Looking for a good budget 5G phone is not easy as it seems. Even though there are phone companies that offer a few 5G-ready smartphones, some units are priced at the higher end of the market. And if there is an affordable option, the performance may be compromised. Lucky for us, Nokia Philippines has released a midrange 5G phone in the country — the Nokia G50. It is the newest member of HMD Global’s G series and is considered the most affordable 5G Nokia smartphone yet.

The Nokia G50 is a future-ready smartphone equipped with a battery that can last for days, has 18W fast-charging technology, and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 MP designed to optimize future technology. Combined with the latest Android™ 11 with three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrades, Nokia G50 is a smartphone that you can keep for longer.

I tried using the Nokia G50 for a month to test its performance when it comes to speed, gaming capability, sound, connectivity, battery life, and here’s what I’ve noticed:

What’s in the box + 1st impression

The Nokia G50 comes with the unit, USB type-c cable, 5V2A charger, silicon case, headset, and manual. It’s pre-installed with a screen protector. The phone has a solid built and just by looking at it, it seems like it’s very sturdy. I love the sleek minimalist design! The color of the back gives off a nice gleam as you move it in your hand.

It has a huge display in the front, with slim bezels on all four sides. The body is nearly 9mm thick and 174mm tall, and it weighs 220 grams, which is too bulky for me.

On the top of the phone is a 3.5mm headphone port for wired audio, and charging at the opposite end is performed using a USB Type-C connector.

The power button sits within easy reach on the right side, pulling double duty as a fingerprint scanner along with the volume control. While on the left side has a dedicated button for Google Assistant and a SIM/microSDXC tray.

At the back, you’ll see the circular camera bump that is common in Nokia smartphones, but for me, it is something that sets it apart from other brands.

Display

One of the key highlights of the Nokia G50 is the enormous 6.82-inch HD+ display but it has only 1560 x 720-pixel resolution. Although its IPS LCD panel does offer good viewing angles with vibrant colors, it doesn’t make up for its low resolution. Nevertheless, the display provides everything you demand from a mid-range device. It produces bright imagery and video and it has some features that I’m looking for such as the dark mode and eye protection feature.

Memory

The Nokia G50 has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, and the good news is there’s a microSD card slot to add up to 512GB to this total.

Battery

Battery life is a great advantage of the Nokia G50. It has a large 5000mAh battery which explains the size and weight of the device. Judging by my usage, the battery stays high even when running games or watching videos. It can last for 2 to 3 days with normal usage without a recharge. In terms of charging speed, the phone features an 18W charging stand that will fill the battery in less than 2 hours.

If battery longevity is what you want, the G50 is worth it!

Performance

Nokia G50 has the latest Android 11 operating system, and it’s powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 MP designed to optimize future technology. It comes with three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrades.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chip brings a decent snappiness to general usage, and smoothness to video playback, alongside providing that all-important 5G compatibility. The audio and call quality is also impressive

In terms of gaming, I had no problem playing Genshin Impact and Summoners War. The gameplay is so smooth!

Camera

The Nokia G50 may be a mid-range phone, but Nokia did not compromise on photography. The 48MP triple camera with AI imaging captures fine detail for breath-taking pictures. It also has a 5-megapixel ultrawide camera, 2-megapixel depth camera, as well as a front 8-megapixel wide camera embedded into the bezel of the display. It has a selfie video stabilization where you can stay steady in the frame even if your arm isn’t. Plus, the super Night Selfie mode will ensure your selfies look equally great in low light. 

Here are the sample photos I took using the Nokia G50:

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The image quality from the 48MP main sensor is solid. The photos turn out to be bright, sharp, and relatively natural. You’ll get the default color gradation and color saturation. Besides regular shots, the photos from 2x zoom are also pretty impressive.

Nokia G50 Specificications

Brand/CA:	GSM : 850, 900, 1800, 1900 WCDMA : 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 LTE: 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12/17,13,20,28,38,39,40,41(full), 66 5G Sub 6: TDD: n78, n38, n41(full) FDD: n28, n3, n1, n7, n5, n2, n66
OS	Android 11 (64bit)
CPU	Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 480 Mobile Platform
Memory and storage	RAM/ROM: 6/128GB3 MicroSD card slot supports up to 512GB
Display	6.82” HD+ V-notch display Brightness 450 nits (typ.), NTSC (typ.) 70%
Camera and flash	Main: 48MP AF + 5MP Ultrawide + 2MP FF Depth, Flash LED Front: 8MP
Connectivity	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax-ready Bluetooth® 5 GPS/AGPS BDS/Galileo Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Accelerometer (6-axis) Gyroscope E-compass Side fingerprint sensor
Charging	18W quick charging compatible
Battery	5000mAh4 , Non-removable
I/O	USB Type-C (USB 2.0) 3.5mm audio jack
Dimensions	173.83 x 77.68 x 8.85mm Weight 220g
SIM slot	Nano SIM + Nano SIM + MicroSD hybrid slot (Dual SIM only)
Other	Biometric face unlock 2 mic FM radio Google Key NFC

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A03s Review

Love it, trust it, keep it!

Nokia G50 is a future-proofed smartphone that’s great for today, and ready for tomorrow. It is loaded with everything you would expect from a Nokia smartphone including build quality. Even without its 5G capabilities, the Nokia G50 would be a good choice at the price point. The software, battery life, and decent cameras are the reasons why I recommend this phone. The 5G will just help it last you longer. The two years of OS upgrades means that the G50 is also ready for Android 12. Your security is nicely assured with three years of monthly security updates giving you the cutting edge of phone protection.

The Nokia G50 is priced at 13, 990 PHP and available in Midnight Sun and Ocean Blue