What's good
- Solid, attractive design
- All-day battery life
- microSD support
What's bad
- Inaccurate display
- Weak cameras
- Sluggish performance
- Video recording limited to 720p
Once a contender for the top of the mobile phone charts, the age of smartphones hasn’t been too kind to Nokia. With their latest release, they’re targeting the entry-level market. But even that market is ultra-competitive today…
Does the Nokia 3 offer a compelling experience?
Reviewers are weighing in... let's see what they have to say!
Reviewers loved the design of the Nokia 3 despite the plastic design. Reviewers found the squared design comfortable in the hand and the textured back provided plenty of grip. NDTV summed up opinions well, saying, “While [it] doesn't have an all-metal body, the quality of polycarbonate used for the back and its metal frame still make the design good overall.”
Things slide downhill from there…
While reviewers felt the 5-inch 720p IPS display offered ample detail and brightness, nearly every review mentioned a blue hue shifting colors on the display. Many also complained about reflections making the phone hard to use in bright lighting. Phone Arena described the screen as “... one of the worst displays in terms of color reproduction that we have seen in a long while.”
Performance reviews aren’t much better. The quad-core 1.3Ghz MediaTek processor and 2GB of RAM offer enough power for basic use. But reviewers found that gaming and graphics-intensive websites were slow to load and stuttered.
The stock interface on Android 7.0 Nougat impressed reviewers. This is rare in the budget market. The lack of customizations and bloatware means most of the 16GB of internal storage is free to use. Should you need more space, the microSD slot supports cards up to 128GB in capacity.
While the 2,630mAh battery might seem small when other phones are sporting batteries 3,000mAh or more, the slower processor and 720p screen help stretch battery life to respectable levels. Phone Arena noted, “... we average around a day and a half off the charger, with more intense use killing the battery in a day.”
If you run out of juice, there’s no fast charging. So you’ll need nearly two hours to go from empty to full.
Budget phones aren’t known for their picture taking prowess. The 8MP front and rear cameras on this phone are no exception. Reviewers had issues in low light and found the camera slow to focus in good lighting. If you’re hoping to take video, the phone limits you to 720p.
Overall, reviewers found it hard to recommend the Nokia 3. Alphr summed up opinions well, saying, “It’s an attractive, practical handset and one that's cheaper than most of its rivals, too. In every other respect, however, the Nokia 3 lags behind.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Hadlee Simons, GearburnThe Nokia 3 isn’t going to wow you in any particular area, but it does have pure Android and the promise of regular security updates.
- Dominic Preston, Tech AdvisorWe had high hopes for the Nokia 3, but the final phone is a bit of a disappointment. We can't deny that it looks absolutely fantastic for the price, and we're fans of Nokia's decision to stick to stock Android, but it's just cut too many corners on the internal specs to make the 3 stand out amid a f...
- Nathan Spendelow, IT ProNokia’s first stab at a budget Android smartphone is decent enough, but it doesn’t bring anything noteworthy to the table. It’s a looker, sure, and its display is pretty good, but elsewhere it's disappointing. Performance is below par, battery life isn't great and the camera isn't...
- Bogdan Popa, SoftpediaAfter using the Nokia 3 for the test, it becomes pretty clear to me that this device is not by any means aimed at users who need a smartphone as their everyday companion. If you’re the kind of user who unlocks the phone tens of times every day to do things like gaming or watching videos,...
- Florian Wimmer, NotebookcheckThe stylish casing and overall decent test outcomes in many areas bestow the Nokia 3 with a good market start in the entry-level sector.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Nokia 3 user manual here.
Nokia backs up the 3 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your 3 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Nokia support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Nokia's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Nokia 3 Manual (PDF)
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