Nokia 3 V Review: Android Phone on Budget

Nokia has released a new exclusive Android phone at a fairly low price. Read this Nokia 3 V review for deeper insight.

Nokia 3 V smartphone was released in August 2019. In this Nokia 3 V review article, we will talk more about this smartphone. It was first launched exclusively on Verizon. This phone focuses on first-time smartphone buyers.

Anyone hoping to spend the minimum budget on their new smartphone can opt for this phone. We can say Nokia 3 V falls under the budget category for its price. However, it still offers powerful specifications.

As a user, you will still able to have access to all the essential applications. This phone will also offer the latest mobile innovations and regular updates. After all, having a smartphone on a budget shouldn’t mean passing up exciting advantages.

So, are you curious about what the Nokia 3 V brings to the table? Go check out our review down below.

Key Specs

Nokia 3 V specifications:

• Weight: 188.6g
• Dimension: 161.24 x 76.24 x 9.1mm
• OS: Android 9
• Screen Size: 6.3-inches
• Resolution: 1520 x 720
• CPU: 1.95GHz Quad-Core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 429
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Battery: 4,000 mAh, Non-removable
• Rear Camera: 13MP
• Front Camera: 5MP

Design

The Nokia 3 V might look quite familiar to you. It’s probably because this smartphone is an upgraded variant of the Nokia 3.2. It’s available in blue color. And there is Verizon branding on the rear of the smartphone.

The smartphone’s rear design is just so-so, however, the front design is quite fascinating. There is a notch for the front camera that can help secure the lenses. Under the front camera, there is a 6.3-inch display with an upgraded HD+ resolution. Alongside that, a thin bezel is spotted at the top with rounded corners. There is also a thicker bezel on the base that somehow ruins the symmetry.

Placed on the bottom is a Micro-USB port. Meanwhile, on the side, there is a dedicated Google Assistant button. You can double-tap the button if you want to show a preview of your day. It will appear on the Assistant screen immediately.

The aforementioned button is an addition intended to catch up on the trend of voice command. The power button that is also on the side can serve as a notification light. This is why the Nokia 3 V is considered a cost-effective and efficient gadget.

This phone is not only for those who want a very good quality looking smartphone. Those who don’t want to spend so much money on a smartphone can get this one as their choice.

Display

The Nokia 3 V has an expansive screen that is ideal for streaming. The screen is quite large. Its size is 161.24 x 76.24 x 9.1mm, 6.3-inch diagonally from corner to corner. The screen brightness adjusts to your surroundings whether you are indoor or outdoor.

The smartphone has a large HD+ screen with a 19:9 screen ratio. And it is equipped with Adaptive Brightness for ideal screen brightness. Since it’s adaptive, it works automatically. So, it will definitely give an exceptional multimedia experience. The display also enables you to chat with friends and operate the latest applications with ease.

The pixel density of the Nokia 3 V is 269 ppi. This way, you won’t ever struggle or strain your eyes when watching your favorite TV shows. This smartphone comes with 2.5D display protection on its screen. So, there is a slight curvature at the edge of the display.

The benefit you can gain from it is that your smartphone will have an ergonomic and aesthetic display. The curved edges are meant to be smooth. This way, you won’t snag your finger on a sharp corner.

Read also:

• Alcatel Avalon V Review: Full View Display and Easy to Carry
• LG Fortune 3 Review: 13MP Camera with Huge Battery Capacity

Camera

There is only a single camera at the back which is the 13MP lens. It highlights a lot of advanced technologies. For example, panorama, HDR, LED flash, and so forth. It’s also powered by an improved UI. This UI can help you catch your best pictures yet.

The camera in the Nokia 3 V is a simple piece of hardware for smart functionality. It has autofocus. As you already know, autofocus is a feature that can shift the focus of the camera without you have to set it manually. So, it is a good component of this smartphone.

Like many phones nowadays, The Nokia 3 V also has a selfie camera. The selfie camera is equipped with a 5MP lens. It is a wide-point lens that can create full HD 1920 x 1080 videos at 30fps.

