Nokia G60 hands-on review
Introduction
Buying a smartphone is simple - you weigh the features against the price and try to find the best value. At least, that"s how reasonable buyers do it.
Looking at the phone"s specs goes a long way, but it"s far from the full story. There"s more to consider - like HMD"s 3-3-3 promise for the Nokia smartphone lineup - that"s three years of OS updates, 3 years of security patches, and 3 years of warranty. That certainly enhances a phone"s value if you plan on sticking with it for a few years. Some buyers would even rate it higher than a 108MP camera, or 5,000mAh battery.
Nokia"s name still carries a certain weight with buyers, especially those in Europe. Some people open Amazon, type in Nokia, and get busy ordering.
Those people would be happy with the Nokia G60 because it"s a solid phone with an okay price and the aforementioned stellar software support. But we"re different here at GSMArena. We"re the types to do thorough analysis and compose Buyer"s Guides to help those reasonable people get the best deal. And we"ll have our say before this hands-on is done.
Let"s first look at the Nokia G60 key specs.
Nokia G60 specs at a glance:
- Body: 166.0x75.9x8.6mm, 190g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back; Splash resistant.
- Display: 6.58" IPS LCD, 120Hz, 400 nits (typ), 1080x2408px resolution, 20.07:9 aspect ratio, 401ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
- Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- OS/Software: Android 12.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.5", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2, 1/5"; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 4500mAh; 20W wired, PD3.0.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; 3.5mm jack.
The Nokia G60 is placed in an increasingly busy segment around the €300 price point. Most of its competitors pack larger batteries, chargers in the box (not to mention fast ones), AMOLED displays, better secondary cameras, and sometimes, more capable chipsets.
Nokia tries to counter the specs inferiority with stock Android software, the promise of better support, and a focus on reducing the carbon footprint. The G60 comes in a box made of recycled paper, while the phone uses recycled plastic - the back panel is 100% recycled, while the frame is 60%.
This will matter to some buyers and surely to the planet. But they only matter if the final product is any good, so let"s have a look.
Design and handling
Nokia is very serious about its environmental footprint so it ships the G60 in a fully recycled box with a USB cable and no charger. The box itself features placeholders for other accessories and Nokia ships the G60 with a 20W charger in certain markets.
The Nokia G60 is a conventional-looking device that"s big but not huge. It has a 6.58-inch 1080p IPS display complete with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, which means it will toggle the maximum 120Hz when you interact with the display and go back down to 60Hz when it"s idle. Videos are automatically capped at 60Hz, while webpages are refreshed at 120Hz (while you"re touching the screen).
The panel is nicely sharp at 401ppi and retains most of its legibility when looked at from an angle. Colors are vivid and there is a great amount of contrast for an LCD. The panel has a blueish tint out of the box but there"s a white balance slider that"ll make things right when pushed to the Warm side the appropriate amount.
At 390 nits the display is sufficiently bright if far from blinding. There"s an additional boost in Auto mode, that pushes the panel to 440 nits in direct sunlight. The glass atop the display is Gorilla Glass 5, while the 8MP selfie camera sits on a waterdrop notch.
The casing of the Nokia G60 is plastic. The frame, which is made out of 60% recycled plastic, is flat and grippy.
There"s a two-stage volume button on the right with a power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner underneath. The capacitive reader is snappy and without issues. The only thing worth mentioning is the tedious setup process - there are only so many ways I can twist my thumb for you, G60.
The phone is IP52-rated, which means it"s nearly dust tight and can deal with rain. Moving on to the left side of the phone, there"s a hybrid dual SIM and microSD card slot, which means you can have two cards at a time.
The left side and the SIM slot
There"s a secondary microphone on the top, while on the bottom of the G60, there"s a USB-C port flanked by the 3.5mm headphone jack and the only speaker.
The rear panel is made of fully recycled plastic. Nokia has added a tactile blotchy texture to the rear panel to perhaps solidify the feeling that you"re being good to nature, but it makes the phone feel better and different.
The back is also where you"ll find the main cameras. The main wide camera has a 50MP sensor and an f/1.8 lens, while the 5MP ultrawide unit has an f/2.2 lens and fixed focus. There"s a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor and an LED flash.
The Nokia G60 feels balanced in the hand. It"s not too heavy at 190g and the flat frame doesn"t dig into the hand.
