By Rommel Bong Fuertes Jr.
Let's call a spade a spade, an egg, erm, an egg, then we can also call the Nokia brand the grand dame of the mobile phone industry.
It’s no wonder how this company with Finnish origins has captivated the world with products built to last, and the reliability to boot.
That’s why Filipinos loved it so much! You can basically take it anywhere, from the busy Manila streets to high mountain ranges, even doomsday preppers would make this a weapon of choice when the end times come.
But it’s no surprise that Nokia has relatively missed out on a lot of drastic and sweeping changes needed to keep its lead in the game. The boom of the touchscreen generation proved to be its bane.
Nokia in all its touchpad glory, could not keep with its fancier, sleeker, and more hi-tech predecessors. Plus, smartphone brands seem to pop up a dime a dozen with a bevy of selections to choose from, sometimes even multiple releases just in a single year.
Thankfully, Nokia never really disappeared. As they say, you could never put a good phone down.
With its recent smartphone variants, Nokia has released its newest budget phones with the latest G10 model and the Nokia 5.4.
For this latest Manila Standard Tech review, we take a look at the G10 and see how it fares not only to the lore of the legendary phone brand, but with the new boys on the block.
Enter Nokia’s new juggernauts
Nokia’s new contenders in the smartphone playing field–the 5.4 and the G10–offers high performance in an entry level price.
Let’s start with the Nokia 5.4
The 5.4 is priced at 9,990 pesos, a cut above the usual price range of mobile phones that ranges from P10,000 to 15,000. Fear not, however, as its price does not do its performance justice. If you want to talk about a sure bang for your buck, this is an option.
Armed with the latest Android OS, the 5.4 can hang with the big boys in terms of software updates. It houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 microprocessor, a chip that’s more than capable of holding its own in multitasking and gaming.
It will be a breeze to level up in the occasional Genshin Impact while playing several ranked games in Mobile Legends with this device.
There is of course a bit of a downside spec-wise as it scurries behind its competitor phones. With a price below 10k, it’s somehow expected for Nokia to dial back in the memory category as it only includes 4GB of RAM. Phones in a higher range are usually equipped with 8GB or more. Fret not, as it can support up to 512 GB of additional storage.
What makes the 5.4 an absolute contender to consider is its sleek set of camera lenses. With a 48MP wide lens and 2MP depth lens, it’s capable of taking high definition shots without having the burden of finding the right focus. It’s also worth mentioning that it can crystal clear selfies with a 16MP front camera.
Charging could (literally) be a quick jiff as it supports fast charging with the Type-C USB cable.
Cheaper does not mean inferior; especially not with the G10
If the 5.4 is a bit out of your pocket’s reach, then that’s what the G10 is for. A cheaper but definitely a worthwhile smartphone.
After all, what else is Nokia known for but connecting people?
Retailed at a cheaper P6,990, the G10 is a good entry-level phone, capable of starting up your basic needs and more.
Unlike the 5.4, the G10 uses a Mediatek G25 CPU. It may not be in the same ranks as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, but it’s still definitely an arsenal for multitasking woes.
It can and may very well be students’ go-to phone for online classes and school duties.
One of Nokia’s main features that remained intact throughout their formative and progressive years, is their dedication to device stability.
While the G10 may not be like the Nokia 3310 in terms of materials used, the brand’s new budget device lives up to the quality of not being easily blemished.
The device holds an IPX2 waterproof rating. Rainy season is coming up, still worried your phone would give up on you the moment you get soaked in the rain? Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about that with the Nokia G10
Another great thing about the G10 is its battery life. Unlike the 5.4, it houses a non-removable 5050 mAH battery. The latter has 4000 mAH of battery life.
Predictably so, Nokia’s cheaper option doesn’t contain the same camera as the 5.4, but it still holds a 13MP main camera with hassle-less autofocus.
Like its “big brother” 5.4, it also has a Type-C USB charger.
While it’s true that smartphone brands all over are making waves of their own, it’s unmistakably obvious that Nokia is still competing with the best of them, even after all these years.
Don’t call it a comeback, the brand is here to stay, and it’s here to give a number of people an alternative to their usual smartphones.
