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Battery life
- 2,150mAh battery
- Power pack is removable
The 2,150mAh battery, by the standards of most smartphones these days, may seem slightly paltry. After all, even the likes of the modestly-priced Nokia 2 comes bearing a monster power pack, allowing it to easily make it through at least a day of regular usage.
In our day-to-day use however, we found the endurance of the Nokia 1 to be more than adequate. That is to say, with a 45-minute commute in the morning and evening, messages and emails coming in through the day, and some reading, we found that there was roughly 40% left in the bank by 10pm.
This is a relatively strong showing. Those who use their devices more lightly will be able to coax even more out, maybe even into a second day.
That said, this is no ordinary smartphone - with limited RAM and Android Go it is incapable of performing a few functions of the modern smartphone, at least with the speed that one might expect.
As such, the usage of those who wield the device changes to fit its beat, and given this the battery might not exactly be directly comparable to that of more powerful devices.
In the TechRadar battery test (which involves playing a 90-minute video), from 100% the battery dropped to 81%, a strong showing but hardly the best yet seen.
An added advantage of the battery being removable though is the ability to swap in a freshly charged unit where desired, something which hasn’t been possible in most phones for years, potentially making this an interesting purchase for frequent flyers.
Camera
- 5MP rear camera
- 2MP selfie camera
With a 5MP camera on the back and a 2MP unit on the front, expectations aren’t exactly high for the performance of the Nokia 1 on the imaging front. That it has a flash and autofocus is already the big point to takeaway, at this price point being even semi usable is the name of the game.
The camera app initially holds some promise, for although it takes quite a while to open, once it is in full swing it is generally snappy. That holds true until HDR mode is activated - snapping a shot with this on is a long, long commitment.
It is a shame then, that once the shots are ready they aren’t worth a second glance. Detail is present to some degree in the best of lighting conditions, but in rain or anything else remotely British the picture becomes far worse.
Colors become muted, and dynamic range - without HDR - is almost non-existent. As for the front-facing camera, the less said the better.
That isn’t to say the whole package isn’t worthwhile however, even if it will never reach the heights of the triple-lens Huawei P20 Pro. Though photos from the Nokia 1 will never grace billboards, for a quick Instagram snap they’re just about good enough.
