Nokia G50 unboxing and hands on

Marin | 22/09/2021 | Phones | 2 Comments

Nokia Mobile has sent us a 4/64GB variant of the Nokia G50 in ocean Blue colour two days before the announcement. No way this happened. Well, it did and you can check out the unboxing video below, but first let’s cover the basics.
Nokia G50 is the latest affordable midrange smartphone that features 5G networks thanks to the bumped up hardware specs of the G series. Nokia Mobile did recycle not just hardware specs of previously announced models like Nokia G20, Nokia X10 or XR 20, but also a bit of the design too. This phone resembles Nokia 8.3 5G and Nokia G20, but it has some of its own perks like the super nice ripple effect of the back glass which comes in mat finish. Nokia G50 probably carries an aluminium body that is covered in polycarbonate to make it warm to the touch. The size of the device is similar to the size of 8.3, but it feels lighter than it because Nokia Mobile did shave off a few grams of the midranger.

This is an interesting midranger after all because is Snapdragon 480 will make it rather quick for everyday usage and battery efficient so you could keep it running for two days. Before I continue to the unboxing, check the basic specs.

Model: TA-1361, (code name Punisher)
Dimensions: 173.83 x 77.68 x 8.85mm
Mass: 220g
Display: 6.82” HD+ V-notch display, 450 nits, NTSC 70%
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480
Memory arrangements:
Camera: 48MP AF, 5MP Ultrawide, 2MP FF Depth, Flash LED
Selfie: 8MP
Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (6-axis), Gyroscope, E-compass, Side fingerprint sensor
Battery: 5000 mAh, 18W quick charging
Connectivity: USB Type-C (USB 2.0), 3.5mm jack, 5G, 4G, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax-ready, Bluetooth® 5, GPS/AGPS, BDS/Galileo
Other: Biometric face unlock, 2 mic, FM radio, Google key, NFC
OS: Android 11
Colors: Ocean Blue / Midnight Sun
Price: 199£ / 230 €

Here is the unboxing video done in one take :).

The box is of a similar rectangular shape as the box of G20 and it shows you the essential info, the model you are getting and the specs that should make you love G50, trust it and keep it for at least two years. The box is bringing the usual content, and yes there is a wall charger. Besides the phone, you’ll find a SIM door key that screams affordable once you take it in your hands. There is a meter long USB-A/USB-C charging cable for the 10 W wall charger. It is both funny and sad that you are offered a 10W charger and the device supports 18W quick charging, but at least you are getting a charger with the device. You’ll also find many quick guides written in different languages, and in some markets, there will be a silicone protective case.

Nokia G50 might share design with previous models, but the Ocean Blue colour makes it look stunning. The front is dominated by a v-shaped 8MP selfie camera and I still don’t know why Nokia Mobile is making these. But, luckily you won’t be noticing it is a 6.82 inch LCD screen. The large chin that holds Nokia logo is a completely different thing which should be a thing of past in the future models. The screen probably has a Gorilla glass, but there is a screen protector already pre-applied so you don’t need to worry about grooves in the first two months or so. Nokia Mobile didn’t specify which protective glass is used for Nokia G50.

The front glass slides seamlessly into the clean lines of the sides which are coated with polycarbonate that makes G50 feel warm to the touch. On the right side, you’ll find a volume rocker with a nicely defined click and a power button that has a fingerprint reader hidden in it.

The left side has a Google Assistant button that unfortunately can’t be remapped to take some other useful function. Above it is the hybrid SIM door that can take two nano SIM cards or one SIM card and a micro SD memory card up to 512 GB. The top of the device has a 3.5 mm audio jack and a perforation for one of two microphones. The other microphone can be found at the bottom part of the device, next to a speaker grille and a USB-C charging port.

The back is housing a camera module, a Nokia logo and some small prints that reveal the model number, the company that designed the phone and the country where it was made.

The camera module holds a 48 MP main shooter which was probably been used before in Nokia XR20, Nokia G20 and Nokia X10. Below it is the 5 MP Ultra-Wide camera and next to the main shooter is the 2 MP depth sensor meant for depth measurements in portrait photos. Nokia Mobile hasn’t partnered with ZEISS to bring better optics to G50, so the photo quality or its sharpness could be reduced when compared to XR20 for example. I did take some shots and compared them with Nokia XR20, so see for yourself. Resolution of the photos is reduced slightly to conserve some server space, but that shouldn’t be a particular problem when judging the color representation, sharpness or dynamic range, which is what usually differentiates smartphone cameras.

There is an obvious difference between the processing algorithms used for the camera of Nokia XR20 and Nokia G50. Nokia XR20 is coming with ZEISS optics and probably their photography software that makes photos of its main camera a bit less saturated and closer to the original colors, but generally sharper than photos of Nokia G50 camera. Nokia G50 is able to take a decent daylight photos, but just with the main 48 MP camera since the 5MP ultra-wide camera is not going to be delivering good quality shots as 13 MP camera of XR20. There is also a bit of flare seen in that photo of a water gun which could suggest that ZEISS could do it better. Software of the selfie cam in Nokia G50 is doing a better job than the software used for the selfie camera of XR20.

Also, here is the quick comparison of the photos taken by the cameras of Nokia XR20 and Nokia G50. The photos of XR20 are first in the gallery.