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Category: Android

  • Samsung Galaxy A20 and A30 Review

    Welcome to the review on the Samsung Galaxy A20 and A30 review. These are the best value for money and affordable smart phones you can buy as we write this post. They are Android OS  based smartphones and while on paper or spec sheet do not seem to have the highest performing components they are surprisingly worth considering. 

    We are reviewing the Galaxy A20 and the A30 together as they are essentially the same phones on the outside but they are quite different on the inside. If you were thinking of buying one of the other you need to check both out before deciding. 

    In terms of construction the Galaxy A20 and A30 are are two piece designs with a plastic back and a glass touch screen. Both feel good in the hand and look good at the same time. We have no complaints given the pricing. 

    In terms of hardware the Galaxy A20 has a lovely large 6.4 inch AMOLED screen as the highlight and despite the lower resolution still looks great, arguably better than the iPhone. While the CPU may not be the fastest, it works perfectly well when using whatever App you have open. The Galaxy A30 has the high resolution screen 6.4 inch AMOLED which again looks great, certainly better than any iPhone. Both also come with NFC which is even better considering the low price.

    In terms of use the Galaxy A20 is not a slow phone, opening and switching between Apps in an acceptable amount of time. There are lags every so often but it is nearly noticeable may be less than half a second when it occurs - hardly anything to complain about. Likewise the Galaxy A30 works really well too but it is supposed to be technically faster but we couldn't tell. The standout feature for both phones is that screen! AMOLED screens in such cheap phones really fools you into believing that these are much more expensive!

    In conclusion the Samsung Galaxy A20 and Galaxy A30 are very good budget smartphones. They are not the fastest but they aren't slow either, certainly better than say the equivilent  Nokia.  The FM Radio is a highly demanded feature missing from more expensive phones will help sales in some parts of the world with poor or expensive mobile data services. The AMOLED screens on both models lift the ownership experience and knowing that you didn't pay very much for them is even better! Since there is very little competition in this price range these are arguably the best smartphone to buy in this price category. 

    Specifications Samsung Galaxy A20 and A30

    • Network
      GSM 3G 4G LTE
      Dual SIM models: A20S and A30S
    • Design
      Tablet Touch screen
    • L158.4 x W74.7 x D7.8 mm
    • Weight 165-169 grams
    • Display
      A20: 6.4 inch 1,560 x 720 Super AMOLED
      A30: 6.4 inch 2,340 x 1080 Super AMOLED
    • Camera
      A20: Main 13 + 5 MP LED Flash
      Selfie camera 8 MP
      A30: Main 16 MP + 5MP LED Flash
      Selfie camera 16 MP
    • Video Camera
      1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity
      Wi-Fi,  Bluetooth, USB C, NFC
    • CPU
      A20: Octa-core 1.6 Ghz + Mali-G71 GPU (Exynos 7885)
      A30: Octa-core 1.8 Ghz + Mali-G71 GPU (Exynos 7904)
    • Memory
      A20: 3 Gig RAM 
      Up to 32 Gig for user + Up to 512Gig microSD expansion
      A30: 4 Gig RAM
      Up to 64 Gig for user + Up to 512Gig microSD expansion
    • Features
      GPS, GLANOSS, BDS
      FM Radio and 3.5mm headphone socket
      Finger printer sensor
      4000 mAh battery
      Up to 7 days standby
    • Price (RRP) history
      Galaxy A20: Under $279 AUD March 2020 (Outright)
      Galaxy A30: Under $379 AUD March 2020 (Outright)

