Nokia X30 review

Introduction

Play the long game. The Nokia X30's tagline hints that it's big on preserving the environment, and Nokia calls it their 'most eco-friendly phone yet'. That includes recycled (and recyclable) materials wherever possible, but also 3 years of warranty and software support. And in a lineup with no true flagship as the others understand it, the X30 sort of needs to take on that responsibility.

It's not a flagship chipset that powers the X30 - the Snapdragon 695 is anything but. A camera system with no telephoto doesn't scream 'high-end' either. Certain small omissions like stereo speakers and wireless charging continue to corner the X30 into a conventional midranger position.

But for around €450 for the base 6GB/128GB version, you're getting a pretty interesting spec sheet. Proper dust and water protection is still a rare sight in the midrange, as is Gorilla Glass Victus display protection - both present here. And since we mentioned it, the display is now OLED - it's been three and a half years since the last such screen on a Nokia.

Circling back to the cameras and with an already price-adjusted perspective, things aren't looking all that bleak after all. Most notably, the 50MP main unit on the back uses the same sensor as the Galaxy S22 - that's flagship enough. The other two cameras aren't as remarkable - the 13MP ultrawide is missing AF and with no dedicated 'macro' sidekick closeups are seemingly a no-go, and the 16MP selfie camera is neither here nor there - but it all amounts to a very reasonable configuration.

'Reasonable' can also describe other bits about the X30. Smallish at first sight, the battery capacity should be enough for the not overly-demanding internals, and the 33W charging capability looks set to deliver decently speedy top-ups without going into extremes. Alongside the OLED display, the under-display fingerprint sensor makes a return too.

Nokia X30 specs at a glance:

• Body: 158.9x73.9x8.0mm, 185g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins).
• Display: 6.43" AMOLED, 90Hz, 450 nits (typ), 700 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2 - 128GB, UFS 3.0 - 256GB.
• OS/Software: Android 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.4, 123˚, 1/3.06".
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30/60fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4200mAh; 33W wired, PD3.0.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; FM radio.

Nokia X30 unboxing

As part of the pledge for environmentalism, the Nokia X3 arrives in a recycled brownish cardboard box that's half-height - you know what that means. The charger is missing, but a cable is still provided, and that's about it. Nokia will sell you a transparent soft silicone case separately (itself packaged in recycled paper), but that's not included with the phone.

Retail package • Optional case

Mind you, there's a whole lot of paperwork inside the box, which itself took some paper and effort to make, not to mention it potentially contributed to the overall volume - a one-page Quick start guide and a QR code with a link to the rest of the stuff online would have looked (and, possibly, been) more sustainable. Then again, various regulators may be mandating this or that piece of physical literature and thus getting in the way of saving a tree, so we're not ready to blame it all on Nokia.