When I returned from Computex a few weeks ago, I picked up the box of the next review unit in the waiting line. It was the Nokia 10, the company's first Android phone meant to slot in between the low-cease Asha feature phones and Lumia smartphones. Despite reading a few pieces on the Nokia X beforehand, zippo actually prepared me for the showtime time I used information technology.

First upwards, I did what I always practice: I opened the box, removed the plastic protective fabric, took off the back comprehend, and swapped in my microSD and SIM cards from the Milky way S5 I was using previously. I was in luck, too, as there was enough accuse in the device that I could power information technology up and start using it straight away.

After the handset powered up for the commencement time, I was confounded.

Nokia Ten - $130 unlocked

  • 4.0", 800 x 480 IPS LCD display (233 ppi)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play SoC
  • one.0 GHz dual-cadre CPU, Adreno 203 GPU, 512MB RAM
  • 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot
  • 3.15 MP camera, 1/five" sensor, f/two.eight lens, 480p video
  • one,500 mAh, 5.55 Wh battery
  • Dual-SIM, HSPA, Wi-Fi b/thousand/n, Bluetooth 3.0
  • Forked Android 4.one
  • 129 grams, 10.6mm thick

Surely a handset released in 2022, even if it belongs to the lower end of the production tree, couldn't exist performing this poorly. Surely Nokia had actually spent fourth dimension ensuring the device was properly optimized. Surely they didn't release a product that felt so unfinished.

Once I finished the setup procedure I was dumped into Nokia's custom homescreen layout, again fighting my way through lag to cheque out some apps and find the settings screen. It was time to get my contacts sorted through the usual method of syncing my Google account, only oh await, there's no Google integration! Nokia overlooked this critical Android feature!

… and this was just the beginning of my time with the Nokia 10.

The Nokia 10 unit used in this review was kindly provided past MobiCity. If, for some reason, y'all really desire this phone, they will ship one to you anywhere in the world. If non, you might want to check out the much better (and affordable) Lumia 520

Design

One of the few areas where the Nokia X isn't truly awful is design. There's nothing overly inspiring about what Nokia has put together here, but information technology does get the job done in a way that's reasonably ergonomic and visually decent.

Click on any photo to enlarge

The materials used on the X's trunk accept been borrowed from Nokia'due south other smartphones. Except for the display, which is covered and surrounded by glass, the body uses a matte polycarbonate that'southward somewhat soft to affect, but even so feels solid and undecayed. The polycarbonate vanquish wraps around the sides of the device in what could exist described as a unibody, although the unabridged back portion can exist removed to reveal several slots and the removable battery. The ability button is in a comfortable location and has a decent clicky feel.

Similar many low-range handsets, the Nokia X is dual-SIM fix, allowing you to utilise equally both a personal and business organization phone with ease. Strangely, only one SIM slot is capable of using 3G networks, with the 2nd only being able to access the very slow and outdated 2G infrastructure.

The Nokia X sports a small footprint, thanks to its iv-inch display, but it'southward undeniably thick at x.6mm. Typically designers volition try and hibernate thickness through clever curves, just this didn't happen with the Ten, resulting in a phone that'south undeniably blocky.

Around the device you lot'll find typical features, such as the three.5mm headphone jack on the top, a microUSB port on the bottom, a sparse speaker to a higher place the display, and a small-scale rear speaker in the bottom correct corner. Nokia branding is minimal, but you lot'll still detect information technology on the front end and back.

In what's a showtime for Android devices, the Nokia 10 comes with just one capacitive navigation button, which has a back arrow printed on it. This is very unnatural (and annoying to utilize) equally its acts primarily as a back push button, but is also used for accessing the homescreen through a long press. Navigation becomes fiddly when there's a unmarried push button, and you lose the ability to chop-chop search or switch apps.

Obviously the choice to include just one button provides no advantage over a multiple-button setup, even with Nokia's custom software; in fact having multiple buttons would requite a much better experience. Alas, this isn't the only poorly idea out aspect of the smartphone.

Display

The Nokia Ten's display is a 4.0-inch IPS TFT LCD with a resolution of 800 ten 480 (WVGA, 233 PPI). If I had to take a guess, I'd say this display is identical to the 1 found in Nokia's budget Windows Phones, the Lumia 520 and Lumia 525.

Despite making use of IPS technology, this isn't in the same league equally the IPS panels found in high-end smartphones such as the HTC One M8. Color quality and saturation is pretty decent for a low-end handset, but there'southward noticeable backlight drain when displaying blacks and dark colors that reduces contrast.

The resolution of the console is acceptable – at a price bespeak budgeted $100 I don't expect Retina-similar quality – although at that place are upgrades to be had. The Moto E, for case, is in the same cost subclass every bit the Nokia Ten merely comes with a 960 x 540 brandish, which provides that extra level of clarity. Images and text on the 10'south WVGA display look fine, just it's not going to blow you abroad by any means.

One of the chief issues I take with the Nokia X's display is the corporeality of layers betwixt the outer glass and the display module. Having these layers increases reflectivity, making it hard to view the display when there's strong backlighting, even when it's operating at maximum effulgence. Viewing angles aren't great either, especially at low brightness levels.

Different the Lumia 520, there'due south no choice to change the colour tone or saturation of the display, and there's no option to increase touchscreen sensitivity, meaning you lot tin can't use the panel with gloves on. However, you lot can double tap the screen to wake the device, and there's a "glance screen" feature that displays the time when the screen is 'off'.

Interestingly the capacitive touchscreen is merely capable of registering two fingers at once, while most other smartphones of this era are capable of registering at to the lowest degree 5. This doesn't touch everyday utilise for deportment such as pinch-to-zoom and scrolling, but it could become an issue if you're playing games that take complex controls.

Sometimes the touchscreen appears to exist briefly unresponsive, although I'thou not sure if it's related to the touchscreen itself, or the mediocre performance which I'll discuss on the adjacent page. Either way, the Nokia X doesn't ever reply equally expected.