  • Samsung J7 Duo Review
    Welcome to the review on the Samsung J7 Duo version review. We bought the J7 Duo as we needed a new dual SIM smartphone at a reasonable price and with decent performance and hardware specifications. The Samsung J7 Duo is a European and Asian/Indian marketed phone where many need multiple SIMs for travelling in different countries and for many who use it as a personal and work phone. In terms of construction the J7 Duo is a slim phone made of plastic. The back comes off so you can insert the SIM card and the memory card. The rear cover is highly integrated so you wouldn't notice it, hence it is a good design. The rear cover is typical Samsung fashion is slim and tight in the same vein as the benchmark Note but not as premium in feel. The screen is a glass one that makes the J7 Duo feel better than it should. Overall is very good for the price. In terms of hardware the J7 Duo is packed with the latest tech again beyond the price tag. That includes a Super AMOLED screen, an Octa-core 2.2 Mhz CPU, 32 GIG memory, 4G or LTE, finger print reader and an FM radio amongst it's hardware features. Note that specification often say its has 4Gig Ram but our version only had 3 Gigs which didn't seem to effect performance. For a brand like Samsung to have this sort of specifications is impressive. In terms of use the J7 Duo is impressive. It's fast and smooth despite some additional Samsung and Google apps installed as standard. Loading apps is fast and equal to any iPhone up to the 8. The finger reader is the fastest we've used is worth noting. The camera takes good pictures likewise video so we have no complaints. We like that you can place a widget on the home screen that allows you optimise the performance of the phone which it's competitors especially the iPhone really needs as the lasses iOS really lags in this area now. Yes the comparable iPhone 6S slows down notably more so that the J7 Duo! In conclusion the Samsung J7 Duo is definitely one of the best dual SIM Android OS smart phones you can buy in 2018 and 2019. (Hence we bought one) The J7 Duo sells for under 200 Euro and estimated mid $300 AUD there's little competition even from the Chinese brands. Note that getting a J7 Duo is difficult in many countries so if you happen to be Singapore, Malaysia or India see if you pick one up! Specifications Samsung J7 Duo
    • Network Quad-band GSM, 3G 4G LTE Dual SIM
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.5 x W77.2 x D8.2 mm
    • Weight 174 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED
    • Camera 13 MP auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera 5Mp front camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 1.6 Ghz (Exynos 7885) Separate Mali-G71 GPU
    • Memory 3 or 4Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 256Gig microSD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLANOSS, BDS Finger printer sensor 3000 mAh battery Up to 7 days standby single SIM
    • Price (RRP) history Approx: under 200 EURO August 2018 (Outright)

  • Nokia 3.1 Review
    Welcome to the 2018 Nokia 3.1 smartphone review. In one with the 5.1 the entry level 3.1 is another 'cheap' Android OS phone you can buy. Being one of the entry level phones for Nokia it's the top of the range entry level phone. So is the Nokia3.1 worth buying? In terms of construction the Nokia 3.1 is very good. It is just like the rest of the Nokia range mean it feels light but solid with metal and glass faced screen. There are only 3 buttons on the side, a headphone jack and SIM + memory card slot. Overall it's just another well made entry level phone. In terms of hardware the Nokia 3.1 is specifications there's a 1.5 Ghz Mediatek CPU and 2Gigs of RAM and 16Gigs of memory with a decent 5.2 inch screen and 13 MP camera and 8 MP selfie camera. In the end the specifications are not particularly impressive for the price. In the end of 2018 a we edit this review you really need more than this even in an entry level phone. In terms of use the Nokia 3.1 is good. It can run basic apps without any issues but there seems to be a bit laggy with multiple apps running. Being 99% pure Android OS this is surprising. The key feature of the Nokia 3.1 is that it is part of the Android One category of phones which means it uses unmodified version of Android OS and set standard for specifications supported by Google and the insurance of OS updates for 2 years. In conclusion the Nokia 3.1 is a decent phone for the price but there are others you can consider around the same price point. The key selling feature is the guaranteed Android OS system updates for a few years which 99% of its competitors don't even bother with. So at around $250 is a decent phone but we think that if the price dropped to $200 AUD would be definite must buy if your needs are basic. Specifications
    • Nokia 3.1
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L146.3 x W69 x D8.7 mm
    • Weight 138 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1440 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 13MP auto-focus LED Flash 8MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 1.5 Ghz (Mediatek MT6750N)
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128 Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Android ONE Li-Po 2990 mAh battery Up to 14 Days standby for average use.
    • Price history Approx $250 AUD October 2018 (Outright)