Near-stock Android 12
The Nokia G60 runs a relatively unmodified version of Android 12 with a now-old August security patch, not exactly impressive given the 3 years of security updates promise.
The Nokia G60 packs a Snapdragon 695 chipset with 6GB of RAM. The device runs well with little to no hiccups and slowdown. In fact, we feel that the Nokia G60 runs considerably smoother than other Snapdragon 695-powered handsets with custom Android skins.
The UI and overall appearance are close to stock Android. That includes the new pill-shaped quick toggles in the notification shade. And once again, it does not include the toggle for automatic brightness, and you have to dig deep into the settings menu to enable or disable the feature.
No change in the recent apps menu that displays apps in a carousel formation and no change in the app drawer as well. The iconography in the general Settings menu has been revamped, though, so it might take some time to get used to.
Performance
Compared to the Snapdragon 690, the 695 has newer, more powerful CPU cores and GPU. The chip boasts 5G and is based on a reasonably modern 6nm manufacturing process by TSMC. The main two Kryo 560 Gold (Cortex-A77) cores are replaced with Kryo 660 Gold (Cortex-A78) cores clocked at 2.2 GHz while the six energy-efficient Kryo 560 Silver (Cortex-A55) clocked at 1.7 GHz remain the same. There"s only a change in the name, now called Kryo 660 Silver.
The Adreno 619L GPU has been replaced with a regular Adreno 619. The SD695 now supports faster LPDDR4X memory at 2133 MHz as well.
We"ve pitted the Nokia G60 against a bevy of similarly-priced opponents with chipsets ranging from the Snapdragon 778G, the Mediatek Dimensity 920, 900, and the Exynos 1280. In the G60, the Snapdragon 695 posted middle-of-the-pack results.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2801 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
2796 - Realme 9 Pro+
2335 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
2225 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
2157 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
2063 - Realme 9 Pro
2020 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
1964 - Nokia G60 5G
1908 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
1900 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
1891 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
1873 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
1820 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
1729 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
1662
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Realme 9 Pro+
814 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
771 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
743 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
742 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
736 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
728 - Realme 9 Pro
694 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
688 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
670 - Nokia G60 5G
668 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
603 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
588 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
526 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
511 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
376
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
506432 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
504424 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
437872 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
436640 - Realme 9 Pro+
416031 - Nokia G60 5G
402664 - Realme 9 Pro
401894 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
394918 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
382902 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
380818 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
379313 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
360255 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
319093 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
308741 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
244526
GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
19 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
18 - Realme 9 Pro+
17 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
15 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
15 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
15 - Nokia G60 5G
12 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
12 - Realme 9 Pro
11 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
9.2 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
8.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
4.6
GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
13 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
13 - Realme 9 Pro+
11 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
10 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
10 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
10 - Nokia G60 5G
7.8 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
7.8 - Realme 9 Pro
7.8 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
7.8 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
6.1 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
5.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
3.1
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
20 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
19 - Realme 9 Pro+
16 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
15 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
15 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
14 - Nokia G60 5G
12 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
12 - Realme 9 Pro
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
8.7 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
7.7 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
4.8
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
14 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
14 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
10 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
10 - Realme 9 Pro+
10 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
9.4 - Nokia G60 5G
8.2 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
8.2 - Realme 9 Pro
8.2 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
8 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
5.6 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
5.1 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
3.1
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
28 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
28 - Realme 9 Pro+
23 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
22 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
20 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
19 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
19 - Nokia G60 5G
17 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
17 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
16 - Realme 9 Pro
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
13 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
6.8
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
33 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
33 - Realme 9 Pro+
27 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
25 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
24 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
23 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
23 - Nokia G60 5G
20 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
20 - Realme 9 Pro
19 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
19 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
8
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
49 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
47 - Realme 9 Pro+
41 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
38 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
35 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
35 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
35 - Nokia G60 5G
30 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
30 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
29 - Realme 9 Pro
29 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
23 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
22 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
21 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
12
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
56 - Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
56 - Realme 9 Pro+
45 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
43 - OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
40 - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
38 - Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
38 - Motorola Edge 30 Neo
35 - Realme 9 Pro
35 - Nokia G60 5G
34 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
34 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
26 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
24 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
24 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
15
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)
Higher is better
