Nokia 3.2: Features | Pricing | Specs

Nokia 3.2

• Display

  6.26 inches

  720 x 1520

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• Storage

  16GB, 32GB

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• Battery size

  4,000 mAh

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The Nokia 3.2 sells itself on a low asking price combined with a phenomenally large battery capacity.

Nokia is no stranger to the budget Android phone space. Ever since HMD Global (the folks who hold the licence to produce Nokia-branded handsets) leapt back onto the world stage in 2017, its best products have been among the industry's cheapest.

Cheap doesn't have to mean awful though and the Nokia 3.2 shows plenty of promise with the clean approach of an Android One phone and an especially generous battery to boot.

Design

• Large 6.26-inch display
• Black and Steel finishes
• Dedicated Google Assistant button

• Read our full overview of the Nokia 3.2's design

  If there's a primary innovation that Nokia has brought to the budget space, it's the idea that a budget phone doesn't have to look bad just because it's cheap. The Nokia 3.2 features a large 6.26-inch display, so it's a decent budget match for your streaming video needs, if not quite a 2K or 4K resolution panel.

  One interesting inclusion on the Nokia 3.2 is the dedicated Google Assistant button. You can of course invoke this with your voice, but if you want a fast and easy launcher, it's right there, and a true rarity at this price point.

Camera

• 13MP rear camera
• 5MP front camera

• Read our full overview of the Nokia 3.2's camera

  Nokia's lower-priced phones don't benefit from its tie-up with ZEISS Optics and they've often been the weakest part of each individual phone's offerings.

  With a primary rear 13MP sensor and front-facing 5MP sensor on the Nokia 3.2, we're not expecting stunning imagery to speak of, but it should at least be able to shoot basic photos.

  It's something of a rising tide lifting all boats situation, where the pushes in flagship phone photography have shifted downwards so that even quite basic phones can manage reasonable photography too.

Performance

• Snapdragon 429 processor
• Android One means no cluttered apps and quick updates

• Read our full overview of the Nokia 3.2's performance

  The Nokia 3.2 isn't likely to be a performance powerhouse, running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 429 processor. That's a function of what you're paying for it and typically Qualcomm's processors are a little better than the MediaTek equivalents at the same price points.

  The Nokia 3.2 will present an essentially "clean slate" Android 9 approach, because like most of Nokia's phones, it's part of the Android One program. Android One phones have minimal additional software pre-installed, with security and OS upgrades are handled by Google itself.

  This has two primary benefits. Firstly, you're not stuck with a bunch of vendor-specific apps you probably didn't want in the first place. You can set up your Nokia 3.2 the way you like it, not the way the vendor or your carrier wants it.

  Also, Android One phones see security updates rapidly and the same is true for full OS upgrades. You're promised at least two years of upgrades for the Nokia 3.2, which means it should see at least Android "Q" and possibly Android "R" upgrades, depending on how Nokia places that two-year span. Most Android phones never shift outside the OS version they shift with, so this means you'll be more secure and have better optimised code on the Nokia 3.2 over time.

Battery

• 4,000mAh battery

• Read our full overview of the Nokia 3.2's battery

  Buy a cheap phone, get a tiny battery, right?

  Nokia has clearly thought differently on this score, packing a hefty 4,000mAh battery into the Nokia 3.2's frame.

  This is one area where that Snapdragon 429 processor gives it an edge. It's not a powerful processor, but that means it's also not sucking down a whole lot of power per se.

  The display is large and that will use up a fair chunk of power, but with a battery this size Nokia's claims of "up to" two days of battery life sound quite credible.

Early verdict

• A potentially great phone for the cash-strapped buyer who hates a flat smartphone

• Read our early verdict on the Nokia 3.2

  Nokia has done great work in bringing well-designed low-cost phones to the Australian marketplace and the Nokia 3.2 looks like another winner, especially if you suffer from battery "range anxiety" with your phone every day.

Pricing and availability

• The Nokia 3.2 was launched at MWC 2019 on 24 February 2019
• Australian availability and pricing not announced yet

Nokia launched the Nokia 3.2 on 24 February 2019, with expected availability in the US market in April 2019 at US$139. After currency conversion that should suggest an Australian price around $200, but as yet we've not heard specific plans for an Australian launch.

Nokia 3.2 specs

Compare SIM-only plans for the Nokia 3.2

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