  • Nokia 5.1 Review
    Welcome to the 2018 Nokia 5.1 smartphone review. We are after a new dual-SIM phone and the latest updated to the Nokia 5 model caught our attention. We liked the original Nokia 5 but at release the price was uncompetitive and not a particularly fast phone to use, great for basic stuff but not for running multiple apps at the same time or switching between them. The new Nokia 5.1 attempted to fix that problem some to have worked. The mid year 2018 Nokia 5.1 is priced around the 200 Euros as a dual SIM version and currently not available worldwide and estimated $400 is Australia if it gets released. In other parts of the world only the single SIM version will be available. In terms of construction the Nokia 5.1 is very good. That is expected since it does has a metal back and high end looking front screen. While the materials are top end the design it's self is not. The design is looking a little old in comparison to the latest smartphones, yet in terms of it's low to mid range class it's competitive. In terms of hardware the Nokia 5.1 is specifications there's a 2.0Ghz Mediatek CPU and 2Gigs of RAM and 16Gigs of memory with a decent 5.5 inch screen and 16 MP camera and wide 9 MP selfie camera. In the end the speciations are not particularly impressive of competitive with other phones int he same price range. The microSD memory card slot is critical if you buy a Nokia 5.1 as is only has tiny 16Gig storage and less than half of is is usable. In terms of use the Nokia 5.1 is not bad considering the hardware specifications. However it's not particularly smooth or fast. However it will run everything except for demanding games. The Nokia 5.1 uses Android One which means that it is comparable with the Pixel phones in functionality and does not have any additional bloatware which means it's running as efficiently as possible to the way Android was supposed to run. It's not bad but the occasional sluggish it's probably due to it's low memory at a mere 16G and much less usable - even Apple doesn't do this any more and Nokia needs to follow suite to be remotely competitive. Sure it's expandable memory is nice but based on our experience 2Gig RAM and 16Gig storage is certainly not enough. Basic Android OS needs around 1 Gig or RAM and up to 8 Gig of storage space is used the system means not much space for anything extra. In conclusion the Nokia 5.1 is a decent phone and will work well for those in need of basic communication like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Gmail, videos and other messengers. The expandable memory card will help with the storage. However that is all that it will be able to impressively. The faster CPU simply isn't enough to compensate for the low memory specs. For the price there are a few notable options like the Sony Xperia, Samsung Galaxy and other Chinese brands. Note that we didn't include Motorola phones as since we discovered that they no longer offer Android software updates requiring you to buy a new phone if you want the latest Android OS. Specifications
    • Nokia 5.1
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L151.1 x W70.7 x D8.3 mm
    • Weight 165 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 8MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 2.0 Ghz (Mediatek MT67555)
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Fast charging capable A-GPS, GLANOSS, Ambient light, Accelerometer, G sensor, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 2970 mAh battery Up to 24 Days standby for average use.
    • Price history Approx 200E uros August 2018 but Approx $400 AUD (Outright)

  • Motorola G5S Plus review
    Welcome to the 2018 Motorola G5S Plus review. After checking out the G5S we really had to compare it to the larger G5S Plus. Since both are now in run out to make way for the G6 series they now get our attention.  The G5S Plus is the bigger screened version of the regular G5S but there is more changes than. The G5S Plus is currently priced under $350 AUD which is impressive for the spec. In terms of construction the Motorola G5S Plus is just like the G5 which is very good. The styling is old fashioned but 2018 but it still looks good enough be considered mid range. Like the G5 Sthe back panel is not longer removable and as a 2 piece slab style smartphones go it is very well made and certainly no complaints for the price. In terms of hardware the G5S Plus has better specs than the G5S better CPU, bigger screen and so forth. There are no fancy edge to edge screen, or AMOLED even multi-megapixel screen just a reasonable 1080P. Once again due to it's price we have no problems with it parts mix and it is certainly better specified than the Nokia's as an example. In terms of use the Motorola G5S Plus has a stock-ish Android interface that means it works smoothly and fast considering the hardware. We had not complaints about speed or performance in general. We also think the the Snapdragon 625 CPU SOE is probably the ideal budget compromise in terms of operation in 2018. In conclusion the Motorola G5S Plus is a great phone with the spec of a phone that usually sells for $100 more eg. Nokia 7. The G5S Plus is hard to go past when priced at a very affordable $329. Although $50 more than the regular G5S the Plus version is well worth it for the faster CPU and graphics. The G5S Plus is arguably the best value Android based smartphone you can currently buy in mis-2018. However note that Motorola's new owners Lenovo no longer offer regular or if all Android software updates so you're stuck with what ever bugs came with the phone you bought. Hence they will never be recommended by us over a brand that does eg. Nokia. Specifications
    • Motorola G5S Plus
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.5 x W76.2 x D8 mm
    • Weight 168 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 5MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 2.0 Ghz (Snapdragon 625) Separate Andreno 506 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 4Gig RAM Up to 64 Gig for user Up to 128Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Fast charging capable A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to 25 hours for average use.
    • Price history Approx $329 AUD July 2018 (Outright)

