They might not be the household name they once were, but ask anyone of a certain age about Nokia, and you’ll get a faraway look and a story about their first Nokia phone and the battles it survived. Nokia and phones have evolved a lot over the years, but their new Nokia 6.2 proves they still make sturdy, trusty companions!
The Nokia 6.2 is, to put it simply, a solid workhorse. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with a 3500 mAh battery, so it’s got battery life to spare, and plenty of power for everyday activities. This also an Android One device, meaning it has a few extra perks: you get at least 3 years of security updates, a clean unskinned version of Android, and unlimited uploads to Google Photos. It’s a snappy, responsive phone with 3 cameras, a dedicated Google Assistant button, a high definition 6.3-inch screen, and it won’t break your wallet at $249.
Specifications
Design
- Colors Ceramic Black, Ice
- Size 159.92 x 75.15 x 8.25mm
- Weight 180g
Performance
- Operating system Android 9 Pie
- RAM 3/4 GB
- CPU Qualcomm® Snapdragon 636
Display
- Size 6.3”
- Type FHD+ with PureDisplay
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Connectivity
- Cable type USB Type-C (USB 2.0)
- SIM cards Single SIM
- SIM card type Nano-SIM
- Sensors Ambient light + RGB sensor (2 in 1), Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope
- Other NFC (excluding India)
- Keys The Google Assistant Button
Network and connectivity
- Network bands GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900; WCDMA: 1, 5, 8 | LTE: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41 (120MHz)
- Network bands (Latin America and USA) GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900; WCDMA: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 | LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12/17, 13, 28, 66
- Network bands (India) GSM 900, 1800; WCDMA: 1, 5, 8; LTE: 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 (120MHz)
- Network speed LTE Cat 4
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth 5.0
- GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS+Galileo
Storage
- Internal storage 32/64/128 GB
- MicroSD card slot Support for up to 512 GB
Audio
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Qualcomm aptX audio
- FM radio
- 2 microphones
Cameras
- Rear cameras 16 MP, 5 MP depth sensor, 8 MP sensor with ultra-wide lens
- Rear flash LED
- Front-facing camera 8 MP
Battery
- Battery type Non-removable 3500 mAh
- Charging 5V/2A compatible
I’m pretty deep in the iOS ecosystem thanks to some work restrictions, but it was a snap to get set up on the Nokia 6.2. I’ve used Android before, but it’s been a few years, and it was impressive how simple and smooth the entire setup process has become. I had zero issues with setting up apps and found the operating system to be quite fluid and responsive. I also had my son use the 6.2 a number of times to play games, watch videos, etc., and he similarly had no issues. If anything, he seemed to find it even more intuitive than I did, which was impressive for a 6-year-old who’s never really used an Android phone before.
Battery life has been every bit as good as advertised, if not better. To be fair, I’m on Verizon, which officially doesn’t support the Nokia 6.2, so I didn’t get much of a chance to use it on cellular, but I did set up Slack, Facebook Messenger, Viber, 2 email addresses, Amazon Kindle, and a slew of games on it…and using it like effectively a very small tablet only drained the battery after a week or so. It just would not die, which was pretty impressive.
The screen is quite bright and clear, and the video quality is excellent. I tested Disney+ on it, and my son had no issues with watching Gravity Falls, which is clearly the most important metric by which all devices should be measured. The sound quality was excellent as well. I’m not a hardcore gamer, but Minecraft ran well on it, as did Fieldrunners 2 and some other casual games. Also, Nokia’s managed to fit the front-facing camera into the screen with a little dip, instead of a large chunk like the iPhone or a punch-hole like some Android devices have used.
I was also impressed that the 6.2 came with facial recognition, passcode lock, and a fingerprint reader. It gave multiple ways to unlock the phone, and I really liked the placement of the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. It was a natural place to rest my finger, and it worked perfectly as a way to unlock as I held the phone. Also, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is sort of like spotting a chupacabra these days. And like all phones in 2020, it uses a USB-C for easy charging. One little touch that I also really liked is that the power button lights up when there’s a notification, giving you a subtle alert without being disruptive.
There are some tradeoffs with a $249 phone, and the main one here is photography. It takes good photos, but when you compare them to the photo quality of my iPhone 11, there’s a definite difference, as you can see below:
Left: iPhone 11, portrait mode Right: Nokia 6.2, portrait mode
Left: iPhone 11 Right: Nokia 6.2
Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Nokia 6.2. You get a big screen, multiple security unlocking features, and a battery that lasts. You aren’t getting flagship-level photography, but you’re definitely getting a decent camera, and for the price, the overall package is truly amazing.
The Nokia 6.2 retails for $249 and it is available directly from the manufacturer and from Amazon [affiliate link].
Source: Manufacturer provided a review sample
What I Liked: Long battery life; Bright screen; Speedy user interface; Android One offers lots of upgrades and support; Loud speakers; Solid build quality; Has a 3.5mm jack!
What Needs Improvement: Camera is decent but not spectacular
