HMD Global, which owns the brand license for Nokia, has kicked off 2021 with the launch of two new smartphones in India. The all-new Nokia 5.4 and Nokia 3.4 represents yet another smartphone to complete in the highly competitive sub 15k price category. However, with a slew of camera features and software that beats the completion, does the Nokia 5.4 has what it takes to lure the masses. Well, let’s find out.
Design
The Nokia 5.4 comes with a polycarbonate back design that depicts a woven texture visible to the naked eye. The design is quite intriguing and offers a sturdy grip for people with slippery hands. The company also bundles a transparent plastic back cover in the box which always deserves a thumbs up from us as the device does attract a lot of fingerprints.
The device is slim coming in at just 8.7mm and weighing just under 185 grams. The buttons too feel a lot tactile but are a bit more flushed into the frame. There is a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left, a fingerprint sensor on the back, while a headphone jack and Type C port sit at the bottom.
Display
The 6.3inch display of the Nokia 5.4 feels large but has a native HD+ resolution (720×1560) which is a lot disappointing given the competition. However, on the flip side, the color and brightness seem to do the job if you are not an avid Netflix viewer. Outdoor visibility takes a hit as we struggled to discern any text while seeing the display under direct sunlight.
Processor
When it comes to performance, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC on the Nokia 5.4 can handle every task with exceptional ease. Be it streaming videos, listening to music, texting, browsing on social media, making calls, or playing basic games like Candy Crush, Temple Run, Subway Surfer, the Nokia 5.4 handles everything beautifully. We didn’t notice any lag or heating issue despite running the device for countless hours.
Coming to the user interface, the near-stock Android experience that is devoid of any bloatware or ads, provides a superb experience among the lot. Plus, it comes with a promised support for two years of the latest Android OS which is great.
Camera
The device comes with a quad-camera setup of a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 5-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor on the back. While the overall image quality doesn’t differ, what`s changed is the color saturation. The device now captures life-like colors with natural tones that are a lot more soothing and factual. Low light images too were good and on par with the competition with nice color accuracy and less grainy subjects.
The device support 2x Optical Zoom, 5X hybrid zoom, and 8X digital zoom which results in better shots that are taken from a distance. The amount of clarity you get is visible once you compare a single 48MP shot and one taken using the zoom function.
The company touts the Cinema Mode which lets you capture wide dynamic shots in SDR mode, with the help of an H-Log Assist and OZO support for audio capturing. This feature, although not superb in itself, is a step in the right direction as it shows how the company evolves to satisfy the needs of a user.
Taking about the 16MP Front Camera, the results were quite average and passé. Under adequate lighting conditions, we got some ideal-looking shots but the dynamic range takes a huge hit which makes you want to edit each image.
Battery
The device is powered via a 4000mAh battery which can easily last for up to two days of moderate to heavy use. The device achieves this feat through the slew of battery-saving optimization done on the amazing software front. However, charging the smartphone is a task in itself as the device uses an age-old 10W charger given inside the box which takes 2+ hours to juice it up.
Gizmo Verdict
The Nokia 5.4 is a great deal ahead of the earlier Nokia 5.3 launched last year. The device offers great design, redefined camera capability, and a no-nonsense UI that both good on battery and performance. However, major cons like lack of an FHD display, Fast Charging support, and slow processor makes it a hard sell. Never the less the Nokia 5.4 is a good option if you cherish the simple and elegant quirks of this new smartphone that won’t break your bank at a price tag of under 15K.