  • Sony Xperia XA1 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Sony Xperia XA1 review. Low to mid range smartphones don't get much popular coverage because there's usually nothing special about them and there's little publicity due as they don't represent the aspirations of the company. They also make a higher profit margin due to lower end technology that they made with.  However make no mistake, the mid-range class for 2017 represent great value in terms of function for your money. They do everything higher end phones do albeit at a second or two slower. The Sony Xperia XA1 is priced under $400 but loser to $350 AUD at the time of this post. In terms of construction and design the Sony XA1 features a mix of metal and plastic. It's box like design is timeless and well put together with no visible flaws. The fact the Sony have stuck with the same design philosophy is brave yet admirable as it is clearly one of the best looking mid-range phones on sale in 2017. It also gets bonus points for not looking like an iPhone. The XA1 looks and feels better than our current favorite mid-ranger the Motorola G5 Plus which is like a tank in comparison. In terms of hardware the Sony Xperia XA1 has a number of features that make it standout in the mid range class. It has a great camera specs with 23MP on the rear and 8Mp on the front and the quality of the pictures are better than any we've seen in the mid range class. A separate camera button is a great feature to take advantage of the very good camera. The Sony also packs a very good set of audio controls including equalization and DAC effects. It nice to see that Sony has kept true to it's former music history. The XA1 CPU is the latest Mediatek Octa-core CPU with a fast x4 2.3GHZ and x4 1.6 Ghz and comes with 3GB RAM, up to 32Gig and decent separate graphics GPU, so it's fast and furious for a mid-range. It also comes with quick charging which is rare in the price range. The only feature missing is a fingerprint reader. The screen resolution is 720P which is virtually the same as the iPhone and on the XA1 it does look good and comes with adjustable RGB if you really want to adjust it. We find reviewers on smart phones saying screen is bad because the compare to RGB chart and saying a phone is bad because of it - which we think it is a little stupid. Our eyes are not RGB compliant people and you really need to judge how a screen looks based  your eyes not some chart. Many also complain that the XA1 only has a 720P screen yet the same don't complain that the iPhone 6 in particular is not even 720P! In terms of use the Sony Xperia XA1 is very good. The interface is smooth and fully functional with a number of Sony developed apps for the camera and Playstation. Apps open quickly and also operate smoothly. We have no complaints in regards to how fast to works considering it's price tag. There is just usual Android OS issue with 'complexity' due to the number of customization options if you don't care about that sort of thing and ignore it. Many people buy the mid range handsets but few bother to write about them because they are in the shadow of the top range counterparts. We liked the Sony Xperia XA1 it looks good in the hand and works well. If you can't afford to buy or don't want the latest top range smartphone the XA1 is a great choice as it will do everything that you want. Those into Instagram and Snapchat will love the quality camera for the price. Note that unlike other reviews we don't compare everything to the top range phones especially when it comes to camera quality and features as they are priced at less than half the price of top range phone you should expect less! As mid-range phone the Xperia XA1 is one of the best mid range phones you can buy at the moment. Yes it is better than the Motorola G5 Plus because it looks better and works just as well. Although the XA1 is priced under $400 we feel the $350 price tag would make these phone had to pass up. Specifications
    • Sony Xperia XA1
    • Network Quad-band GSM - All Tri-band 3G - All Tri-band 4G - All
    • Design Touch screen
    • L145 x W667 x D8 mm
    • Weight 143 grams
    • Display (XA) 5 inch 1280 x 720 IPS
    • Camera 23MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080P HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Octa-core 2.3 GHz Mediatek Dual Core Mali GPU
    • Memory 3 Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 256 Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer,Proximity, Ambient Light Sony Clear Audio system FM Radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2300 mAh battery Up to 22 Days Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Sony Xperia XA1 priced under $400 AUD September 2017 Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra prices under $500 September 2017

