At the low-end of the budget segment, there’s not too many choices when it comes to smartphones with stock Android software. Offerings from Xiaomi may give you great value for money, but not everyone is a fan of MIUI, even though the custom skin has improved drastically with MIUI 12. And let’s not even get started about software updates. MIUI 12 is still stuck on Android 10, whether it’s the budget Redmi 9 Prime (Review) or the premium Mi 10T Pro (Review).
For those of us who prefer bloat-free (and ad-free) software, it’s basically down to two smartphones brands -- Nokia and Motorola. For years, Motorola was the king of the budget segment, but after brands like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo showed up, it disappeared for a while. About a year ago, it reappeared. Motorola did its homework and gradually started introducing budget devices that stack up well against the competition.
With Nokia, that’s not really the case. Cursorily, Nokia’s smartphones offer you pure and unadulterated Android One software, with the backing of Nokia’s reliability. But delve deeper, and things are not upto the mark, whether that’s the mid-range 7.2 or the phone I have used for a week, the Nokia 2.4. While it gets you the budget smartphone experience, the under-powered chipset rears its ugly head from time to time. And when you stack it up against the competition, it does not make for a pretty picture.
Everyone’s jumping on to the Nordic design trend these days. Marketing mumbo jumbo aside, I instantly fell in love with the rather practical design of the 2.4. I received the Charcoal (grey) option that felt solid and reliable out of the box.
The design spells quality through and through, whether it’s the well-rounded glass screen of the display or the cutouts for the ports and the speaker. It’s made out of painted polycarbonate, but the dual-tone gradient grey/black finish does not feel cheap. Add to that a super-fine ridge-like texture at the back that adds plenty of grip, apart from feeling unique.
It’s definitely better than the shiny faux glass backs that the competition throws at you in this price range. And since it’s basically painted plastic, the finish captures no fingerprints whatsoever. The Nokia 2.4 is one of those smartphones that feels solid enough to convince you to not slap a case on to it. Still, Nokia does provide a clear TPU case in the box.
The dedicated Google Assistant button is a nice touch, and you will need it when the phone is locked with the screen turned off; as you cannot summon the assistant when the display is turned off.
It’s a decent display, but that’s not the problem
With an HD+ resolution, the 6.5-inch display is not really sharp, but it gets the job done for day-to-day app use. If you have clear vision like I do, it’s easy to see the display matrix when you view the display off-centre.
The colours feel a bit muted, and the panel does not get bright enough in direct sunlight. The brightness levels also drop quite a bit when you view the display off-centre. There’s also a thick chin at the bottom edge, but that’s fine when you keep in mind the 2.4’s budget price tag.