You can experiment with the beautification feature the camera has. It works really well if you’d like to smoothen your face in the resulting picture. Though, unfortunately, we don’t think the selfie camera is powerful enough. It is weak during a low light situation.

All in all, the two cameras have the most basic features. But overall, they have the baseline set of specifications accessible in a smartphone’s camera today.

Storage

The phone has 16GB of internal storage. It can be extended with a microSD card up to 128GB. This way, you can save your photos and videos with ease. Since you have the option to save them in the internal or external storage.

However, it might be worth considering that the microSD card is not included in the box. You have to buy it separately. If you don’t like expanding, you have other online options like Google Photos. To summarize, Nokia 3 V offers an incredible storage option, offline and online.

Performance

Next, we will move onto the Nokia 3 V review in terms of its performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor gives up to a 50% improvement in GPU performance.

The improvement includes more realistic videos, faster browsing, and a better gaming experience. The smartphone runs an almost full-stack version of Android. It means there are no bloatware, no unexpected UI, and format changes.

There are times when the smartphone is struggling, perhaps due to the small capacity of 2GB of RAM. To put it simply, the Nokia 3 V has its “slow” moment. For example, opening applications need a very long waiting time. Also, playing a game might involve a good measure of buffering. However, the issues are more apparent when you use the face sensor technology.

Opening the Nokia 3 V when you are in a rush is irritating. If the camera identifies that it is the user’s face, there is an unmistakable delay. However, in terms of outputs, the camera is extraordinary in low light.

Moving on, there is one of a few reasons as to why we like the Nokia 3 V. It is because the smartphone launches with Android 9 Pie out of the box. This type of Android has AI-enhanced features.

These features help make the smartphone quicker and stronger performance-wise. It can also adjust to the user’s behavior as they use it. So, the smartphone’s experience will improve with time.

Not only that, the Nokia 3 V is good for professionals. It is because the smartphone is equipped with the Android Enterprise Recommended software. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor at the rear of the gadget for secure access.

There is a dedicated Google Assistant button for calling the smart assistant quickly. We really like this new feature. A single press on the button is sufficient to start the Google Assistant. Meanwhile, two presses on the button can give you a preview of the day.

To conclude, it is an extraordinarily basic smartphone to get on hold with. The Nokia 3 V might not exactly have a flashy feature set. However, it doesn’t mean that the smartphone looks terrible or cannot work sufficiently. For a big display smartphone that is relatively cheaper than the rest of its kind, it works well.

Connectivity

The Nokia 3 V can work on both 3G and 4G networks. It has a built-in GPS receiver. So, the smartphone can show you the specific geological area on Earth with good precision.

There are Wi-Fi and mobile data connections to help you connect to the internet. What’s more, it has Bluetooth to connect the device to other compatible devices. If you have the need to access the internet anonymously, there is a VPN available.

Not only that, this smartphone has an FM radio receiver too. The FM radio feature is great for tuning in to your favorite radio broadcast. It’s nice to have while other smartphones begin excluding a radio. Overall, these features make it seem like a decent smartphone at such a low price point.

Battery

With a large 4,000 mAh battery, the smartphone can go as long as two days. Much like its display with Adaptive Brightness, the battery also has an Adaptive Battery feature. This feature can help you manage applications that run in the background.

It can also learn your usage and minimize power consumption. This way, you can have one-time charging and spend a couple of days on weekends without any more recharge.

For an entry-level smartphone, the battery life is quite good. Especially when it has an expansive screen with an Adaptive Brightness feature. With such a demanding screen, you can go as long as two days with only a single charge.

Is the Nokia 3 V a Good Phone?

The Nokia 3 V feels like a pretty skillful low-end smartphone. Some specifications appear to be great given its moderately low cost which is $168. The smartphone might not impress you with speed. Also, the camera can’t rival more pricey smartphones with regards to taking incredible photographs.

However, it has a lot of convenient highlights to enjoy. We believe this smartphone is still worth considering especially when you’re on a budget. So, that’s our take on Nokia’s exclusive Android phone on a budget. Hopefully, our Nokia 3 V review could be helpful for you.