 5.0 inches, 1920x1080 pixels;
: HiSilicon Kirin 655, 8 cores (4x2.1 GHz + 4x1.7 GHz), 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels;

But the main camera disappointed, and thoroughly. There's autofocus here too, but it's incredibly slow and raises a white flag in low light. Even at low sensitivity values, the image is a complete mess, both in the foreground and in the background. On top of that, the automatic white balance is constantly wrong, and the color quality leaves much to be desired. The dynamic range is often sorely lacking, and if you activate the HDR mode, the color quality becomes even worse. For example, the sky on a sunny day turns gray with a slight blue tint, and the greenery on the trees becomes yellowish-brown. In fact, the only thing we can praise about the smartphone's photographic equipment is not the camera itself, but the rather powerful LED flash. At a distance of 1 m from the smartphone, the flash provides illumination of 46.2 lux, which is one of the best results among flashes consisting of 1 LED, and the absolute record holders are not far behind. In general, the flashlight is good.

In the camera settings, you can select a white balance preset, introduce exposure compensation, select a focusing mode, and also control sensitivity. It is noteworthy that only 4 sensitivity levels are available - ISO 100, 200, 800 and 1600, and ISO 400 is skipped. Transferring camera control to third-party applications using the Camera 2 API is not supported, and shooting in RAW is not supported. To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was captured with all available sensitivity values. Below are cropped fragments.

Sample pictures

Macro photography

Illumination 50 lux	Illumination 50 lux + flash	Illumination 3 lux + flash

Video shooting
The main and front cameras are capable of recording video with a resolution of 1280*720 pixels, which is quite expected for the most affordable smartphone in the Nokia line. But it was difficult to expect such low video quality. In the current firmware version, the video recording function in Nokia 3 is lame, and lame on both legs.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable battery with a capacity of 2630 mAh. When tested using our method described in the review, the smartphone lasted 641 minutes in reading mode, 562 minutes in FullHD video playback mode, and 243 minutes in gaming mode. The results are average, but it was difficult to expect anything else, because the system-on-chip used is based on a 28 nm process technology, which by modern standards is not very economical. Fast charging is not supported, and the 5V/1A charger configuration is not encouraging. The battery charges to 85% level in 141 minutes, and the indicator takes 192 minutes to reach full level.

Conclusion

The most affordable smartphone in the model range of any manufacturer, even purely theoretically, cannot be without drawbacks. Some of them were introduced by the manufacturer so as not to interfere with sales of slightly more expensive models, and some are the result of certain shortcomings. And Nokia 3 has enough of both. But is it really worth criticizing your smartphone for this? After all, at a relatively low cost, it has enough advantages. What does it cost? A case that looks and feels decent, with good build quality and high torsional rigidity, a good front camera with autofocus, support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band and an NFC module. But in any case, the smartphone can only be recommended to those users for whom mobile games and photos are only a secondary function of the smartphone.
Cons:
– cracking of the housing cover under pressure;
– there is no backlighting of the dedicated touch keys;
– low quality photos from the main camera;
– extremely low video quality;
– display color rendition;
– low signal level at the analog audio output;
– microUSB connector;
– slow built-in media;
– low performance of the system-on-chip;
– slow battery charging.
Pros:
– interesting design;
– high torsional rigidity of the body;
– high contrast display;
– support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi band;
– presence of an NFC module;
– relatively loud system speaker;
– relatively powerful LED flash;
– a very good (for its price segment) front camera.