  • Nokia 6 Review

    Nokia 6
    Welcome to the 2017 Nokia 6 specifications and hands on review.  We've reviewed the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 over the last few weeks and now it is the Nokia 6. The Nokia 6 is classed as a lower mid-range smartphone due to it's pricing and specification level. The Nokia is priced at $399 AUD in Australia as an outright purchased not locked to any network. In terms of construction the Nokia 6 is excellent for the price. All the panels fit tother and there are no cheap looking parts, overall looks great. However the design is a little on the old side, like any number of other Chinese branded smart phones with it's metal but straight cut or chamfered edges. We refer to the Chinese branded phone because the Nokia 6 is built in China. The design is clearly older than the Nokia 3 and the Nokia 5 because the Nokia 6 was release in China 6 months prior. It feels good to hold and certainly worth the price. In terms of hardware specifications the Nokia 6 is pretty average for a for a sub-$400 smartphone. The standout features are the 1080P HD screen, untampered Android OS and metal body. Unexpected features at this price point is NFC for wireless payment, Dolby ATMOS for better sound quality and a fast charger system. Overall a decent upgrade on the cheaper Nokia 5, however the two phones share the same CPU! Thanks to the additional memory the Nokia 6 seems to work more smoothly although the performance is not exactly the most impressive chapter phone we've tried. In terms of use the Nokia 6 is acceptable. The performance is smooth thanks to more memory and the screen quality is impressive better than the iPhone next to it for comparison. It is surprising how the entry level CPU can perform so well. Overall it keeps its smooth interface even when running multiple apps. However it is not a fast phone but running the all the basic social media apps revel a little sluggishness. The conclusion is that the 2017 Nokia 6 is a decent entry level smartphone the runs Android OS. The Nokia 6 no where near the best smartphone in the $400 price range, that accolade goes to the the Motorola G5 Plus for overall performance. That said the key reason for choosing the Nokia 6 is that they will send you OS updates in a timely fashion and of course being a Nokia. Would we buy the Nokia 6? Nope, because there are other better smartphones for the price.
    • Nokia 6
    • Network GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE
    • Design Touch screen L154 x W75.8 x D7.85 mm Weight 160 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch LCD 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD
    • Camera 16 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call/selfie camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4, USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz Snapdragon 430 Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 3 or 4 Gig RAM Up to Approx 32 or 64 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7 FM Radio with RDS
    • Power 3000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $400 AUD July 2017 (Outright)

