GadgetsLab: NOKIA 1.4

REVIEWED BY TRINITY SALVIO

The Nokia 1.4 lives up to the brand’s famed reliability and lasting durability as a beautifully sleek and family-friendly smartphone perfect for any diverse household. Everyone can have fun together for longer with its 2-day battery life equipped with a big screen and macro camera, a winner for memory-making every day.

DESIGN 4 / 5

The review unit came in fjord blue that had iridescent purple undertones when light reflects upon the surface. The plastic back and frame make for its durable yet simplistic build that catches the eye with a slightly matte finish.

The relatively thin but flexible jelly case brings added protection for the device without adding too much weight. Easy on the eyes, as always for most Nokia smartphone designs.

Coming up to a display size of 6.51 inches and an aspect ratio of 20:9, it definitely delivers with a wide HD+ screen built specifically for a better viewing experience for children and adults alike.

The 8-megapixel main camera and flash are seen at the back with their signature ‘cyclops’ look and the fingerprint scanner just down below, with the 5-mega-pixel selfie camera at the front.

The left side of the frame is where the Dual SIM slot and Micro SD card tray fit snugly alongside the Google Assistant button (or Google Search for other units available in different countries) that also acts as an alternative lock feature.

The right side is where the typical volume and power keys are. Finally, the loudspeaker is at the lower left side of the phone, the 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB micro-B connector is found at the very bottom of the frame alongside the microphone.

HARDWARE 4 / 5

The performance rides on a Qualcomm QM215 mobile platform with an Android Go operating system. The internal storage comes starts at 32GB with expandable storage in a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 128 GB and a 2GB ram.

The 4000mAh non-removable battery is able to do much of the hefty work if you plan on using several apps all at once, a reliable feature for continuous network browsing, long periods of video calls, and extensive learning sessions for the kids.

Talk and standby times last for up to 17-31 hours and 26 days respectively with audio playback time up to 65 hours and video playback time up to 8.5 hours. The battery life lasts for up to 2 days even after heavy usage and takes about 2-3 hours until fully charged. Talk about an all-around phone built to last all day!

USER EXPERIENCE 4.5 / 5

I grew up on Nokia phones and have always loved the lasting battery life and durability of their designs. After using the 1.4 unit for a few days, they managed to surprise me with a minimalist smartphone that can handle almost anything that I could throw at it, figuratively of course. It has the standard features of your typical smartphone with an organized interface that can be easily navigated thanks to its simple setup.

The unit offers a faster and secure way of going about my digital routine with Android 10 (Go edition). I was able to set up my accounts within the hour and connected almost immediately with various Google products and services in the pre-installed apps. The Google Assistant feature can be utilized for the family to find what they need on the phone.

The Gallery Go offers a built-in gallery connected to a Google account that can automatically back up pictures online along with Camera Go and Google Lens that acts as an accurate translator for picturing documents and other items in different languages. The overall camera and video quality are decent enough as expected in a budget smartphone.

A storage indicator can be seen at the upper left corner beside the camera settings that show the number of photos that can be taken, a nice reminder for parents to back up a few photos after reaching the limit. Portrait mode blurs the background for family photos whilst Night mode enables users to take photos in low-light without using a flash. The selfie cam also flips photos to ensure selfies and background text come outright.

The downside is the low-lighting system that makes skin tone appear duller and lifeless against brightly lit or dark backgrounds. Some added grain can be seen in some shots because of this.

The auto-focus feature could only do so much before a slight nudge will ultimately ruin the image quality,

definitely not suitable for serious photography and videography. On the entertainment side, it’s not the best in providing a smooth gameplay experience. Fast-paced RPG games with complex graphics like Honkai Impact 3 are still playable but the continuous lag was a huge letdown.

Getting interrupted during combo attacks, cutscenes freeze, and delayed sequences made it very taxing and I got frustrated afterward and decided to move to the next game, The Arcana.

It can still run the interactive visual story game with some minor lag here and there. The Nokia 1.4 still manages to support relatively chill games that aren’t heavy on transitions and graphics.

As for multitasking, some apps can’t operate at the same time and their additional features are either unavailable or unsupported by the device. Using Android widgets is out of the question the home screen settings are reduced to adding app icons and screen rotation.

Opening up a bunch of applications and switching back and forth to either one can be quite tedious with the tiny preview icons for the recently used apps list. All in all, it takes a while getting used to and navigating before you can seamlessly go about your daily digital routines

VALUE 4.5 / 5

With a selling retail price of PHP 4,990, the Nokia 1.4 offers standard smartphone features at an affordable price. The budget easily reflects the limited capabilities of several apps but delivers on the overall durability and simplicity of the device. Nothing more, nothing less.

SPECIFICATIONS

Network: LTE CAT 4

OS: Android 10 (Go edition)

CPU: Qualcomm 215 Mobile Platform

Memory and storage: RAM: 2GB, ROM: 32GB3 | MicroSD card slot supports up to 128GB

Display: 6.517” HD+ | v-notch | 20:9

Camera and flash: Main: 8MP (Autofocus) +2 MP Macro | Flash, Front: 5MP

Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n | Bluetooth® 4.2 | GPS/AGPS | Ambient light sensor | Proximity sensor | Accelerometer (G-sensor)

Charging: 5V1A Charger

Battery: 4000mAh4 | Non-removable

I/O: Micro-USB (USB 2.0) | 3.5mm audio jack

Dimensions: 166.42x76.72x8.7mm | Weight 178g (±5g)

SIM slot: Dual SIM | Nano SIM + Nano SIM + Micro SD

Other: Google Assistant button5 | FM radio (headset required) | Microphone | Fingerprint sensor

Talk and standby times: Standby time up to 26 days; Talk time up to 31 hours (2G), 21 hours (3G), 17 hours (4G); Audio playback time up to 65 hours (LCD off); Video playback time up to 8.5 hours

WHAT'S HOT

• Affordable price

• Durable design

• Solid build

• Easy phone setup with Android Go

WHAT'S NOT

• Not suitable for fast-paced gaming

• Limited customization

• Grainy camera quality

BOTTOMLINE

The Nokia 1.4 certainly lives up to its name as a budget smartphone perfect for the family.