Nokia 8.3 5G Review – A Tall phone that stands tall in all aspects

By Christopher David

We have all used Nokia phones in the past and I am sure each one of us has countless memories revolving around them. Also, for many of us, our first ever mobile phone would have been a Nokia phone, such was the impact of the brand. A few years back Nokia re-entered the smartphone segment with Android devices through HMD Global and has produced some fantastic phones, the best being Nokia 8 Sirocco, which I personally use, and its just a great device to own.

HMD Global recently launched the Nokia 8.3 5G in Oct 2020. With this Nokia also enters the 5G space for faster connectivity and joins the 5G devices line-up already being sold in the market. HMD Global promises that this smartphone covers the highest number of 5G New Radio bands and is ready for both standalone and non-standalone 5G network deployment combinations that operators around the globe are rolling out. This means more people can enjoy the fast, reliable connectivity of 5G for streaming and gaming in as many places as possible and wherever you are.

Fun Fact – The 5G smartphone will also be featuring in the next bond movie “No Time to Die” in April 2021, well that’s if we are all still here 😀

Let’s talk about what the phone has to offer –

How does it look?–The phone looks dapper with a 6.81” FHD+ screen, it’s a tall phone with that huge screen for a better viewing experience. It would feel a tad too thick when compared to other smartphones, but that’s mostly because this has a glass finishing at the back. You will find the gorilla glass finishing on quite a few Nokia phones that have released in the recent past. And believe me, the glass finish makes the device look quite classy, that’s if you don’t intend to use a phone case or cover. Nokia 8.3 5G is rooted in pristine Nordic design, from its all-glass body to stunning color – Polar Night – inspired by the northern lights. Watching videos on the phone will give you quite an experience, especially because of the screen size, resolution of 1080 X 2400 pixels, and PureDisplay technology (currently only available on Nokia devices). A new addition is the fingerprint sensor which is also your power button on the right side of the handset. It works pretty well and most times with just a little touch. On the left is the Google Assistant button, which I almost thought was the on/off button when I first got this out of the box. The volume scroll up/down sits on top of the power-cum-fingerprint sensor button.

Performance – The Nokia 8.3 5G comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G which is considered to be a fast-mid-range chip, also used by Pixel 5 and OnePlus Nord. After using the phone for a while, could not find any lags, latency while gaming or while watching videos. The Nokia 8.3 comes in 2 variants, one is a 6GB RAM with 64GB of storage variant and the other would be 8GB RAM with 128GB storage. I am using the 8GB version with 128GB storage and works pretty well, can be extended up to 512 GB with a MicroSD card. This is powered by Android 10 and ready for Android 11, your box will state that for sure. Plus, you’re guaranteed up to 2 years of upgrades and 3 years of monthly security updates. For a mid-range phone and at the price it’s being offered, the features and performance are looking good so far.

Camera –This has a lot to offer as this is the first Nokia smartphone to premiere the ZEISS Cinema capture and editor app and the first to implement the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 765G 5G Modular Platform. The video mode particularly the Cinema mode will enable you to make videos with stand-out Hollywood style effects and more (I’m not kidding, but remember this is still a mobile phone and you are still a smartphone user :D). The camera is equipped with 4 lenses on the back with a 64MP main sensor implementing Quad Pixel technology for detailed shots. The 2MP depth camera allows portraits with ZEISS Bokeh for that blurred up background. The 12MP ultra-wide camera with low light performance is your buddy for wide shots. The 2MP macro lens gives you options to shoot detailed close-ups and of course, the 24MP front-facing camera is perfect for video calls, selfies, and short-form videos. This would be a great buy for content creators as it has all ingredients of a good camera and Instagramable shots. Specifically, the Cinema mode does shoot some crisp videos, and variants in this mode would also allow you to shoot retro-style videos or even black and white videos at 20 fps. The HDR and 4K resolution will give you up to a billion colors, as promised by the brand and this will come in handy in low-light areas. 

The Nokia 8.3 5G also comes with OZO audio to capture sound for your video. OZO audio records the full 360° sonic range with real-life accuracy. Also, reduces the wind on your high-intensity videos with noise cancellation and also gives you the option of adding watermarks to your work. Action Cam mode is another feature whether you’re filming your weekly/daily run, capturing an epic goal, or taking in the scenery, which shoots at 60 fps coz you are on the move. Plus, with immersive 360° sound OZO audio recording, you will reach get realistic levels of accuracy. By default, the phone will use the 16MP camera, and to use it to its full strength which is 64 MP, you need to switch on the pro mode.

Battery – Understandably with high-end features, all smartphone users worry about their battery life. The power bank industry breathes on this. The Nokia 8.3 5G is packed with a 4500 mAh battery with a quick charge feature. The battery life is impressive and will last an entire day with heavy usage, maybe even more. With moderate to light usage, it even lasts for 2 days. So, this really is an added advantage, considering the features the phone is packed with. 

Verdict – I would give it a good 4.5 out of 5 stars, especially because of the price range, the features it offers, battery life.

What’s not appealing – The 64 GB storage variant.