  • Nokia 5 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Nokia 5 specifications and review.  We've already reviewed the Nokia 3 and found out that it was a little disappointing. We can't really understand why they released the Nokia 3 at all, maybe for those who really want a Nokia branded phone? So when we tested the Nokia 5 we had no expectations it setting any sort of performance benchmark. The Nokia 5 sells at a retail price of around $330 AUD outright/unlocked at the time of release which is reasonable for the quality of materials. In terms of construction the Nokia 5 is excellent for the price. Sure it resembles the latest generation iPhone 7 but the Nokia 5 has a better design as it hides the phone antennas. The recessed finger print scanner even feels better than the iPhone. Compared to it's competitors it's a stand out looking and feeling very upmarket. Put it simply, if your needs are basic once you hold this in your hand you will buy it above it's competitors. In terms of hardware specifications the Nokia 5 packs a screen image quality equal to the iPhone of any model. The all the physical buttons feel good and the fingerprint scanner feels better to touch than the very cheap feeling buzz on the iPhone 7. Unfortunately the price means that there are shortfalls in the specification list and that includes the base model CPU, graphics and standard RAM and storage memory. The FM radio is bonus in the streaming world. Nothing to write home about in this area. In terms of use the Nokia 5 is acceptable. The Nokia 5's interface was smooth enough thanks to the faster CPU and more memory than the cheaper 3. It will withstand more graphic and memory intensive apps like mass txt messages. It's certainly not perfect as we noticed some sluggishness with a few apps running in the background at as to top rangers 3 or 4 years old smartphones. The small RAM means that there are lots of refreshes when using the browser though. For social media, picture apps, and simple games like Clash of Clans will work great. That said it runs the latest version of Android OS and with no modifications we could easily see. The conclusion is that the Nokia 5 is a decent entry level smartphone the runs Android OS. The Nokia 5 is arguably the best entry level smartphone you can buy in mid 2017 purely due to it's screen and build quality. There is literally no other phone in the price category that can match it on the outside. However the Nokia 5's  hardware specs are on the low side even when judged based on price it is only adequate in terms of performance.
    • Nokia 5
    • Network GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE
    • Design Touch screen L149.7 x W72.5 x D8 mm Weight 160 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch LCD 720 x 1280 IPS LCD
    • Camera 13 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call/selfie camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to Approx 16 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7 FM Radio with RDS
    • Power 3000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $330 AUD July 2017 (Outright)

  • Nokia 3 Review
    Welcome to the Nokia 3 review.  Nokia relaunched the 3310 in early 2017 and now the 3, 5 and 6 series Android OS based smartphones. The Nokia 3 is the entry level model and has specifications to match. However there are a few surprises which we'll explain later. The Nokia 3 has an Australian retail and outright pricing of around $250. In terms of construction the Nokia 3 is very good for the price. The Nokia 3 has a metal frame, glass screen and a plastic back but differs to other similar priced smartphone by have equal or slightly better quality feeling and looking materials. It does't look or built cheaply which is the main factor and especially in the silver and white trim - very nice. However it does not feel like a top range phone. In terms of hardware the Nokia 3 packs a screen equal in quality to more expensive phones, it's pretty good for the price. It's probably just as good as the current iPhone SE. Unfortunately there's not much more in it's specification list to boast about. The Nokia 3 is missing features we consider essential like back lighting on the navigation buttons nitrification light. We do not consider a finger print sensor an essential feature due to the lack of security in any situation bar actually losing the phone. This is a entry level smartphone after all with just 1.5 Gig RAM is barely acceptable in 2017. It is also important to note that the Nokia 3 comes with a Mediatek CPU which means it should be priced cheaper. In terms of use the Nokia 3 is also acceptable. The main feature is that it comes with Android 7 and there are very few custom Nokia changes from stock Android we could see. The interface is smooth but it won't take much to see it get a little sluggish to jerky in some instances, with basic stuff like messages and apps like email slowing down the phone. We could already tell it's performance will be disappointing when loaded with Apps. The conclusion is that the Nokia 3 is a very ordinary entry level smartphone. We could already tell that this phone will struggle with any vaguely demanding Apps, causing noticeable sluggish performance. That said used as an email and social network platform it will be a good looking but just acceptable smartphone. If only it had another unique selling point apart from looking nice. In terms of pricing the Nokia 3's launch price is around $250 AUD outright in Australia which is a little high for the spec sheet and user experience.  That said the equivalent Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) doesn't look as good but honestly appears to perform better despite even lower specifications the biggest flaw s the tiny 8 Gig memory on some models, which should be outlawed in 2017. Should you buy a Nokia 3 ahead of the competition, in particular the Galaxy J3? We don't think so as the Nokia 3 is too expensive for the performance. Specifications
    • Nokia 3
    • Network GSM Tri-band 3G Tri-band 4G
    • Design Touch screen L143.4 x W71.4 x D8.5 mm Weight 140 grams
    • Display 5 inch LCD 720 x 1080 IPS LCD
    • Camera 16 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU Quad-core 1.4 Ghz Mediatek Mali-T720MP1 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to Approx 16 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7 FM Radio with RDS
    • Power 4000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $250 AUD June 2017 (Outright)