When it comes to budget devices HMD Global has taken a different approach to entice the audience. The company is banking on Android One project and Google enabled AI services to compete against ever-increasing specs sheet given by the Chinese rivals. The cheapest entry representing this ideology comes with the Nokia 2.2. It borrows its cues from the Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 with its design and a dedicated Google Assistant button.
Design
The Nokia 2.2 resembles the design of the Nokia 4.2 with its slim bezels and a side-line chin at the bottom. The design is quite ergonomic thanks to its minimal footprint.
The back comes through a unibody glossy shell that can be replaced to suit your colour style. As expected, it does attract a lot of smudges and scratches that are all the more noticeable. Overall built can be claimed solid and well balanced with its smooth contours.
The dedicated Google Assistant button on the left takes the centre stage with its prompt response and accurate voice recognition.
Display
The Nokia 2.2 packs a 5.7-inch HD+ display that emits up to 400 nits brightness. It looks good and on par with the some of the good-looking devices we have come across. The colour reproduction is deep with a fair amount of outdoor brightness which makes it a manageable option.
Processor
It powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset that’s paired with 3GB of RAM. This chipset is far more convenient as compared to the subpar Snapdragon 425 on Nokia 2.1, as performed really well under our in-house testing. It handles all the apps without slack and kept the device temperatures within an acceptable category. Complementing the chipset is the stock Android Oreo OS which works flawlessly to deliver pleasing visuals and animations.
Given this chipset is a decent performer we refrained from aggressive gaming and stuck to some casual titles like subway surfer, Temple Run, Dr Driving 2, which the device handled well. Nokia has promised two major software updates and three years of monthly patches for its Android One association that means before we know it Nokia 2.2 will be Android Q ready.
Camera
Speaking about the camera hardware, it packs a 13MP primary camera with 5MP front-facing camera that is dubbed to be an AI-powered. The camera quality was not a resounding success despite its AI processing. The images were only good with nothing much to appreciate or boast about. Photos within low light conditions came out to be blurry and a bit flashed out. Given its price point we expected that, but why bother stating AI prowess if it couldn’t even pull off a basic quality of shots.
The selfie camera, on the other hand, was a bit flimsy with shots needed to be filtered before posting online. This is not a smartphone one would prefer if you are a selfie freak.
Battery
The Nokia 2.2 gets a 3,000mAh battery which should last you a day worth of moderate use age. We managed to clock an on-screen time of around 8hrs with some social media apps and a hefty 2 hr phone call from my colleague. The given 5W charger brick takes an hour or two to charge the device completely.
Gizmo Verdict
The Nokia 2.2 is yet another device from the stable of HMD global which touts its Google Partnership to persuade the audience. Being on the sceptical side of the argument we were surprised to find the association was pulled off quite well. As Nokia cleverly managed to blend the mediocre smartphone with the ubiquitous Google platform services that made this device an ideal option to consider. At an introductory price of Rs.6,999, this is a great device which provides you with the simplicity that you expect from a stock smartphone with the features that Google is known to deliver.
