Announced as far back as February 2019, it wasn’t until June that the mid-range Nokia 3.2 finally hit the shelves in stores around the world. We have one here at Mobility Arena for review and have made its acquaintance. What kind of personality does it have? This is the objective of our Nokia 3.2 hands-on review. But before we dive in, let’s have a look at the specifications and features that it comes with.
Nokia 3.2 specs
- Body: Polycarbonate shell;
- Screen: 6.26-inch, 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 apsect ratio, IPS LCD with a notch.
- Rear Camera: 13MP, f/2.2 lens; LED flash; 1080@30fps video recording,
- Front Camera: 5MP; 1080p@30fps video recording
- Chipset: Snapdragon 429 platform, octa-core CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz, Adreno 506 GPU
- Memory: 2/16 GB or 3/32 GB, plus dedicated microSD slot for up to 400GB expansion
- OS: Pure Android 9 Pie;
- Battery: 4,000mAh, with10W charging
- Connectivity: Dual SIM (4G), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, FM radio, microUSB 2.0
- Colors: Black; Steel.
- Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner (on 32GB model only).
You can access a more detailed specs page HERE.
With the specs out of the way, it is time to meet the Nokia 3.2 in person. What kind of personality.
Nokia 3.2 hands-on review
The Nokia brand has been known for well-built and durable hardware. That fact jumps at you again when we picked up the Nokia 3.2.
It is made of a lightweight polycarbonate that feels very solid in the hand. The 3.2 gives the impression that it can weather a few storms without breaking. Which is always a good thing. Yet, it does not feel tank-heavy. Which is a good thing too.
The 6.26″ display is beautiful and has one of those small notches sitting at the top, where you will find the 5MP selfie camera.
Flipping to the back, we find a 13 MP camera and LED flash. There is no fingerprint reader here; the 32GB variant of the Nokia 3.2 has that. This review unit is the 16GB variant. You will have to make do with Face Unlock or a good old PIN, pattern or password for security on this variant.
Setting up the phone after first boot, we experience the nice haptic feedback that we have come to know with Nokia smartphones.
Speaking of storage, out of the box, “System” and pre-installed apps used 10 GB out of 16 GB. That leaves the user with just 6 GB storage for photos, videos, more apps, and other files. You will need a memory card with this one.
The hardware Google Assistant button on the left edge of the phone is an interesting feature. Personally, I’d rather a button to activate Assistant than have Assistant listening for a keyword. We do have to confirm though whether or not the presence of a button means Google Assistant won’t listen.
It would be bad taste not to mention that knowing that the Nokia 3.2 has a beefy 4000mAh battery is comforting. Without bloatware and a custom UI to put more load on the battery, and with AI Adaptive Battery built in, this should be a phone that goes on and on and on before the battery empties.
And more good news: that 10W fast charging is built in to help speed up the first 30 minutes of charging it from zero. Lastly, let’s touch briefly on photography. The few quick photos we took with both selfie and rear cameras of the Nokia 3.2 came out good. Here is a sample taken with the 13 MP rear camera:
Not bad at all for a photo taken in full weather. We will provide more details and sample photos in our in-depth review. The Nokia 3.2 16 GB sells for ₦40,000 in retail stores across the country. Outside Nigeria, it is also available all over Africa. Both variants of the phone are also on sale in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
That’s it for our Nokia 3.2 hands-on review. Feel free to ask us about questions you would like answered in our in-depth review.