Nokia X30 review

Competition

The X30 is as close as Nokia has to a flagship right now, but in the grand scheme of things, it's a midranger through and through. At the time of writing, its price hovers around €450-500 for the 6GB/128GB version and for that kind of money, you can have some pretty compelling alternatives.

Possibly the go-to midranger in the office (now that the A52s stock appears to have been mostly depleted), the Galaxy A53 springs to mind first, and it's a lot cheaper - say, €150 cheaper. The Galaxy is also IP67-rated, so the Nokia loses one of the major advantages going for it in this bout. The A53's display and chipset are slightly better, and its camera system is more versatile (4K video, consistent during the day, macro). Overall, the Galaxy seems like a way better deal.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, the Nothing phone (1) could be a viable option. The flashy LEDs on its back are its main claim to fame, but it's also got a better display than the X30's and its Snapdragon 778 is way more powerful than the Nokia's SD695. The Nokia does charge faster, and has that IP67 rating for peace of mind. Arguably the better cameraphone of the two, the (1) also scores a victory for battery life and is some 15-20% cheaper. Another tough comparison for the X30.

Perhaps part of the reason you might be after a Nokia X30 is its Android One-ness, and one better than that is an actual Google Pixel phone, the 6a, for example. Going for the Pixel, you'd be missing out on a high refresh rate screen (the Nokia's 90Hz is still something), and charging is pretty sluggish. On the other hand, the vastly more powerful Tensor chipset is in the Pixel's favor, while the 4K recording and Google processing magic make it better for capturing memories too. It's marginally cheaper than the Nokia at MSRP, but not enough for that to be a deciding factor.

On the opposite end of the stock-vs-custom spectrum, the vivo X80 Lite's Funtouch OS may not be to everyone's taste, but the vivo has a few things going for it. The fancy UV-sensitive back panel may be a gimmick, but the 50MP selfie camera is properly good, and you get 4K recording front and back, which is two more 4K-capable cameras than what the Nokia has. A bundled charger (only one in this bunch) and a microSD slot together make the vivo a standout proposition, and the slightly more powerful chipset compared to the X30'с doesn't hurt either.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G • Nothing Phone (1) • Google Pixel 6a • vivo X80 Lite

Verdict

Let's get this out of the way first - at its €520 MSRP the Nokia X30 is anything but a bargain, and you'd find better value pretty much everywhere else you look. We've seen deals and discounts bring that number down to €450 but even that doesn't make it noticeably more financially appealing.

We'd be willing to accept that price if the phone didn't have any major flaws, but the choice of chipset inherently comes with at least a couple - so-so performance and limited video recording capabilities. The shaky showing of the main camera - in daylight, of all cases - doesn't help and neither does the single loudspeaker.

Having said that, the Nokia X30 does a few things differently than the masses, and you could find the value there. The 3-year warranty is nice if you're one to keep your phone for as long as it will last, and having guaranteed software updates for as many years is most welcome. That software is a selling point in itself if you're a stock Android fan. And the X30 is good in a lot of hardware aspects too - the display is solid, battery life and charging speed are competitive, and the dust- and water-resistance aren't a universally available feature in the class.

All things considered, the Nokia X30 isn't exactly worthy of a raving recommendation, but it just about qualifies for a 'conditional' one - at the right price and after careful weighing of the pros and cons.

Pros

• Dust- and water-resistant, feel-good environmental pledge.
• First OLED on a Nokia in a long while, and it's a good one.
• Good battery life and charging speed.
• Android One will please purists, the 3-year OS and security update policy is most welcome.
• 3-year warranty.
• Particularly good photo quality at night for the class.

Cons

• No stereo speakers.
• Underpowered chipset for the money.
• Sub-optimal photo quality from the main camera in daylight.
• No 4K video recording, disappointing video capture in general.