an introduction
Play the long game. The Nokia X30’s logo hints that it’s big on going green, and Nokia calls it the “greenest phone yet.” This includes recycled (and recyclable) materials where possible, as well as a 3-year warranty and software support. And in a lineup that doesn’t have a true flagship as everyone else understands it, the X30 needs to take on that responsibility.
It’s not the flagship chipset that powers the X30 — the Snapdragon 695 is anything but. The non-telephoto camera system also doesn’t scream ‘cutting edge’. Small omissions like stereo speakers and wireless charging carry the X30 into its traditional mid-range setting.
But for around €450 for the basic 6GB/128GB version, you get an interesting spec sheet. Decent dust and water protection is still a rare sight in the mid-range, as is Gorilla Glass Victus screen protection – both are here. And since we mentioned it, the screen is now OLED – it’s been three and a half years since the last such screen on Nokia.
Going back to the cameras and already with a price-adjusted perspective, things don’t look bleak at all. Notably, the main 50MP module on the back uses the same sensor as the Galaxy S22 — that’s flagship enough. The other two cameras aren’t great – the 13MP ultra-wide camera lacks autofocus and no dedicated ‘macro’ side telephotos seem off-limits, and the 16MP selfie camera is neither here nor there – but it all amounts to pretty much the composition reasonable.
Reasonable can also describe other parts about the X30. Small at first glance, the battery capacity should suffice for not-overly-demanding internals, and the 33W charging capacity seems designed to deliver decently fast charges without going to extremes. Along with the OLED screen, the fingerprint sensor under the screen also makes a return.
A glimpse of the Nokia X30 specifications:
- the body: 158.9 x 73.9 x 8.0mm, 185g; Glass front (Victus Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1 meter for 30 minutes).
- Show: 6.43 “AMOLED, 90 Hz, 450 nits (typical), 700 nits (peak), 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409 ppi.
- Slices: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2 x 2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold and 6 x 1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
- memory: 128 GB 6 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM; UFS 2.2 – 128 GB, UFS 3.0 – 256 GB.
- Operating system / software: Android 12.
- back camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.4, 123°, 1/3.06″.
- front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06″, 1.0µm.
- Video capture: back camera: 1080p@30/60fps; front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- battery: 4200 mAh; 33W wired, PD3.0.
- Miscellaneous: fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; FM radio.
Nokia X30 unboxing
As part of the pledge to protect the environment, the Nokia X3 comes in a half-height brown recycled cardboard box – you know what that means. The charger is missing, but the cable is still there, and that’s it. Nokia will sell you a soft silicone transparent case separately (packaged in recycled paper), but this is not included with the phone.
Retail Package • Case Optional
Mind you, there’s a whole lot of paperwork inside the box, which on its own took some paper and effort to go through, not to mention it probably contributed to the overall size – a one-page quick start guide and a QR code with a link to the rest of the items were on The Internet seems (and may have been) more sustainable. Then again, many regulators may dictate this or that bit of material literature and thus stand in the way of saving a tree, so we’re not prepared to blame Nokia.
