We go hands-on with the Nokia 1!
Aside from premium flagships and mid-range phones, HMD Global also launched an Android Go enabled phone for budget customers. The Nokia 1 is part of Google’s Android Oreo Go Edition initiative, which uses a tweaked version of Android Oreo to get around hardware limitations.
Nokia 1 specs
- 1.1Ghz MediaTek MT6737M quad-core processor
- 1GB RAM
- 4.5-inch display
- 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 5-megapixel rear camera with flash
- 2-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Xpress-On Covers
- Android 8.0 (Android Go)
- 2100mAh battery
Initial impressions: Plastic build but sturdy enough for heavy use
Since the Nokia 1 is a budget phone (retailing at roughly $85 or Php 4.4K) don’t expect premium materials like aluminum and curved glass. What you get instead is a plastic exterior, brightly colored depending on your palette choice.
While the body is mostly made out of plastic, it’s sturdy enough for daily use. HMD Global is reviving the idea of using Xpress-On covers which allows you to change the color of your phone depending on your tastes.
The display of the Nokia 1 is nothing special, being a 4.5-inch 854 x 480 resolution panel. Hardware-wise the Nokia 1 sports a 1.1 GHz MediaTek 6737M chip, 1GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and a 2,150 mAh battery.
Android Go isn’t completely fully fleshed out, as the navigating through the phone’s OS felt a little sluggish and choppy at times. There’s direct access to “lite” versions of Google’s apps which use less data overall, perfect for people that don’t have a lot of mobile data to spare.
We hope that Google addresses some of the software stuttering that we encountered during our time with the Nokia 1, as a fluid Android experience in budget hardware is kind of the whole point of the Android Go exercise.
